I have tried many prepaid cards over the years from banks such as BMO, HorizonPlus and others and have found they all screw you on fees and offer terrible customer service. I use prepaid cards regularly for small cash purchases like coffee, lunch, newspapers, magazines, as well as my online purchases. I do not like putting all these small charges on my credit card. I recently discovered an awesome prepaid product called Zoompass that I want to share with you all. The Zoompass Prepaid MasterCard is absolutely free to get and free to use. Now for the coolest part – Zoompass gives you a free application for your mobile device (I use a BlackBerry) that lets you check your balance, view your transaction history, and reload the card from a linked bank account. The coolest part was I was able to send money through the Zoompass application on the phone to a friend I owed money to! This really is the future of electronic cash.

Can you fund a prepaid credit card with another credit card? (For my college age kid)

the problem with these, and i have two of them that i am frustrated with, since they sold and changed banks, is that netspend now has no way to talk to a human, so your screwed there. and western union has them, but like most others, will hold a percentage over the amount you charge for certain things. it's not the hotel chains that charge the fees. most will hold for $10-$35, but will immediately release when they run the bill on checkout. but the card companies will hold for up to 90 days as most state laws allow, which is really a form of fraud, since none of this is covered in the practices and policies sections of the user agreements. in all honesty, they are all a shot in the dark whether they are good or bad. but most are funded by overseas banks, as you will see when you call customer service and get someone with a russian or middle eastern accent. is there nothing that is american owned any more?

Funny thing about getting loans. You generally need a good credit history for that. lol! So, if you are trying to recover from bad/no credit, you are less likely to be approved for a loan. Unless you know someone in management. ;)

if you can, taking out a loan and paying it back on time also builds credit.

where do i get pre-paid credit cards? how much does it cost? do i need to pay extra to get a prepaid credit card?

I use Green Dot and my card is to expire at the end of the month. Will they send me a new one?

Can you use this card to pay on ebay?

LOL! You are funny!! I used the asterisks for what likely is the same reason you used uppercase - because I wanted to highlight the phrases/words but there wasn't a bold or italics option that I could find. : )

Thank you for the suggestions for building up my credit. I never thought of those options - in fact, I didn't realize there were places that still did 'rent to own'. I knew from the start that the prepaid card wouldn't do a thing for my credit, but I got it because it was necessary for things like - well - booking airline tickets and staying at hotels. My young son has to go to the city a couple of times each year for specialist appointments and we don't know anyone there to stay with, so our only option was to find a hotel. Sure, there are some that accept cash, but most of them are not the kind I would take a 5 year old to (not very well kept/clean etc). I don't know what to do now that the hotels are not accepting prepaid cards. Even though I will *eventually* get some credit, my son's appointments can't be held off until then.

you made that story up, right? besides, isn't "prepaid credit" an oxy*moron*?

i stand by my original post; a "prepaid credit card" is what one gets his 14 year old daughter! kind of like those retractable leashes for dogs; lets them pretend they're free to run even though they're really not!

in all seriousness, however, there are many possible answers to your question. might i suggest a "buy here-pay here" auto or perhaps a "rent-to-own" big screen television as a more effective means of establishing a credit rating? well, *as effective* atleast! my question for you is: "what does *it* mean when you randomly *place* asterisks in your writing?

I am a 42 year old stay-at-home-mom who has been married for 15 years and am now just starting to try and build some credit for myself. Or rather - tried to...but like one of the other previous posters of similar circumstances I am finding that "no credit" is worse than "bad credit". I have had a Canadian Prepaid Mastercard for about 3 years now. It has worked wonderfully for airline tickets at WestJet and the few hotels I've had to reserve/pay for when taking kids to the city for health appointments.

At least, it worked well until this past March. I made and confirmed my reservation at a hotel which I have used before *with this same* prepaid card, I got all the way there (6hr drive with sick cranky child), go to sign in, and was unceremoniously informed they don't accept prepaid credit cards.

Now, my issue with this (besides my new bias against this hotel) is that in my research on this subject I am learning from several financial advisor types that the problem with hotels (and such) not accepting these prepaid cards is that they can't preauthorize a prepaid card. Not true. At least, not true of the one I use (Horizon Plus). Gas stations have pre-auth'd, this *same* and other hotels have pre-auth'd in the past, and I have never had a problem. So, I don't get why suddenly these same places won't accept them. There was *more* than enough money to preauth an entire weeks stay twice over and I was only staying for *one* night. I even offered to pre-pay the entire thing *plus* have them 'hold' the same or greater amount again. They wouldn't even check it to see - they simply refused. The card has my name on it and everything. Can anyone here offer me a better explanation as to why these places do that when pre-authorizing/holding funds *is* possible on such a card?

