• Card
  • Balance Transfer
  • Purchase
  • Rewards
  • APR
  • Apply Now
  • secure-trust-prepaid-card
    Card Rating: 3 out of 5
    • Secure Trust Card
      Prepaid Bank Card
    • 0%
      N/A month
      0% fee
    • 0%
      N/A month
    • Cashback
    • 0
      APR
    • Comes with Bank Account
    • Can set up Direct Debits and Standing Orders
    • No bounced DD and SO fees
    • £12.50 account set up fee
    • £12.50 monthly fee
    • £0.50 to withdraw cash in UK

    Representative example: 0% p.a. (variable) on card purchases. This is equivalent to 0% APR representative (variable) based on a credit limit of £1,200.

    Balance transfers are not possible with a prepaid credit card

    The Secure Trust prepaid bank account with card has no overdraft facility. This means you cannot borrow money on the card, giving the added bonus of no interest or overdraft charges.

    You can earn up to 4% cashback when you use your Secure Trust Bank prepaid card at more 30 major UK High Street and big box out of town retailers. Participating retailers include Asda, Argos, Boots, Debenhams, Comet and B&Q. Cash rewards will be creditted to your account within 20 months of spends being made.

    N/A

  • freedom eagle prepaid card
    Card Rating: 3 out of 5
    • Freedom Eagle
      Prepaid Mastercard
    • 0%
      N/A month
      0% fee
    • 0%
      N/A month
    • Insurance Protection
    • 0
      APR
    • Low Price 5.99
    • No ID required
    • No credit checks
    • Avoid Ryanair payment charges
    • ATM withdrawal fees
    • Failed transaction fee
    • Loading fees

    Representative example: 0% p.a. (variable) on card purchases. This is equivalent to 0% APR representative (variable) based on a credit limit of £1,200.

    This is a prepaid credit card, therefore you cannot borrow money to transfer

    You can not borrow money on the Freedom Eagle credit card

    For the first 3 months receive 30-day purchase protection, a 12 month extended warranty and 30 day price protection. Auto-renewal at £1.99 a month after the three month free period.

    N/A

  • kalixa-pre-paid-mastercard
    Card Rating: 4 out of 5
    • Kalixa
      Pre-paid MasterCard
    • 0%
      N/A month
      0% fee
    • 0%
      N/A month
    • No rewards
    • Prepaid
      APR
    • No monthly fee
    • £4.95 application fee
    • £1.75 domestic ATM fee
    • £2.25 international ATM fee

    Representative example: Prepaid% p.a. (variable) on card purchases. This is equivalent to Prepaid% APR representative (variable) based on a credit limit of £1,200.

    This is a pre-paid credit card and therefore balance transfers are not possible

    Money is not lent on the Kalixa pre-paid MasterCard. To make a purchase using this prepaid credit card you must have preloaded the necessery funds in to your account.

    No rewards are available with this card

    N/A

  • bluesky-prepaid-credit-card
    Card Rating: 3 out of 5
    • Blue Sky
      Prepaid Mastercard
    • 0%
      N/A month
      0% fee
    • 0%
      N/A month
    • No rewards
    • 0
      APR
    • Guaranteed acceptance
    • Can be used worldwide
    • Online and mobile statements
    • £9.99 set up fee

    Representative example: 0% p.a. (variable) on card purchases. This is equivalent to 0% APR representative (variable) based on a credit limit of £1,200.

    You can not make balance transfers on the Blue Sky Prepaid Mastercard

    You can not borrow money on the Blue Sky pre-paid MasterCard

    No rewards are available on this Blue Sky prepaid MasterCard

    N/A

  • cash-plus-pre-paid-gold-card
    Card Rating: 4 out of 5
    • cashplus
      Gold Activeplus
    • 0%
      N/A month
      0% fee
    • 0%
      N/A month
    • No rewards
    • 0
      APR
    • No monthly fee
    • No withdrawal fee
    • No foreign exchange fees
    • £4.95 application fee

    Representative example: 0% p.a. (variable) on card purchases. This is equivalent to 0% APR representative (variable) based on a credit limit of £1,200.

