Prepaid Credit (Debit) Cards - Anyone Have Any Experiences?

OutlawPete

Hi,

Has anyone used one of these prepaid 'International' Credit Cards?

Prepaid International Cards

Nico

Thomas_S_Hunterson

A lot of people are using wirecard, I find it quite handy (just don't use the 'local account' deposit function). Works perfectly with paypal.

http://www.wirecard.com/wirecard

johnk123

i have a 3v card. www.3v.ie Its good, you buy "credit" so to speak in a newsagents, then purchase what you want online.

Very Handy i think

OutlawPete

johnk123 wrote: »

i have a 3v card. www.3v.ie Its good, you buy "credit" so to speak in a newsagents, then purchase what you want online.

Very Handy i think

Thanks guys but the reason that I asked with that link attached is because my heads wrecked with both Wirecard & 3V.

Those International cards allow you to top up by up to 10,000 some of them and it would seem they are ideal as they send you cards that you can use in ATMs and shops etc.

I just signed up for EasyKard.co.uk out of that list so I'll post back when my card arrives. Have to fax off some ID and all but if that's what it takes for hassle free purchasing then so be it.

Nico

Our man in Havana

Nico22 wrote: »

Hi,

Has anyone used one of these prepaid 'International' Credit Cards?

Prepaid International Cards

Nico

You have to be a UK resident to apply for those cards. Not much use to someone here in Ireland.

Our man in Havana

Nico22 wrote: »

Thanks guys but the reason that I asked with that link attached is because my heads wrecked with both Wirecard & 3V.

Those International cards allow you to top up by up to 10,000 some of them and it would seem they are ideal as they send you cards that you can use in ATMs and shops etc.

I just signed up for EasyKard.co.uk out of that list so I'll post back when my card arrives. Have to fax off some ID and all but if that's what it takes for hassle free purchasing then so be it.

Nico

I had a look at that EasyKard and they want £90 stg to set up an account. :eek:

aliqueenb

I use the 3v ones, they are ok, they must profit alot though because you have to pay 5 euro to buy the money vouchers, theres a 1.75% charge on items not in euro, and there's the 2.50 redemption or transferral fees

Thomas_S_Hunterson

aliqueenb wrote: »

I use the 3v ones, they are ok, they must profit alot though because you have to pay 5 euro to buy the money vouchers, theres a 1.75% charge on items not in euro, and there's the 2.50 redemption or transferral fees

Yea, the fees are way over the top considering it's more or less a zero-risk operation. They don't have to worry about credit defaults, fraud or anything.

wildwest

If you have Neteller Account they send you that card for free you load it from your Neteller account. Plus there is no monthly fee charged by Neteller if you get it through EasyKard there is and their load fees are dearer to I received one from Neteller in December but have not used it so far as I never had any problems with Wirecard but I alawys use the IBAN number.




ALTAIR PREPAID CARD TERMS & CONDITIONS
1. Your Prepaid MasterCard ® Card
You can use the Prepaid Card at any location worldwide that displays the MasterCard® acceptance mark, including shops, restaurants, online, or on the telephone. Before using the Prepaid Card you need to make sure there are enough funds loaded on it. You will not be able to use your Prepaid Card after its expiry date. However we will issue you with a new card prior to expiry.

Your Prepaid Card is not a credit card and is not in any way connected to your bank account. You will not earn any interest on any funds loaded on your Prepaid Card.



2. Applying for and activating your Prepaid Card
To apply for our Prepaid Card you must be at least 18 years old. We may require evidence of who you are and your residential address. We may ask you to provide some documentary evidence to prove this and/or we may carry out checks on you electronically.
You must sign the signature strip on the back of the Prepaid Card as soon as it is received.

Please refer to our Website (www.altair-financial.com) to activate your card and for all card loading options, or refer to the "Loading your Prepaid Card" section below.
By activating the Prepaid Card you are accepting these terms and conditions.


3. Loading your Prepaid Card
Funds can be loaded to your Prepaid Card from your Neteller Internet E Wallet.
We reserve the right to refuse to accept any particular loading transaction.

Description
GBP
Euro
USD

Maximum Card Balance
£10,000.00
€15,000.00
$20,000.00

Maximum Loads per day
3
3
3

Maximum Initial Load
£3,500.00
€5,250.00
$7,000.00

Maximum ATM daily withdraw £500 €750 $1000
Maximum ATM withdraws per day 5 5 5
Minimum Load/Reload £10 €15 $20


Once we receive cleared funds they will automatically be available. A load fee shall apply for each load that you make (see The Fees section).



