Forums Forums General Forums A - Z Leisure & Hobbies pre-paid currency cards?

Hi all, has anyone ever used a prepay currency card? We are lucky enough to be going to Oklahoma this year and are thinking of using these cards instead of having a lot of cash on us. Also it would be great for my teenagers to have their own prepaid card for their spends.

Any thoughts?

TheMrs

I have often thought about using them but have never dipped my toes in the water. This is quite a good article about them.

http://www.theguardian.com/money/2012/jun/15/travel-money-prepaid-currency-cards-which-best

H The Mrs. H

How strange. Today I have been to the Post Office and got one for my daughter. I think they sound excellent.
You can pay anything between £50 and £5000 max on these cards. If you use sterling, they can be used in over 200 countries and exchanged to the currancy of the country.
Cash can be dawn at ATMS points with a charge of £1.50.
They can be used in most hotels, stores. If someone at home has the ID number, they can top it up from this end if needed.
You can get balance online, or by phone.
They can be contacted online or by phone.
If you loose your card , a new one will be despatched to your holiday address within 24 hours.
Saves carrying loads of cash about on holiday
They are now most popular and as Travellers Cheques are being phased out, these are valid for 3 years before having to be replaced.
I have opened one for my daughter with £50 so that should an emergeny arise, (she will be working abroad)we can bung more in, if it should be needed, from any Post Office..

They sound brilliant and leaflets are in Post Offices.Even the lady who served me,said she had used them and gave them a big thumbs up.

Hi salmon and granny and thanks for your replies.

Yep I definitely think they are the way to go especially as with there being 4 of us going we will be taking quite a bit of cash. Also if my kids have their own cards for spends then there is less chance of them asking me for money all the time

TheMrs

Ah yes!!! :)what a good idea.

I think I'm right in saying that you can also top them up from your online bank account, if needed, but you would need to check that out. Can't see why not.
Don't tell your family that little secret...could be fatal.
Hope you have a fantastic time.

So how do you spend on them...do you just use them as a credit/debit card and how do we know everywhere will know what they are and if they accept them??

I have a son in the USA and I opted to open a Virgin pre-paid Visa card account rather than use the Travel Agents/ Post Office cards etc. Son has the Visa card and uses it for his shopping and I keep an eye on it (what he spends and where) and I top it up as needed.

Normally I do top ups on the internet from my bank. Such top ups are instant. You can top up at shops etc but it takes a little while for the top up to register.

Been doing this for near 4 years now with no problems

Very soon Virgin are changing from Visa card to Mastercard (presumably Visa charge Virgin too high a fee) but the card operation is exactly the same.

With either the Visa card or the Mastercard you cannot overdraw. These are pre-paid cards NOT credit cards.

Only thing my son does not like is the colour of the card - PINK
That was me being naughty when the option was to select a card colour. There were other colour options but I thought PINK may restrain him from flashing it around.

Snod

Yes, use them like a debit card. They must be pretty wide spread and easy to access at ATM's, hotels, and shops as you can get most currencies on them. I think it's a case of look for the sign.More than that I cannot add Sneezy.

Thanks Granny, don't want to get all the way to America for them to look at me daft !!

Ha ha... just go and ask at a Main Post Office. They'd be able to tell you.

Haha Snodvan....that was cruel (but very funny) !!
I might look into those type of cards then instead

Most pre-pay cards have the Visa or Mastercard logo on so will be widely accepted. You just have to make sure you load it with the right currency.

TheMrs

One thing to remember about cards and the USA. They are very backward over there. Chip & PIN really does not exist. Expect to have to sign at the till and you will (usually) have to provide ID. I used my UK driving licence as a rule

Also remember their "odd" system at garages. You pay for the fuel FIRST. Arrive to the pump but then go into the office and ask for whatever quantity of fuel you think you need. Present the card (+ ID usually) and pay. Go back to the pump and add the fuel. Usually you cannot add more than you have paid for ie it cuts off. Weird to our way of thinking.

Snod

Most of the American self-service gas stations now have cardreaders on the pumps. You swipe your card, it pre-auths the card, enables the pump, you fill up (or pump as much as you want), hang up the pump when done; it processes the total $$, prints you a receipt (or not, if you say no) and away you go. All done at the pump and no need to go to the booth or the office.
Having said that, they don't want you to do this for prepaid cards, as the initial pre-Auth will temporarily deduct funds from the card that may leave it without enough to cover the gas. For a prepaid card, you do need to go pre-pay at the office.

We used the Thomas Cook one a couple of years ago in Tenerife. Never again. Could never get a balance, and I'm pretty certain that we were charged nearly every time we used it.

On the plus side, everywhere took it.