A Visa prepaid card can help you keep better control over your money.
Offering the same features as a traditional credit or debit card, a pre paid Visa card differs in that you can never go overdrawn and you’ll never pay any interest charges.
As with many other financial products, however, some pay as you go credit card Visa deals are better than others. So, if you want to get the best Visa prepaid card:
Always shop around
Just as you’d always shop around for your car or home insurance, you should always compare prepaid Visa cards before deciding on a deal.
The features and benefits of prepaid cards differ from provider to provider.
For example, different card companies charge different fees when you use your card. When you compare prepaid Visa cards, take the following fees into account:
- Load charges – fees for topping up your card
- ATM charges – fees for withdrawing your cash at an ATM
- Monthly charges – fees for maintaining your account
- Purchase charges – fees to buy the card in the first place
While lots of cards have charges, there are prepaid Visa cards with no fees if you research the market. Use our comparison table to find the best pre paid Visa card for you.
Take your pre paid Visa card on holiday
Many prepaid Visa cards can be used abroad making them the perfect companion if you’re planning to head overseas on holiday. Rather than taking a large amount of foreign currency, you can benefit from the security of taking a prepaid card instead.
You can load up your card before you depart and then withdraw local currency from an ATM when you’re at your destination. You can also use your card to pay for accommodation, food or car hire.
If you’re planning to use your Visa prepaid card abroad, always check what the fees and charges are before you depart.
Using a pre paid Visa card if you’ve a less than perfect credit record.
One of the main advantages of a pre paid Visa card is that they are available to pretty much everyone. As you can never go overdrawn and there’s no credit facility, many companies don’t credit score applicants when they apply for a card.
This means that lots of people use prepaid cards as they are effectively Visa cards for bad credit. Whereas you’d probably be declined for the best credit card deals if you had poor credit – perhaps a CCJ or default – you are likely to be agreed for a pre paid Visa card.