4. Using your Prepaid Card
Detailed instructions on how to use your Prepaid Card are found on the Website. You will need to follow these instructions when using your Prepaid Card.
We will deduct the value of your transactions from the balance on your Prepaid Card as soon as they are made. We will also deduct any applicable fees as soon as they become payable by you, see The Fees section below for details of our fees. If sufficient funds are not loaded on your Prepaid Card at the time of a transaction to cover the amount of the transaction and The Fees, the transaction will be declined.
Your Prepaid Card can only be used where the merchant requests authorisation electronically. Where authorisation is not sought, the transaction will be declined.



5. Cancellation and expiry of your Prepaid Card
You have a legal right to cancel your Prepaid Card up to 14 days after you activate the Prepaid Card without being charged a Refund Fee - this 14 day period is known as the "Cooling-Off Period". Under these terms and conditions, you also have the right to cancel your Prepaid Card at any time after the 14 day Cooling-Off Period. If your Prepaid Card is cancelled, we will immediately block your Prepaid Card so it cannot be used.

You will not be entitled to a refund of money you have already spent on transactions authorised, or pending or any fees for use of the Prepaid Card before the Prepaid Card is cancelled or expires. You can cancel your Prepaid Card by sending an email to us using the "Contact Us" function on the Website, and confirming that you have destroyed your Prepaid Card.

If you cancel your Prepaid Card, once all transactions and fees have been deducted, we will arrange for any unused funds to be refunded to you, see "Your right to a refund" section below for further information. A Refund Fee will be charged (see The Fees section) unless you have arranged to transfer any unused funds to another Prepaid Card managed by us, or you cancel your Prepaid Card within 14 days of activating it.

We may also cancel your Prepaid Card if we suspect fraud or misuse of your Prepaid Card, if we have any other security concerns or we need to do so to comply with the law. If we do this, we will tell you as soon as we can or are permitted to do so after we have taken these steps. In these circumstances, you must tell us what you want us to do with any unused funds within 3 months of the date we tell you your Prepaid Card is cancelled.

Your Prepaid Card will be valid for 12 months. When it expires, we may automatically send you a replacement card if you have used your card within the last 3 months before the date of expiry and have a balance on the card on expiry date. Any funds on your Prepaid Card will automatically be transferred to your new card. Replacement cards incur a fee (see The Fees section below). If your card has expired and you have not received your new card please contact us.




6. Keeping your Prepaid Card secure
You should treat your Prepaid Card like cash. If it is lost or stolen, you may lose some or all of your money on your Prepaid Card, in the same way as if you lost cash in your wallet or purse. As a result, you must keep your Prepaid Card safe and not let anyone else use it. If you are issued with a PIN, you must immediately memorise it and destroy the notification. You must keep your PIN secret at all times. Do not write it down or reveal it to anyone. In no circumstances will we reveal your PIN to a third party.

If you lose your Prepaid Card or it is stolen, or you suspect that your Prepaid Card has been used by someone other than you, you must tell us immediately by calling us on our 24 hour lost and stolen card helpline +44 (0) 207 127 0009 so we can cancel your Prepaid Card. In the event that your Card is lost, stolen or misused by someone without your permission, you may have to pay part of the loss up to a reasonable sum of any loss incurred.

If you subsequently find the card you must not use it. Cut it in half through the signature box and magnetic strip, and, if you have a CHIP card, ensure the CHIP is cut in half.

If you ask us to do so, we will investigate any disputed transaction or misuse of your Prepaid Card and we may need more assistance and information from you. If this assistance or information is not provided then you may not be entitled to a refund.

We may refund the amount of any disputed transactions which the investigations show are not authorised by you, provided you have kept your Prepaid Card and PIN secret, you have not acted fraudulently, or acted without reasonable care. However, if the investigations show that any disputed transaction was authorised by you, or you have not kept your Prepaid Card or PIN secure, we will not refund the transaction amount and will charge you an Administration Fee (see The Fees section).

We recommend that you check the balance on your Prepaid Card regularly online at the Website. You can see your Prepaid Card balance and recent transactions online at any time.



