Pre-Paid Credit Cards

prepaid-credit card is somehow like the virtual credit card that we sometimes use in online transaction without a need of opening for a bank account, Some used it to activate paypal as what i did before as i dont have credit card to activate paypal as what they normally ask in my country, so instead of waiting for many months of real credit card approval i decided to get a virtual credit card where i load up some amount, i also use it to purchase something online, its easy to get virtual prepaid credit card as there's no need for too much personal information as long as you have your full name then they will give you a certain number to transact online. Though of course you have to buy and load a prepaid credit card which is not as easy as going to the bank and deposit funds to your debit card.

My main interest in a prepaid credit card is for travel such as paying hotel bills, transportation, etc. I think that they are also good for persons who have trouble getting a real credit card and for youngsters. They make good gifts. It does seem that there is some difficulty loading them and then there are extra fees also.

I don't know much about the prepaid credit cards myself. I believe that Visa, Mastercard and American Express all offer prepaid cards. This is new to me.

No its not the same as debit card as credit card is not connected to a certain bank account as you may only have it for online transaction only or probably even non online transaction but to purchase a certain item that only accept credit card, most of the time for online transaction they prefer to have pre-paid so if anyone use the card at least they cant use it if there's no funds in it unlike the usual credit card where there's always available funds so if someone use it then there's a tendency that they can use it and its already fraud unless there's no more credit balance left on the card or in pending status so prepaid credit card is more safe to use, on the other hand Debit card is somehow connected to our savings or checking acct which is not safe to use also as someone might can have access to your account and personal information and what if there's funds available then they can just withdraw the money easily.

There are prepaid credit cards as well as prepaid debit cards. I do not know the difference. it sounds like the same thing to me because you have to load money on either before you can use them.

I have a debit card and I have a credit card. But what is a prepaid debit card? It sounds to me that it is similar to a prepaid credit card. You load them both before using them and then money is subtracted from the balance, so what is the difference?

I have read that Walmart offers a prepaid card. Is it good only at Walmart or can you use it anywhere?

I am only interested in a prepaid card when traveling. I have a credit card through my credit union but there have been some mix up's with it. My credit union is growing very fast and there have been some problems due to the growth. One year, they accidentally deleted my credit card and I had to prove to them that I had had one and had used it before they corrected the problem. Last month, i tried to use it only to find out it had expired. I called the credit union and found out that my new card had been returned to them from the post office for no reason at all. My credit union never even informed me. They did send me the new card but I don't want to be out of state and have anything like this happen to me. It is one thing to happen when I am at home but another thing when I am traveling. I could get stranded.

Prepaid credit cards can improve your credit rating and help you get a real credit card if that is what you are aiming at. I can not recommend any because I do not know enough about them but it seems that they do have some real pluses. You will have to do a lot of searching and researching. Some come with a lot of fees so be careful.

The prepaid cards that I have looked into are all loadable. You have to load the money onto them before you can use them. I have not come across any that are linked to bank accounts and existing amount in bank. Are you thinking of ATM debit / credit cards?

Hi this is how I use my card If I need. Gas I went inside the Store to use it I had no problems This was with the prepaid credit card Not the reload one.

Thanks for the info. There seems to be a lot of different types of prepaid cards and a lot of different uses plus a whole lot of different experiences.

What type did you buy online? What was it great for and what was it not great for. I have read about the charges and fees.I have been doing some research and seeking opinions and recommendations.

I am interested because could you give some more information such as, where online did you buy yours ? and what card did they give you ?.

I have a debit card and I use it frequently at home but there have been glitches in the past. I had the money in my account but there was a glitch between the retailer's machine and my bank. Transaction was not approved. In some situations, I had cash and in others, I used it as a credit card and it went through. I was thinking about a prepaid credit card for travel. Can you use a debit / credit card to book a flight? What happens if you try to pay your hotel bill with it and there is a glitch like I have experienced at Target or my grocery store? I think that you can use a prepaid credit card when traveling. It is already loaded with cash. silverfox09. There are many different types of prepaid credit cards. You have to search and you will get information.

I do need to look more into prepaid cards. I do know American Express offers one. They call it reloadable cards. I have spoken to their customer service. It seems like a really good thing but you do have to pay added fees to use it. There are some other stipulations which I do not care for.

I have an ATM debit card which links directly to my bank accounts. I use it locally when I shop but there have been times when my transaction was not approved because of a glitch between the retailer and my bank. I had the money in my accounts. It was embarrassing but fortunately I had cash on me. It would be a real problem if I was traveling. I am interested in prepaid credit cards for travel purposes.

I have looked into the American Express prepaid card. I like some of what I have seen but there are some stipulations that i did not care for. American Express calls them reloadable cards. I was told that you can use it any any retailer that takes American Express. I am only interested in using prepaid cards when traveling such as hotel, transportation, restaurants, and etc.

Prepaid cards may not be available in every country. Some, like American Express, seem to offer benefits. You can also give them as gifts. They make great gifts.

Some pre-paid cards do charge you a lot but I think there are others that charge less. I have been doing some research. It sounds like your VISA is more of a debit card which can also be used as a credit card. Is that correct?

When I opened my account 12 years ago it was just an ATM card. Later it became a Visa.

These prepaid cards are becoming very popular. So, your bank offers them. I know that you can buy a Visa, Mastercard and American Express prepaid credit card. But it seems that you can also buy them directly through financial institutions from what you are telling me. It is good for young people and persons who have credit problems or overspend but I am more interested in using them when I travel.