You may have heard of the pre paid card – a newer facility that allows you to use a card that you’ve previously loaded with a specified amount of money. Did you know though that it might also be possible to have an associated pre paid card account?

How does that work?

A conventional pre paid card typically works on the basis that you load money onto it at a PayPoint outlet.

Useful and convenient as that may be, there might be times when you’d like to automate things a little.

For example, you may wish to get money paid directly from your wages or salary directly onto your card and ready for use. That would cut out the need to get money paid into your bank and then go to an ATM to withdraw cash to load onto your prepaid card.

What would I need?

Typically, anyone transferring money electronically in the UK will need to have some form of recognisable bank account and sort code for it to be sent to.

Some prepaid card providers may be able to also make available a prepaid card account. That, in effect, is a bank account that sits alongside your prepaid card and allows you to transfer money between the two.

So, you could have money credited directly into your account and you can then automatically load money from it directly onto your card as and when you need to use it.

What are the advantages?

At the very least, you may save time and effort in loading funds onto your card.

You may also be able to save money on bank fees and transaction charges (depending upon the charging policies and tariffs of your bank) as you’ll be able to do everything at once – without the need for multiple transactions, transfers and ATM withdrawals.

Are there any costs?

The charging policies of individual prepaid card suppliers may vary and they should be checked in advance of making any commitment.

Depending upon your personal circumstances, the use of a prepaid card and associated account may be very cost-effective compared to some alternatives – but only you will be able to decide that after inspection of the figures.

Where do I find out more?

Not all financial providers offer a prepaid card account – more information is typically available through the internet.

A prepaid credit card and a bad debt card are the options open to you if you have an adverse credit record and need a credit or debit card. There are many reasons for you needing a credit card, and even those with a very poor credit record eventually find that not having a card can very inconvenient.

Let’s take some examples a where bad debt card or prepaid credit cards would be better than no card at all:

1. Hotel bookings.

Most people book their hotels in advance – in fact if you don’t you are highly unlikely to get a room! When you book online you obviously have to secure the booking using a credit card. If you book by telephone, you will be asked for your card number. So if you have had your cards cancelled, and no regular card provider will give you one because of your past record, then what do you do? No more hotels for the rest of your life? You are better off with a bad debt card or a prepaid credit card than no card at all!

2. Vacation Bookings

The same applies here, and there is not really any need for me to go further than that. You know how it works: you make the booking and then give your card number. No card, no booking. The days are long gone when you book and then pay cash when you arrive.

3. Any Online Purchase

Any online purchase must be made using a credit or debit card. If you don’t have card you can’t buy anything online. Nothing at all!

4. Autotellers

There will come a time, not too far into the future, when banks will not handle cash except from registered retailers, and even that will die out. Cash for the few items that you need it for will be dispensed by autotellers and practically everything else will be paid using a card of one type or another. Even bars are converting to cards: hand it over when you order your drink, and then every other drink goes onto your tab assigned to that card.

Basically, what I am saying here is that you will find life sheer hell without a credit or debit card, and if your credit is shot, as it is for many people, and as it was for me for a long time, you will find ‘normal’ life very difficult. You will need a card for most purchases, online or not, and unless you have good credit you will need either a prepaid credit card or a bad debt card. Without one of these you will be screwed when it comes to purchasing anything you cannot buy in your local store – that includes hotels, flights, vacations, restaurant bookings, online purchases – in fact anything online that costs money – and even getting cash from your bank.

So why are there both bad debt cards and prepaid credit cards? Why not just one or the other? The reason is that some people cannot take a second chance, and when issued a bad debt credit card without a credit check being carried out, they still screw up on the repayments.

These cards don’t offer you a large amount of credit initially, sometimes only $500 or

Many credit card companies have started using the cardholders as a part of their marketing plan by offering them the opportunity to earn cash back or referring a friend. There are several credit card companies that offer you a referral fee when you have someone sign up and start using the credit card. You should check out the different opportunities offered by these credit card companies. Many of the companies offer you a lifetime commission and tiered commissions. You are interested in earning money from your prepaid credit card check out where you are getting your card and the company that is offering you this card. You can contact them and find out if they have the marketing plan in place where they pay you to refer customers to the company. You should also find out what percentage they are offering as this can differ from company to company.