7. Your liability
In the event that you do not use your Prepaid Card in accordance with these terms and conditions or we find that you are using the Prepaid Card fraudulently, we reserve the right to charge you for any reasonable costs that we incur in taking action to stop you using this Prepaid Card and to recover any monies owed as a result of your activities.


8. Our liability
Like other payment cards, we cannot guarantee a retailer will accept your Prepaid Card, or that we will necessarily authorise any particular transaction. This may be because of a systems problem, something outside our reasonable control, or because we are concerned that your Prepaid Card is being misused. Accordingly, we shall not be liable in any event that a retailer refuses to accept your Prepaid Card, or if we do not authorise a transaction, or if we cancel or suspend use of your Prepaid Card. Unless otherwise required by law, we shall not be liable for any direct or indirect loss or damage you may suffer as a result of your total or partial use or inability to use your Prepaid Card, or the use of your Prepaid Card by any third party.


9. Your right to a refund

You may request a refund of the funds on your Prepaid Card provided you have more than the minimum balance required for a refund. The minimum balance required is £10 (or equivalent to the currency of your Prepaid Card) To do so, send us an e-mail using the "Contact Us" facility on the Website requesting a refund and confirming that you have destroyed your Prepaid Card by cutting it up. When we process your refund, we will charge a Refund Fee (see The Fees section).
We will send a cheque to your last notified address or arrange an electronic transfer to a bank account nominated by you. However, to enable us to comply with our legal obligations, we may ask you to provide us with certain information before we can process your refund request.


10. Changes to these Terms and Conditions
We may change these terms and conditions at any time. You can check the up to date Terms and Conditions by visiting the Website. If we think that a change is material we will send you an e-mail and/or SMS text message and/or letter at least 30 days before making the change, unless a more immediate change is required by law or other valid reason.

If you are significantly disadvantaged by any such change that we make, you may cancel your Prepaid Card in accordance with our refund policy (see section 9). In such circumstances you will not be charged a Refund Fee (see The Fees section).



11. The Fees

We do not charge any fees for checking your on-line balance and transactions. However the following fees do apply:



Description GB £ Euro € US $
Retail Purchases and ATM Fees
Retail Purchase Transaction - Worldwide Free Free Free
Any ATM Withdrawal Worldwide £2.00 €3.00 $4.00
Over the counter cash advance - Worldwide 2%
(min. 4.00 max 10.00) 2%
(min. 6.00 max 15.00) 2%
(min. 8.00 max 20.00)

Load Fees
Load from Internet e-wallet £0.50 €0.75 $1.00

SMS Fees
Statement balance enquiry check £0.10 €0.15 $0.20
SMS card Block/Unblock Free Free Free

Interactive Voice Response (IVR) Fees
IVR Balance enquiry check £0.10 €0.15 $0.20
Card Purchase and Administration Fees
Prepaid Card Purchase £5.00 €7.50 $10.00
Card Activation Fee £5.00 €7.50 $10.00
Replacement Card Lost/Stolen/Expired £5.00 €7.50 $10.00
Monthly Service Charge Free Free Free
Foreign Exchange mark-up of transactions in currency other than your card currency 1.9% 1.9% 1.9%
Administration Fee/Refund Fee £10.00 €15.00 $20.00



**Note that by calling our telephone line on +44(0) 207 127 0027 you will be charged standard operator rates. Calls from outside the UK will vary.
When you use your Prepaid Card at an ATM, you may also be subject to applicable fees, surcharge rules and regulations of the relevant ATM, or other financial institution or association.

When you use your Prepaid Card at an ATM, you may also be subject to applicable fees, surcharge rules and regulations of the relevant ATM, or other financial institution or association.
If we decide to increase or impose any new fees, we will tell you by e-mail, text, or post, at least 30 days before any changes take effect. Authorisation will be requested for all transactions at the time of each transaction. In the unlikely event, for any reason whatsoever, a transaction is completed when there are insufficient funds on the Prepaid Card for that transaction (a "Shortfall"), the Shortfall shall be reimbursed by you unless it is due to an error on the part of the retailer where the Prepaid Card was presented, in this circumstance we may seek the Shortfall from the retailer.
You agree that once we make this Shortfall known to you, we may charge you for the Shortfall amount. We may charge the amount of the Shortfall, from any other Prepaid Cards that you hold with us, to any other payment method, which you may designate at that time, or against any funds, which you may subsequently load onto your Prepaid Card or on any additional Prepaid Card ordered by you. Until we are reimbursed the Shortfall amount, we may suspend your Prepaid Card and any additional Prepaid Cards connected to you. In addition, we reserve the right to charge you an Administration Fee (see The Fees section) for each transaction that you make using your Prepaid Card that results in a Shortfall or increases the Shortfall amount on your Prepaid Card.



