They are actually 'prepaid' debit cards that you can 'load' with cash at the post office,
see
One I am considering is
Can I pay my 02 bill my maestro (instead of direct debit)?
I have been with 02 for several years - I am no longer in contract.
It should be possible, but they will charge you extra for the privilege! Approx. 3 per month extra!!!!
Why not go to
Its also a maestro. No signup fees only 1.99p fee a month...
Where can I pick one of these up ?
Are they all mail order?
Where can I pick one of these up ?
Are they all mail order? Cashplus is an alternative pre paid card and its a mastercard, Monthly fee is a bit higher at 4.95 and the first card costs 9.95. I opted that one because its a genuine mastercard and accepted anywhere where visa is accepted. All done online.
This is good to know.
I applied for one of the 360 ones and when it came, I realised that as a maestro it was useless for most online purchases so it's now sitting on my desk un-validated. Fortuantely this part of the process is free.
tim
Can you name a online retailer that doesn't take maestro, anywhere that takes mastercard should process it happily
especially as maextro is the underpinning system behind "Switch"
I just checked a few (travel sites) that I use. None of them had the appropriate logo (or the cirrus one on the back of the card). I didn't get as far as typing in the number, the card has no funds and I didn't want someone to claim I was attempting a fraud.
Well this is far from obvious. If this is the case it is the card issuers responsibility to tell me, not the website responsibility.
I think it is too late to try now, the authorisation number went in the bin.
tim
Actually, now I've looked the American sites don't (admit to) accept Switch either. They don't seem to have the concept of Debit Cards and only accept Credit Cards.
I do have a VISA designated Debit Card, but I don't know if they discriminate against this. I've never tried to use this as a Credit Card at one of these sites, but I *have* wrongly designated it as a Credit Card at a European site that does differentiate and had the purchase rejected, so they can tell (if they bother).
tim
Visa Debit cards /do/ work as credit cards for US transactions.
Within Europe (non-UK) it depends on the retailer's system: there've been occasions where I've been charged a 'credit card' surcharge for my Visa Debit card (wizzair.com, for example) and occasions when it's been accepted as a debit card.
With all that said, I try and avoid using mine abroad anyway since my bank stick a GBP1 surcharge on every foreign transaction and weight the exchange rate to a punitive degree. The Nationwide credit card (available in Mastercard and Visa flavours, IIRC) is your best bet when buying from non-UK retailers, with far less rate extortion.
On line, probably, but if you're there it's a different matter. Try hiring a car in the US with a debit card..!
I've managed it *once* and then only with a considerable amount of argument. The vast majority will only accept a credit card, and they require one even if you intend to pay by cash or traveller's cheques. This is so that should any unforeseen problem happen (like you have an accident or whatever) they have a means of charging you for it.
Ivor
I've never hired a car in the US, so I'll take your word for it. But through several in-person transactions in the US, I've found that my Visa Debit card works as a credit card (and is processed by credit card machines as if it were a credit card). I'd accept that a *Maestro* debit card is more or less completely useless over there.
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