Now that I have registered with the Payzone prepaid Mastercard, I find that when I went to load my First-Time Loading card, that the card was declined.

Yet stupid Payzone has nothing in their FAQ addressing this problem. I check my account on-line to see no credit, and yet I cannot load with any credit anyway. Has anyone come across this problem, I sent them 3 emails but this was on last week, this is supposed to be transformism, replies are supposed to be instantaneous, it's the internet.

I realise now that the people who issue the worldwide prepaid Mastercard are a bank based in Luxembourg, so this should be ok, hopefully they don't expect me to have a bank in the UK, if you are within the EU, that should be safe enough, hopefully someone can confirm this for me.

Can anyone see or know about the money on your card? Do these cards report anywhere? I know not Credit Bureaus, I'm wondering anywhere? Anyone? I'm not trying to build credit.

*Do not use the* NetSpend Card!!! It's a scam! They charge for Loading the card, for withdrawing money $2.50 for every $400.00! So, if you have to withdraw $500.00 you pay $5.00! Every time you call to check your balance you pay and if you call customer service *you pay* $4.95!!! And to top it off, this may shock you...the company does not care about Customer Service!!! Nope, not at all!

I've just ordered a Payzone Worldwide prepaid Mastercard and hope to make a purchase from a store in Boston, US. When I was looking at their conditions for international payments they mentioned this. " We verify the authenticity of all card holders and you will be asked to supply the name of the bank that issued your credit card and their phone number along with the security code." Now Payzone has an office in England and Scotland, what do I supply for a bank address, do I supply the Payzone Scottish address (where I'm living) and phone number. I've been trying to get this item for ages, but my Maestro card won't work, as the site only accepts Vista and Mastercard. I can't imagine there being a problem as credit will already be loaded in. Did anyone come across a problem like this? I'm awaiting this card in the post, will it work with this site.

Cheers for any info in advance.

If I won the lottery, I want to give family members money. I was thinking about pre-paid credit cards.

Is there a maximum amount you can put on a pre-paid credit card?

I have used the Green dot card system to load money to my prepaid card with Account now. Its not bad to have if you live in the bay area their branch is located in Pleasanton CA. If you have direct deposit you can also apply for a cash advance through iadvance as long as you have direct deposit with (Metabank)aka. Accountnow- It doesn't matter if its visa or mastercard.

As for renting a car I have located one place in Oakland that will accept your debit card or prepaid visa to hold the deposit. Just so you know Alamo Hertz Dollar etc. Do not accept prepaid debit cards with visa or mc. They have a specific list that they will accept mostly those with a *bank* name such as Citibank B of A etc.-- Now Bank of America offers a prepaid Visa card along with you having direct deposit - I think its $29.00 to set up the account processing and fees, but you can use this card to rent cars hotels and more. I previously had one and I am planning to order another one this coming paypcheck. Its called Cashpay

prepaid credit cards are debit cards!

has anyone heard of the AccountNow Prepaid Card? I found their card on a card comparison site, I am interested because they say they can give you a line of credit, kinda like a payday loan. Wanted to know if anyone was using them?

The worst experience I've ever had with any company ever was with the issuer of my prepaid credit card; Next Estate Communications. I believe the card I had was marketed under the brand name "Green Dot", but I'm not absolutely sure. I am fairly certain that Next Estate Communications peddles prepaid credit cards under several different brands. Regardless of the brand name, I strongly recommend avoiding any product or service offered by them. Although my experience was limited to just the Green Dot brand, the problems I encountered trying to use it seemed to be of the sort likely to be systemic in nature; consequences of shortcomings at the organizational level, and therefore likely to be reflected in varying degrees throughout the company, across product lines, divisions and departments.

Do NOT use a Mio prepaid credit card! My husband and I have had a terrible time with it. There are all the usual hassles of a prepaid credit card, such as:

1) not being able to use it for any car rentals and most airline flights,

2) having hotels charge an outrageous deposit amount that ties up your money and is not released for a month without the hotel manager faxing a letter to MIO headquarters,

3) having gas stations hold $75 for a week or more for a purchase of gas of any amount below that,

4) having to pay a service fee each time you reload the card (with Mio it's $4.95 and Mio only allows you to load up to $500 at a time [once per day], although you can load it every day if you need more than $500 on it for a large purchase),

5) not being able to get a second card for another family member without paying an additional fee, and

6) only the cardholder whose name is on the card can get information over the phone; anyone else in the family (even a spouse) has to be "approved" by the cardholder to even be talked to by Customer Service.

I'm not sure if items 5 & 6 are customary for all prepaid credit cards or just unique to Mio.