12. Your details
You must let us know as soon as possible if you change name, address, phone number or e-mail address. If we contact you in relation to your Prepaid Card, for example, to notify you that we have cancelled your Prepaid Card or to send you a refund by cheque, we will use the most recent contact details you have provided to us. Any e-mail or SMS text message to you will be treated as being received as soon as we send it. We will not be liable to you if your contact details have changed and you have not told us.


13. Data protection
In purchasing the Prepaid Card on the Website and using it, you agree that we can use your personal information in accordance with our Privacy Policy. Our Privacy Policy is set out on our Website, it includes details of the personal information that we collect, how it will be used, and who we pass it to. You can tell us if you don't want to receive any marketing materials from us. You have the right to inspect personal data we hold about you. To inspect any of your personal data held by us you will have to pay us an Administration Fee. If you wish to inspect your personal data you can contact us in any of the ways set out in the Communication section below.


14. Disputes with retailers
If you have any disputes about purchases made using your Prepaid Card, you should settle these with the retailer you bought the goods or services from. We are not responsible for the quality, safety, legality or any other aspect of any goods or services purchased with your Prepaid Card. Remember that once you have used your Prepaid Card to make a purchase we cannot stop that transaction.


15. Communication
If you have an enquiry relating to your Prepaid Card, you can use the "Contact Us" facility on the Website. We will deal with your enquiry promptly. If you do not wish to enquire in this way you can alternatively call our customer service telephone line on +44 (0) 207 127 0027.


16. Complaints
The Prepaid Card programme is managed by Altair Financial Services Limited, 37 Maddox Street, London W1S 2PP, England. If you are unhappy in any way with your Prepaid Card or the way it is managed, tell us by using the e-mail enquiry facility on the Website so we can investigate the circumstances for you. Any complaints you have will be dealt with quickly and fairly. You may be able to take unresolved complaints to the Financial Ombudsman Service at South Quay Plaza, 183 Marsh Wall, London E14 9SR. Telephone: 0845 080 1800 or +44 (0)20 7964 1000 (for calls from outside the UK) and e-mail: enquiries@financial-ombudsman.org.uk


17. Compensation
The Prepaid Card is an electronic money product and although it is a product regulated by the Financial Services Authority, it is not covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme. No other compensation scheme exists to cover losses claimed in connection with the Prepaid Card. If you choose to hold a balance of more than £1,000.00 (or equivalent to the currency of your Prepaid Card) on your prepaid card you understand and accept the risks of holding this large amount of money. This means that in the unlikely event that Newcastle Building Society becomes insolvent your funds may become valueless and unusable and as a result you may lose your money.


18. Assignment
We may assign the benefit and burden of these terms and conditions to another company at any time, on giving you at least 30 days prior notice of this. If we do this, your rights will not be affected.


19. Transfer to a new prepaid card
We may transfer your unused balance to a new prepaid card provided by a prepaid card issuer other than Newcastle Building Society at any time. Before we do this, we will give you at least 30 days notice of the new prepaid card arrangements and the new prepaid card terms and conditions. Unless you advise us within the 30 day period that you do not want a new prepaid card from the new prepaid card issuer, you agree that we can automatically transfer the unused balance on your prepaid card to a new prepaid card provided by the new prepaid card issuer.


20. Governing law
All communications with you will be in English. These terms and conditions will be construed in accordance with English law and the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts.


21. Prepaid Card issuer

Your Prepaid Card is issued by Newcastle Building Society, Portland House, New Bridge Street, Newcastle Upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE1 8AL, England which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority (registered number 156058) as a building society and an issuer of e-money. Your Prepaid Card is the property of Newcastle Building Society and is not transferable to anyone else.

kida

anyone know of anyone that provides a card that appears to be based in the UK or US without having to have a physical address there. Want to sign up for online services that are restricted to certain locations by credit card.

OutlawPete

Bond-007 wrote: »

You have to be a UK resident to apply for those cards. Not much use to someone here in Ireland.

No, some you can live anywhere. I have signed up for the Easycard but most have Ireland in their dropdown boxes when signing up. You need to go that far sometimes to see the charges.