Many companies offer you rewards or cash back even if they do not offer you referral fees. You can earn cash rewards towards other purchases or point rewards to be used for the purchase of products that they designate in their catalog. These point rewards are valuable and can help you to get many things that you want without having to pay out cash money. The rewards programs can be used with airline miles and gas miles. You need to check out how your company handles their rewards and cash back programs. The opportunity to make money is just another way the credit card companies have to gain new customers but it can be your means of earning cash.

When you’re in the market to find the perfect prepaid card, there are a lot of things that you need to look out for to ensure you that you’re getting the card that works great for your wallet. Since prepaid cards may differ than regular cards, a credit card company may want to look into tagging on fees elsewhere so that they can make money off you.

This is why you need to look out for particular fees when you’re applying. Every application that you look at online will show you exactly what they are going to charge when it comes to fees. If there’s an annual fee, monthly fee or activation fee, I would recommend that you look elsewhere because there are so many cards on the market that are great that have next to no fees. You have to think about it this way and that if a card has a fee; you’re going to be paying money to hold a card in your wallet. Does this sound like it’s worth it? Absolutely not.

When it’s time to apply for a card, make sure you do your homework. There are so many resources online that enable you to find the card that you need. Look at the fees, look for the major logo and make sure that the card fits your needs when you want to put money on it. If you find yourself with a complicated card, you may be regretting it in the long haul.

Prepaid credit cards seem to be the wave of the near future, ever since these great Credit Card laws went into effect. We can all thank Obama on that one! In fact, in a recent study, experts had stated that applications are down 40% due to the law. So, if you’re looking for a credit card, solely based on the fact of having a card, I wanted to recommend a few that you can consider.

When you’re looking for a prepaid card, there are a few things that you’re going to want to look out for, and this is what you should look out for, when thinking about a card.

Fees: Make sure that the card has little to no fees. There are a lot of cards out there with fees, but you’re going to find out that some want to literally take advantage of you. You will want to stay away from these type of cards, trust me on this one.

Brand: Always make sure that you get a card that’s going to be brand related. Don’t get a no name card, because you’re soon going to find out that many stores aren’t going to accept it. Get something with the VISA, or MasterCard logo.

Lastly, make sure that you look into the reviews. You don’t want to get a card that has awful reviews online. This just doesn’t make sense, right?

The cards that I highly recommend the BuyRight card, as well as the AccountNow. There are a lot of cards out there, so make sure that you do your research, before signing up.

Credit cards are all the rage these days but it can be dangerous if you keep spending and spending while not knowing that you will end up paying really high bills each month. So that you can manage your money better, you might want to look into prepaid options instead.

Prepaid cards are simple to use in that you just have to load the card up with cash and then use up that cash using the card just like any other credit card. It works by debiting the balance that you put in it and once it’s finished, just load the card up again. This is effective because you won’t end up with monthly bills from the credit card company and that means you are never in debt.

Other reasons for getting a prepaid card include not having to carry around so much cash with you. A credit card prepaid option means that even if you lose the card, you can replace it with another one and you won’t lose any of the money that you have in the account. Also, since it is a prepaid card that holds your cash, you don’t have to worry about being charged any interest rates. That is a really big advantage since you can spend your money in the card to the very last cent. And, of course, you can use this card to buy things on the Internet and wherever else you feel a card will be best to use instead of cash.

If you’re someone with imperfect credit you may have trouble getting a traditional credit card. Or, you may only be offered one that has severe terms. This can be an inconvenience since it’s not always practical to carry cash.

What you can do is obtain a prepaid credit card that doesn’t require a bank account. The cards are great because they provide the holder with all the uses of a credit card without having perfect credit. The cards can be used anywhere like a traditional credit card.

Prepaid credit cards are exactly that. The card holder loads the card with a certain dollar amount before using it. The arrangement is ideal for those who want to put a cap on their spending. It gives them a way to buy things they need but not overspend.

Prepaid cards are often used by those who have been through a bankruptcy. It helps users reestablish their credit history and shows creditors that they can be financially responsible. The credit card provides all the function of a traditional credit card while leaving users within their budget.

If you’re in the market for a prepaid credit card you shouldn’t take the first one you see. It pays to shop around for the best deal.

The best prepaid card gives you all the things a regular credit card would, such as reward programs and online access. Prepaid cards are accepted virtually everywhere and can be used in an ATM for easy cash withdrawals.

Look for lenders that provide credit cards with no annual fees or transaction fees. They should also offer free customer support online or with a toll free number.

There are even prepaid cards that have wireless alert services for card holder. This enables you to keep track of your spending and notifies you when you reach a predetermined amount via text messages or email. This lets you buy what you need and maintain your budget.