Temp credit card for teen?

silly

My teen daughter wants an online voucher for Christmas. I into the O2 money card but that costs €10 and they will charge you if you don't use it within a certain time. Is there any other option to get a temp credit card type thing? I have a paypal account, could I set one up for her and put €50 on it and then remove credit card details so she couldn't spend more than the €50?

Any suggestions appreciated.

LegacyUser

There are a few pre-paid credit card options like O2 like Skrill, Swirl, Neteller etc etc but most will have fees and time limits as they are like a real credit card which has fees. Paypal has fees as well depending what your buying. It might be better to ask if she wants a voucher for a certain site like amazon or etsy (and even then they have expiration date but no purchase cost) Or else get her the pre-paid credit card and she can learn what it costs to have a credit card.

yellowlabrador

have a look at 3v.ie you top up like a prepay phone at payzone and enter numbers online. there is no physical card

OUTDOORLASS

In the local Spar, I bought a Swirl Prepay type of credit card. It was E5 to buy the plastic card, you set it up very easily online, or there is a number in Dublin you can ring. About a day or so later, you get an activatation code in the post.
Once the card is set up, you top it up like a phone, and there is a E2.50 (I think..) charge everytime you top up.
So if you want to put the E50 on the card, it will cost you E52.50. She can use the card like a normal card, but the beauty is that when the top amount is gone...it's gone.....You cant spend what is not in the card. I used it to set up a Kindle Account for my teenager. I didnt want to use my own card, in case major damage was done by teenager....She tops it up with pocket money every month or so, depending on what books she has bought. I think it operates under the Mastercard banner. Rgds.

I just googled....Swirl Prepaid Mastercard.....you will get all the information there.

Chance The Fapper

O2 money cards are the same as the two above, but cheaper, and they have facilities for parents to monitor their child's expenditure

codrulz

Ihave you thought about setting up a bank ac for her? Im 15 and have an AIB account have had it for about 7 years now.
You could set her up an account and if she is 13 she will get an aib debit card for students.
No lodge fees no quaterly fees its completly free.

OUTDOORLASS

From a parents point of view, the only problem I see with the AIB account, is that the account holder could spend all that is there on a mad spree. Say the teen had a couple of hundred euro from Christmas or birthday, and went shopping with some of the buddies....and lost the run of things......She could put a fair hole in the account. Whereas with the Prepay Credit card, if you only have X, you can only spend X. I know there is a charge everytime you topup, but if you only top up a few times in the year, it does.nt add up to much.

A2LUE42

Some good info here

http://www.moneyguideireland.com/category/prepaid-mastercard

Comparison of Prepaid Debit Cards Ireland
Calendar April 29, 2014 | Posted by Money Guide
Up until a couple of years ago – the vast majority of debit cards issued in Ireland were Laser cards. Laser cards no longer exist and all the banks have switched to Visa Debit cards – which are better for online shopping and using cards overseas.
Most banks in Ireland charge customers between 20c and 28c for each debit card transaction – unless they qualify for free banking.
See this article about Current Account Charges in Ireland

It is possible to get Prepaid Debit cards – both Visa and Mastercard in Ireland. These can be used at the majority of online shops and high street stores – in the same way as Credit Cards and normal Debit Cards .

Prepaid cards can be a way of avoiding many of the transaction fees charged by most Irish banks. Another advantage of using prepaid debit cards instead of credit cards is that you can only spend what is on the card – and are not temped to go into debt.
Also – the transactions don’t appear on bank statements or credit card statements – so giving more privacy where needed.

O2 Money cards - can be bought by parents and used by their teenage children (aged 13 and over) . This is a great idea for parents with teenagers – they can get the kids an O2 Money card which can be topped up when required. It is safer than carrying cash around and if they run out it can be topped up online. po. It stops them having to use their parents cards online too – which reduces the risk of online fraud.