Nico

OutlawPete

kida wrote: »

anyone know of anyone that provides a card that appears to be based in the UK or US without having to have a physical address there. Want to sign up for online services that are restricted to certain locations by credit card.

Hi,

Well the Easycard is just that as the the currency is in dollars. Here's a couple of emails I have received back from their customer service which seems very fast:

> The card is £30 and there is also a £70 fee to have the card
> shipped out through a courier service. The card is not chip and
> pin and its currency is US dollars. It takes 10 days to arrive
> to you once payment and the identity documents are received.

> If you haven't already done so, there are several ways that you can
> pay for your card. You can call us on 0870 879 1780 and make a
> payment over the telephone. Or you can send us a cheque, bankers
> or postal order.

I then asked could I top-up via payzone like you can in the Uk:

> The PayZone option isn't available in Ireland unfortunately.
> Another option is to make bank to bank payments using our bank
> details, which I can provide you with once you have received your
> card and activated it.

Nico

OutlawPete

Just seen the Western Union Prepaid Visa & Mastercards available with excellent low fees but guess what .. they are not available in Ireland. The UK and USA and nearly every other country.

What is it with this country and not having things for years after everyone else? Is it our stupid annual credit card fees? It must be that card companies don't want anything to do with them.

I despair.

Nico

wildwest

You can open a Neteller account in either of the 3 currencys and receive a card for free you only need to have 15 euros in your Neteller account why send £100 sterling to Easikard pay monthly fees on top of that.I see they charge 3% for international withdrawls.So a 1000 withdrawl costs 30 with EasiKard and 3 if you have your card through Neteller.EasiKard are just resellers and make their profits through the big fees they charge I suppose Neteller make a little profit with them to but it is only a add on to their main business.So Nico why are you ordering through EasiCard if its not to late to cancel your order I would be doing so.I have nothing to do with Neteller by the way but they do send you the very same card for free.

Our man in Havana

How are you adding funds to the card?

wildwest

I have not used the card yet but you log in to your Neteller account and fund it from there and the money is supposed to be available nearly right away or inside 24 hours I think that what it says on the Neteller site.I not sure if you can load it any other way.You probably do need your Neteller account verified to get it.I verified mine about 3 or 4 years back I cant remember off hand what that involved I think it was by sending scanned copys of ID but the info is on the site.I fund Neteller the same as wirecard by bank transfers.I think what ever currency you open your Neteller account in they send the card in the same currency.I had a long wait to receive the card 4 or 6 weeks I think but they might have most of them sent out now and it might not take so long.I not sure if brand new members have to pay the activation fee or not but my card came pre loaded with 7.50 to cover it but then I had one of their old cards since I opened my account.http://public.neteller.com/content/global/services_prepaid_card.htm

OutlawPete

Your right Wildwest -- that card is the same as I have just signed up and started a 'local bank transfer' and the details were to transfer money to Barclays Bank in St Stephens Green branch which is the same account that EasyKard use so nice one for that.

There was two choices of accounts - one with a rolling balance limit (over 2500 euro). I went for the lower one for now.

So what do I do now to get the card? Do I need to request it or do they send it automatically or do I have to reach a certain balance?

Thanks again - saved me a few quid,

Nico

OutlawPete

Okay, I've just signed up and if you want the card you must then click on 'Upgrade Account' from the left hand control panel.

You then need to enter your bank account's Iban & Bic codes and they deposit a small amount to your account which you need to tell them about. You also need to send them photocopies of a driving license OR passport along with a bank statement and utility bill etc.

I asked them how long it would take to get the card and they said 19 business days which is really a month. Didn't get a chance to ask about if you need to have a large balance etc to get the card as it was one of those Live Chat things and my connection went.

Nico

wildwest

You have to request it on the Neteller site but you need to have 15 Euro or more in your account at the time you request it as far as I can rembember and then when you click the order button it will say card order been processed or something like that and stay that way until you receive your card.

OutlawPete

wildwest wrote: »

You have to request it on the Neteller site but you need to have 15 Euro or more in your account at the time you request it as far as I can rembember and then when you click the order button it will say card order been processed or something like that and stay that way until you receive your card.

Nice one Wildwest - I'll post back when I receive my card. Should be way handier than Wirecard/3V.

Nico

maddensean

hi nico22..


Just reading your posts, and wondering how you got on with your Neteller Visa Card?
Did you recieve it?
Does it work ok in shops / online etc in Ireland?

