Prepaid
A Visa prepaid card is a type of Visa
card that is pre-loaded with a set amount of money, offering
cardholders convenience, security and control.
A Visa prepaid card is just like a normal credit or debit card.
It carries all the normal card features, such as a card number,
expiry date and security code, and can be used at most places that
accept a conventional Visa card.
However, instead of being linked to a bank account (like a Visa
debit card) or providing a line of credit (like a Visa credit
card), the amount you can spend is limited by the value that’s been
pre-loaded onto the card.
This means that you can enjoy all the convenience, ease of use
and security of a Visa card along with the ability to control the
amount that you spend. A whole variety of Visa prepaid cards are
now being offered by banks, websites and high street retailers.
Popular options include:
Visa prepaid cards are either disposable or re-loadable, depending
on your preference:
- Disposable – rather like an electronic gift voucher, it can be
used until all the funds are spent, then thrown away
- Re-loadable – like a prepaid mobile phone account, when the
value is running low, it can be topped up and used again.