Comparison of Charges on Prepaid Cards in Ireland (Updated April 2014)

Skrill prepaid Mastercard
€10 annual fee
Usage Fees – Shopping Nil , ATM €1.80
Top Up charges : – Free if done by bank transfer But a 1.9% fee for top ups from debit cards or credit cards .
No inactivity charges

O2 Money - Prepaid Visa
Initial Fee €9.99
Loading fees range from 50c to €3.50 when done via your bank or an O2 store. Fees are from €2.00 to €4.50 when topped up in a Payzone store.
Usage Fees – ATM €1 – Purchases – Nil
Inactivity Fee – after no usage for 12 months : €1.50 per month

Swirl Prepaid Mastercard
€5.95 purchase fee
Loading fees : Bank Transfer is Free otherwise for top ups under €350 = €2.99 ; Over €350 = €3.99
Usage charge – when purchasing online or in shops = 2.95% (min 75c, Max €2.95) ATM = €1.50
Inactivity Fee = €3.50 a month after 2 months of no usage.

Payzone - Prepaid Mastercard

Purchase = €5.95
Loading fees €3.95 for Under €100 and €6.95 for more than €100
Usage charge – 1.95% of purchase price . ATM €1.50
Inactivity Charge = €2 per month after just 2 months of non use.

Example of Fees - To purchase something costing €300 using one of these cards – including any purchase and loading fees.

Skrill (assuming worst case scenario of loading via debit card)
€10 fee (annual) , Loading fee €5.85 – Total €15.85.
(Note: If you loaded via your bank – there would be no loading fee.)
For every €100 you load and spend – it will cost you a maximum of €1.90 – (but it will cost you nothing if you use bank transfer online to load it)

O2 Money – €9.99 one off purchase , Loading fee €4.50 (in store) (would be €3.50 using bank transfer or online) Total €14.49
For every €100 you load and then spend it will cost you a max of – €3.00 Min €2.00

Swirl €5.95 to buy , €2.99 loading fee and usage fee €2.95 (Free if bank transfer) = Total €11.91
For every €100 you load and then spend – it will cost you €5.94 (€2.95 if you use bank transfer to load)

Payzone – €5.95 to buy it , top up fee = €6.95 and usage fee €5.85 = Total €18.75. For every 100 you load and spend – it will cost you €5.90

Over the course of a full year- if someone used one of these cards once a month to load it with €500 from their bank account and spend the €500 in 10 different €50 transactions each month - this is how much it would end up costing you over the first year .(including initial set up fee of card) ….

Skrill - €10
O2 Money €51.99
Swirl €230.23
Payzone €205.75

If you don’t meet the criteria for fee free banking at your bank – then using your bank’s debit card 10 times a month would cost you in the region of €30 a year (Using average of 25c per transaction) – so using the Skrill card would save you money in bank fees.

All debit cards should also incur a €2.50 government stamp duty charge each year too. (Plus €2.50 if used at ATM)

It is useful to know also that you have the same protection when buying with a prepaid debit card as with a credit card. If goods don’t turn up you can get Visa or Mastercard to do a chargeback to the retailers bank and get a refund.

StripedBoxers

codrulz wrote: »

Ihave you thought about setting up a bank ac for her? Im 15 and have an AIB account have had it for about 7 years now.
You could set her up an account and if she is 13 she will get an aib debit card for students.
No lodge fees no quaterly fees its completly free.

OUTDOORLASS wrote: »

From a parents point of view, the only problem I see with the AIB account, is that the account holder could spend all that is there on a mad spree. Say the teen had a couple of hundred euro from Christmas or birthday, and went shopping with some of the buddies....and lost the run of things......She could put a fair hole in the account. Whereas with the Prepay Credit card, if you only have X, you can only spend X. I know there is a charge everytime you topup, but if you only top up a few times in the year, it does.nt add up to much.

I have a cousin who from 13 or 15yo had an AIB account and got a card on the account but there wasn't much money kept in the account, any money he had was kept in the credit union and the only time money was in his bank account was when he lodged it in for when he was going somewhere or buying something online etc. but his parents knew what he was buying, where it was from, how much it costs etc. so only enough to cover the purchase or day out or whatever was lodged into the account.

He was never allowed keep more than €20 in his account though and if there was any more than €20, it was withdrawn and put into the credit union.

He is 18 now and has full control over his bank/credit union accounts etc but he still does the same thing - lodges what he needs and the rest is in the CU.