Regards

snubbleste

Has anyone used the Ivobank Virtual Card available from http://www.ivobank.com/ivobankhelp.html ?

April Raine

snubbleste wrote: »

Has anyone used the Ivobank Virtual Card available from http://www.ivobank.com/ivobankhelp.html ?

Have you thought of sending Ivobank an email and asking them?

snubbleste

April Raine wrote: »

Have you thought of sending Ivobank an email and asking them?

Yes i have and i did
All i received back was the information that was available on their site. I'm looking for customer feedback about ivobank since they only set up in Ireland last year.

April Raine

snubbleste wrote: »

Yes i have and i did
All i received back was the information that was available on their site. I'm looking for customer feedback about ivobank since they only set up in Ireland last year.

:D fair answer. i looked at the site and in the drop down box for country of residence/nationality there is no ireland/republic of ireland ? Is ireland lumped in with UK.?

Says no charge to fund e wallet till June 09 and can be funded through debit card. Laser?

jor el

April Raine wrote: »

:D fair answer. i looked at the site and in the drop down box for country of residence/nationality there is no ireland/republic of ireland ? Is ireland lumped in with UK.?

Says no charge to fund e wallet till June 09 and can be funded through debit card. Laser?

Ireland is there.

No mention of whether they accept Laser. I'd also be concerned about their direct from bank account top up. There's no mention of whether they have a presence in Ireland, or whether this would require an international bank transfer on your behalf. That could attract fees from your bank, and may be slow. May also be impossible through online banking.

Not much information there, might be worth joining to see what happens. The top-up Debit card, which uses Mastercard, would be better than 3V.


Just set up an account, fairly easy to do. There's no option for Laser, so I tried Maestro (since mine is a Maestro card too), but that failed. So I guess they don't accept Laser then. Had to add my Visa credit card to the account. You have to make a payment into the account within 24 hours of setting it up too.

To set up your bank account, you need the IBAN and BIC, which I think you'll find on your statement.

2nd update. The debit card runs as an application on your desktop, so it's Windows only. It generates a new number every time you run it, so not really suitable for Paypal. Also, because it's a credit card number, you can't transfer funds into Paypal either.

April Raine

jor el wrote: »

Ireland is there.

Thanks didn't see it? And I looked twice. EDIT just checked again no ireland showing for me

No mention of whether they accept Laser. I'd also be concerned about their direct from bank account top up. There's no mention of whether they have a presence in Ireland, or whether this would require an international bank transfer on your behalf. That could attract fees from your bank, and may be slow. May also be impossible through online banking.

True

Not much information there, might be worth joining to see what happens. The top-up Debit card, which uses Mastercard, would be better than 3V.

Near anything is better than 3v

Just set up an account, fairly easy to do. There's no option for Laser, so I tried Maestro (since mine is a Maestro card too), but that failed. So I guess they don't accept Laser then. Had to add my Visa credit card to the account. You have to make a payment into the account within 24 hours of setting it up too.

To set up your bank account, you need the IBAN and BIC, which I think you'll find on your statement.

2nd update. The debit card runs as an application on your desktop, so it's Windows only. It generates a new number every time you run it, so not really suitable for Paypal. Also, because it's a credit card number, you can't transfer funds into Paypal either

.

Thanks

jor el

Try this page, and click the Ireland link.

April Raine

jor el wrote: »

Try this page, and click the Ireland link.

got it thanks

Triangle

at the risk of getting slated (mentioning Ryan air).....

Ryanair have a prepaid master card - as above they cost a startup fee. Not sure about monthly fees thereafter.

But they're local (Ireland/England) and work with An Post (Maybe even billpay)

I don't know much about them but they might be worth looking into.

snubbleste

Triangle wrote: »

at the risk of getting slated (mentioning Ryan air).....
Ryanair have a prepaid master card - as above they cost a startup fee. Not sure about monthly fees thereafter.

There's a whopping €85 per year charge for having the card.

jackbauer

I'd be perfectly happy to pay 85 euro. Thats a drop in the bucket compared to stamp duty , interest , late payment fees etc. 3v is a pain with 5 euro charges then they clean up on the change.

Topmail

Will car rental companies accept prepaid master cards? I tried tom rent a car some time back but because I do not have a credit card the would not deal with me. Any way around this?

jor el

Topmail wrote: »

Any way around this?

