Prepaid Debit Cards
Do you need a prepaid MasterCard / Visa debit card program for your business or organisation? Visit our business prepaid credit card page for details.
Below are some of the best consumer prepaid MasterCard & Visa debit (credit) cards for those who reside in the UK.
On a mobile device or low resolution screen you can scroll the table below left and right.
| Card Issuer | Card Costs | Transaction Fees | ATM Fees | Loading Fees | Apply |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Kalixa Prepaid MasterCard | £6.95 card registration fee. No monthly fees. | Free | UK - £1.75. Abroad - £2.25. | Internet Banking, Standing Order, Debit Card - Free. Credit Card - 1.75%. |  |
| Good for travel. Has zero foreign exchange fees and the best exchange rates with no hidden fees and no commission. Residents of UK, Germany, Italy, Austria & Netherlands only. Over 18s only. Kalixa is authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to issue electronic money. | |||||
Cashplus Prepaid MasterCard - Various Account Types | Depending on account type required issue fee is from £4.95 to £29.99 and monthly fee is from free to £9.95. | UK - Free/£0.99 depending on account type chosen. Foreign transaction fee - 2.99%. | UK - Free to £2.00 depending on account type. Non-UK - £3.00. Foreign transaction fee - 2.99%. | Free | |
| UK residents and over 18s only. This prepaid card also allows Direct Debits and Standing Orders. | |||||
Virgin Prepaid MasterCard PAYG | £9.95 one off application fee. No monthly fees. | UK - 2.95%. Overseas - 3.5%. | UK - 2.95%. Overseas - 3.5%. | Post Office, debit card, transfer - Free. PayPoint - 2.75%. Credit Card - 2.5%. | |
| UK residents only. Available to under 18s. | |||||
| Virgin Prepaid MasterCard Pay Monthly | £9.95 one off application fee. £4.75 monthly fee. | UK - Free. Overseas - 2.95%. | UK - £1.50. Overseas - £1.50. | Post Office, debit card, transfer - Free. PayPoint - 2.75%. Credit Card - 2.5%. | |
| UK residents only. Available to under 18s. | |||||
my Travel Cash Prepaid MasterCard | Free to order with minimum initial load of £25 /$40 /€30 required. No monthly fees. | EUR & USD card transactions in respective currencies - Free. Multi-Currency card transactions - Free except in GBP where a 2.99% fee applies. | EUR & USD card withdrawals in respective currencies - Free. Multi-Currency card withdrawals - Free except in GBP where a 2.99% fee applies. | Debit card - Free. Credit Card - 2.50%. | |
| Choose from Multi-Currency, US Dollar or Euro card. Order in 5 minutes. Express delivery in 1-3 days. Applicants must be aged 18 or over and resident in the UK. 1% cashback on all purchases. | |||||
Caxton fx Prepaid Visa | Free to obtain but requires £10 deposit which is added to first load. No monthly fees. | International - Free. UK - £1.50 /€1.75 /$2.00. | International - Free. UK - £1.50 /€1.75 /$2.00. | Free | |
| Over 18s only. Must be a permanent resident in the UK and have a UK debit card. Choice of 3 cards in 3 currencies - Global Traveller(GBP), Europe Traveller(Euro) and Dollar Traveller($US). | |||||
Tuxedo Travel Currency Prepaid MasterCard | £19.95 (includes £10 credit). No monthly fees. | Sterling Card in UK - 2.95% (min £0.50 max £5.00). Overseas - Free. Euro Card /US Dollar Card - Free (UK & Overseas). | £1.50 /€1.50 /$2.00 for each type of card respectively (UK & Overseas). | BACS - Free. Post Office - 99p (£250 max load). PayPoint - 3% (£249 max load). Online debit/credit card available for higher limit card. | |
| 3 types of card are available - Sterling, Euro and US Dollar. 2 limit levels (£1650/ £5000). | |||||
Some information about Prepaid Debit Cards (also known as Prepaid Credit Cards)
Prepaid debit cards (often incorrectly named prepaid credit cards) are just like normal plastic debit cards with the usual MasterCard or Visa logo on them except that to use them they must be prepaid with credit, either when you buy them with funds already loaded onto them or when you load or reload them with your own funds. These reloadable cards allow you to add just the required amount of credit, usually with small minimum amounts. It is the same principle as with PAYG mobile phones. This means prepaid debit cards are perfect as low risk, private and confidential second payment cards for use online.
There are no large security deposits to surrender as with secured cards and as they are not credit cards but stored value debit cards you cannot go into debt with them and spend money that you don’t have. Consequently, no credit checks are carried out as with normal credit cards.
Today there are many competing prepaid cards with many different unique selling points and some of these cards are also a great alternative to foreign currency or travellers cheques when travelling abroad because they offer good deals on ATM withdrawals and foreign currency transactions.
Prepaid Visa or MasterCard cards are generally standalone products and are usually not linked to a bank account like most other debit cards. Also, as no credit is involved, prepaid debit cards do not generally report to the credit reference agencies, although some now do including the very popular cashplus card. With this card they create a virtual loan that you never actually use but is paid back over a period of time with each repayment appearing as a positive mark on your credit file thus enabling you to build or rebuild your credit history.
Not all prepaid cards have the MasterCard or Visa logo on them. Some come in the form of a prepaid Maestro, Cirrus or Visa Electron card and some prepaid accounts have no physical card at all, simply an account number to use online or on the phone. This type of account is called a virtual card account. Also, some cards are non-reloadable and these are often known as prepaid gift cards.
The only downside of prepaid debit cards is that they come with associated fees. They usually come with a combination of either monthly fees, ATM fees, purchase transaction or loading fees. For example, some cards might have no monthly fees, but may charge a loading fee.