Besides those hassles, Mio's website has been impossible to access for over a month now in order to check your balance and purchase history. Their customer service told my husband over the phone this morning that they're "working on it but it probably won't be accessible until Jan. 2009"! In order to check your balance, you have to call their customer service number every time.

They have not sent the new card (which expires every 12 months) despite repeated calls from us. Consequently, our card is now expired and we are unable to make online purchases and are in danger of having some of our services (which come out of our prepaid account as automatic deductions) cut off.

Since you can only load $500 once a day on Mio, it doesn't work for direct deposits of paychecks.

All in all, we're very frustrated and fed up with Mio and are looking for another prepaid credit card that will prove more reliable and more user-friendly. I'd appreciate it if someone would post the names of cards they've found to work better than what I've described above.

I looked around for the best deal in prepaid cards. I had never heard of it before but it offers a lot more than the normal prepaid card. It's called the Pr1macard. You can earn free phone minutes and use it as a calling card. I highly recommend it.

ARGH! I'm frustrated. I have no credit in my name. I'm 40 years old, have been married 21 years, stayed home full-time and raised and home-schooled three children. I get denied for even Sears and JCPenney cards because of "Insufficient Credit History". Teens still in school can get credit left and right. Guys at the bank told me I have two options: get someone to co-sign on a loan (which I don't wanna do because the Bible tells us it's foolish to sign for another person) OR a secured card - but now am I understanding that these actually do NOT help to establish credit??

does it help build your credit?

i have one with international bank VISA...two years, no problems so far. Yes, they put your name on the card... and one correction...you can't rent a car with these cards very easily or not at all. Hotels will charge you an extra deposit, which you will get back after your hotel stay. They put a hold on the card when you buy gas for like 75, even if you get 10 bucks worth...but if you have bad credit, this card is excellent. Good customer service. Fees are reasonable.

do any of these companies for prepaid card put your name on them?

I'd like to set up an anonymous website online -- buying the url from a registrar and hosting on a free service. Can I use a prepaid credit card and never give anyone my name or address? As to recharging, I want to do this only in cash at a retail establishment.Possible? Any weak links I might have missed?

A prepaid credit card is great for those who want to fly under the government radar. There is currently legislation in Congress that would require all credit card transactions to be reported to the feds. Do you really want them knowing what you are buying? Can you say Ruby Ridge, Waco, FLDS?

I have yet to find a car rental company that will take a prepaid credit card to reserve a car. They say they will allow it to pay for the car once it's returned but not to reserve it. To reserve they said you need a regular line-of-credit credit card.

does anyone know where to get a prepaid card from a physical store (NOT online)? the only ones i have seen are the one time use gift card ones where you can't reload them. im having trouble with identity theft and am looking to get a reloadable prepaid card to minimize loss

Has anyone heard anything about the RushCard, and if so what is your opinion about it?

I'd like to know if you have to give any identifying or verifiable information to have a prepaid credit card. If it worked similarly to a prepaid phone card, that would be a big help.

This message is for those who wants to establish good credit. First of all, the prepaid credit card issuers do not report to credit bureaus. You would have to start establishing your credit by first obtaining a secured visa or mastercard, you deposit a certain amount of money (ex. $100) to so called CD account and you receive a credit card with $100 limit. Those banks report to all 3 credit bureaus, some report as a secured credit card account & some not. After a year the bank returns the deposited money and the account becomes unsecured, with the limit that you had. It is always a good idea to increase the limit before year ends, so you will end up with high limit card. There is a good website that offers both secured cards and bad credit credit cards as well as guaranteed approval cards regoardless of your credit, employment or income. You can visit that site and apply for a secured card even few cards each $100 or $150 to increase your credit score faster and higher. Each credit account is considered as a trading reference, more you have established - more credit you get from other creditors. Remember always make your payments on time and make little more than the minimum. Good luck.

dear anon5271, I have a prepaid credit card and i got mine at radio shack. You buy the card and put money on it. what you buy is the atm card. you go to the web site and register and they will send you the credit card

You dont have to get a prepaid credit card if you have bad credit. There are a lot of cards that will approve you.

To answer the question about rebuilding your credit with a prepaid credit card, no they do not report this.

However, if you are look to rebuild and need a credit card to do it then you can try a secure credit card (which if you ask me is the same as a prepaid card, because when you open the account your card is already in the negative) and they do report your activity. The major difference with this method is it will work just like a regular credit card, but you are required to make a payment before you use it or your available balance when you first get your card might be $50. You might be charged a higher apr, and they have a set min balance i.e. $20 month. When renting a car or something you will just have to have the amount available on your card as with a regular card. Merchants will not be able to tell it is secure.