Nope. Car rentals usually require a physical card at the desk, which a pre-pay one isn't. To rent a car, you need an actual credit card.

jackbauer

as far as i can tell the ryanair card is a physical card so as long as you had enough funds in it it should work.

Our man in Havana

Nope.

It will only work for car rental if the car rental function is enabled. Very few prepaid cards are sadly.

Also the Ryanair card is impossible to obtain if you use a 3v voucher to pay for it. They cannot verify your details and they simply refund your money.

jackbauer

ah i see. Interesting about the 3v as that was what i was going to do. Best go down the bank draft route then. Another nail in the coffin for 3v. What was the point in making me supply them with photo id etc if my details can't be "verified" :rolleyes:

jackbauer

i don't suppose the maestro function of the useless laser card could be used for the ryanair card?

jackbauer

well as i suspected the laser was not accepted by the ryanair site so i sent a bank draft today. interesting to see what happens. Has anyone sucessfully purchased the payzone mastercard? I have been trying for weeks.

Our man in Havana

jackbauer wrote: »

well as i suspected the laser was not accepted by the ryanair site so i sent a bank draft today. interesting to see what happens. Has anyone sucessfully purchased the payzone mastercard? I have been trying for weeks.

I keep getting an error has occured. It won't work for Laser or Visa.
Is that what is happening with your attempts Jack Bauer?

jackbauer

yeah thats it exactly. I have rang them about 6 times in the past week and sent print screens of the problems. No help. The phone support people don't seem to understand the problem and can't help. Lets hope the ryanair works out better.

jackbauer

Well i decided what the hell and tried using the uk country selection and an old 3v with €6.05 left on it. Worked fine:D Now as to whether i will get a card....

cormie

Folks, didn't read everything above, but I have an

Irish issued HaliFax VISA Debit Card

Can apparantly be used anywhere a VISA logo is displayed, 27million locations worldwide and all you need to do is go into a Halifax pay cash and it'll be on your card ready to spend instantly. I think you get it free when you open a personal account there and all you need to open an account is the usual ID/utility bill etc. There is NO APPROVAL PROCESS so anyone can use it as long as they have the cash before buying.

I haven't used it for anything yet, I used WIRECARD a lot and had very good experience using it.

Our man in Havana

I assume you need to open an account in the Halifax?

jackbauer

A few years ago (early '06 i think) I went into my local halifax and applied for the current account and visa debit. Had to do a lot of form filling and i was given a dirty look when I mentioned I was self employed. Week later had heard nothing so i phoned up. Declined. No explanation given. That approach sure got them far.

Our man in Havana

jackbauer wrote: »

A few years ago (early '06 i think) I went into my local halifax and applied for the current account and visa debit. Had to do a lot of form filling and i was given a dirty look when I mentioned I was self employed. Week later had heard nothing so i phoned up. Declined. No explanation given. That approach sure got them far.

I concur.

They wanted 6 weeks payslips, P60 etc before they would consider you for the most basic account. Needless to say they decline anyone not meeting their criteria without explanation.

There is NO APPROVAL PROCESS

Oh yes there is.

cormie

I was approved no problem (also self employed) and with pretty much no banking history at all. I was declined their credit card but got the debit with the account. Didn't have to bring any payslips or anything like that, just a few bank statements and ID I think. It's worth a shot anyway, just the same as opening an account with wirecard or any of them I guess?

jackbauer

Strange alright. When did you apply? They might have changed over the last few years.

cormie

About a year ago at this stage, I've never put a penny in the account but kept getting statements so rang up to close the account but they said I'd need to send a signed letter asking to close, I was too lazy so never bothered. Whatever happened, I didn't even know I had the debit card until I was onto the customer service yesterday and they said it had been sent out ages ago when I signed up, my memory must be just blank from that period but it turns out I had it there and all the details so I'm going to keep the account open. After I opened the account, I was told mixed things about using the Visa debit, some people said you could only use it in Ireland, others said anywhere, turns out you can use it anywhere which I just confirmed yesterday so I'm probably going to start using it now instead of wirecard (although I do owe wirecard 85 cent from a transaction that was more than what I had left on my card which is strange).

jackbauer

at a guess they may have eased up on the criteria. mr.bond when did you apply?

jackbauer

got an email from ryanair today they got the application and i can expect my card pack in 14-28 days. also got an email from payzone to say the payment site is up and running and so it is. just ordered my payzone card also!