Another way to build your credit is by going to your local credit union or bank and ask for a secure loan, or you can go to a local finance company and borrow a small amount I would start at $1,000. As with both options, (I recommend not spending the money, but putting the money to the side and using it to pay the loan back off) and make your payments on time and this is a quick way to improve your credit.

I checked out all prepaid credit cards and they all charge a lot of fees except one. There is no activation fee and no monthly if I use direct deposit. They claim it costs less than a regular checking account - which I can't get anyway. I've used it and they are pretty good.

Most of the credit reporting features for prepaid cards is a scam. You pay a fee (usually less than $20) and that payment is what is reported. Thought technically, they are reporting to credit bureaus, a $20 monthly payment will do nothing to improve your credit rating so you get nothing for your trouble. Netspend is probably the most well known and reputable company selling these cards. They have some cool mobile phone features like texting to receive your balance.

There is no such thing as a prepaid credit card really. It is a secured credit card if you put money on it first (and then technically there is no credit). Prepaid debit cards can be used like credit cards if they have the MC or Visa logo, but you cannot 'borrow' money you don't have. There are a few prepaid debit cards with these logos and each has different fees and features. The best one I have found is from a company called gteks. They have a card that is better priced than walmart on all its fees and they have a very important feature to me and my family called card to card transfer. It lets me transfer money to anyone with a card and to banks for only $5 or less. I can even use my cell to do the transfers. They also do not require as much of my personal info which was good. Hope that helps!

If there is no monthly fee, is there still a fee when you make a deposit?

I have been looking for a "Prepaid Credit Card", but all I have been able to find are "Prepaid Debit Cards" or "Secured Credit Cards" or "Prepaid Credit Cards" that are actually a membership you join and can only be used at their certain "club" store. Is there actually a "Prepaid Credit Card", that you put a certain amount on and you can't withdraw over that amount, period?

can i use my bread prepaid card to pay next a £3.75p

charge over the phone so i can place my first order with them, as they say the only cards they don't accept is electron or solo, but they did not say anything about not accepting prepaid cards.... any answers please?

Using a prepaid card is the best way to go in terms of shopping online (especially if its not a big name website.) The worst way to shop online is with your debit card especially if your pay check is being deposited to the checking account associated with that specific debit card. Remember you don't have the fraud protection as with a credit card. Timely credit card payments will bolster your credit ratings, while debit transactions do nothing for your credit ratings..(its your money from your checking account.)

What is a monthly maintenance fee?

Is there anything to distinguish this credit card from say, a regular visa or mastercard so that merchants/retailers would know that there is only a limited amount on the card, i.e. in the case of a car rental where they want to be assured you for any damage or non-return of the car.

Can I create a prepaid account under a false name? Is this the type of card illegal immigrants use? This might have some advantages if you don't like companies tracking you personal info.

If prepaid credit Cards is similar to that of a Debit Cards, then why should we go in depositing a decent amount in bank and obtain a Prepaid credit Card.

We have to pay an initial amount to do this also. For that we could use a Debit Card instead. I hope in today's world, Debit card is also being widely used, wherever credit card is applicable.

Obviously Prepaid credit cards should not bear intrest,since the amnt used is ours, which is deposited in the bank. Based on that suerity we are able to obtain the cards.

Dont you think, this is just a trik played by the Bankers to populate credit cards in the market.

Sorry, there is usually an age minimum of 16 to get a prepaid card, just like a regular one. Although I have seen some that offer to teens as young as 13.

Just a tidbit: a prepaid credit card is the same thing as a "charge card" of yesteryear.

Hey i was wondering is there a age limit to this card like could a kid get one of these or no? if so what is the age limit?

I would like to use a prepaid credit card as a means of security. I am hoping that it can not be traced to other accounts as my regular cards can be. Would I still have the safety of purchase that is provided by my regular card. In other words if my card is stolen and used is my amount of responsibility still only up to $50.00?

You have to be very careful about credit card companies that "say" that they help re-establish credit. Most of them don't and it requires a federal action to become certified to do this. You also need to watch out for the free prepaid cards. Most of the time, they catch you on the loading, ATM and monthly fees. I purchased my Medallion Mastercard at [url] and have found it to be very good card. Good luck!

Eufora™ Preferred Credit Builder Prepaid Credit Card....thats the only one I have found so far that does report to a credit bureau. Hope this helps.

I actually have the same question - even though I have been living in the U.S. since 9 years I still have not been able to establish ANY credit.

I have a checking and savings account since day one and always pay my bills on time in full but whenever I have tried to apply for a credit card I was denied.

How long will it take about to establish credit through a prepaid credit card?

Does a prepaid credit card report activity to the credit bureau? I am trying to improve my credit and am told that having an open account with timely pymts is the way to go. However, I am having trouble applying for a card. Is prepaid an option for this?