    This is a pre-paid credit card and therefore balance transfers are not possible

    Purchases can only be made with the cashplus Gold Activeplus prepaid credit card if your card has sufficient funds in balance.

    There are no rewards with this card

    N/A

  • virgin-prepaid-visa-card
    Card Rating: 5 out of 5
    • Virgin PrePaid Card
      PrePaid card
    • 0%
      N/A month
      0% fee
    • 0%
      N/A month
    • N/A
    • 0.0
      APR
    • No monthly fee
    • Choice of tariffs
    • £9.95 application fee
    • 2.95% transaction fee in UK
    • 2.95% cash withdrawal fee in UK

    Representative example: 0.0% p.a. (variable) on card purchases. This is equivalent to 0.0% APR representative (variable) based on a credit limit of £1,200.

    This is a pre-paid credit card and therefore balance transfers are not possible

    Although it looks like a credit card, the Virgin Prepaid Card is not a traditional credit card in the sense that it is not possible to make purchases without pre-funding your account. The card also does not the additional card protection on purchases that credit cards offer.

    N/A

    N/A

  • card-one-prepaid-credit-card
    Card Rating: 3 out of 5
    • Card One Banking
      Prepaid Bank Card
    • 0%
      N/A month
      0% fee
    • 0%
      N/A month
    • No rewards
    • 0
      APR
    • No bounced payment charges
    • Can't go overdrawn
    • No credit checks
    • Monthly fee of £12.50

    Representative example: 0% p.a. (variable) on card purchases. This is equivalent to 0% APR representative (variable) based on a credit limit of £1,200.

    You can not make balance transfers using a prepaid credit card

    The Card One Banking prepaid bank card can only be used when you have sufficient funds in your account. There are no bounced payment fees and you can't go overdrawn - saving you interest and charges.

    No rewards are available on this prepaid bank card

    N/A

  • caxton-fx-prepaid-card
    Card Rating: 2 out of 5
    • Caxtonfx
      Pre-paid Travel Card
    • 0%
      N/A month
      0% fee
    • 0%
      N/A month
    • No rewards
    • 0
      APR
    • No fees for ATM withdrawals
    • Request additional cards for anyone 13 or older
    • Reload free of charge
    • Must be over 18
    • Require an active UK debit card

    Representative example: 0% p.a. (variable) on card purchases. This is equivalent to 0% APR representative (variable) based on a credit limit of £1,200.

    This is a pre-paid credit card and therefore balance transfers are not possible

    Money is not lent on the Caxtonfx prepaid card. To make a purchase you must have sufficient funds pre-loaded on to the card.

    There are no rewards with this card

    N/A

  • bread-pre-paid-card
    Card Rating: 4 out of 5
    • Bread Prepay
      Pre-paid MasterCard
    • 0%
      N/A month
      0% fee
    • 0%
      N/A month
    • Balance check
    • 0
      APR
    • Avoid overdraft fees
    • Balance of up to £3500
    • 100% approval if have correct ID
    • Must have a valid UK driving license or passport

    Representative example: 0% p.a. (variable) on card purchases. This is equivalent to 0% APR representative (variable) based on a credit limit of £1,200.

    This is a pre-paid credit card and therefore balance transfers are not possible

    Money is not lent on the bread prepaid card so there is no interest rate stated

    Check your balance for free at any time by text message

    N/A

  • tuexdo-prepaid-credit-card
    Card Rating: 2 out of 5
    • Tuxedo 
      Pay as You Go
    • 0%
      N/A month
      0% fee
    • 0%
      N/A month
    • No rewards
    • 0
      APR
    • No monthly fee
    • £9.95 application fee

    Representative example: 0% p.a. (variable) on card purchases. This is equivalent to 0% APR representative (variable) based on a credit limit of £1,200.

    This is a pre-paid credit card and therefore balance transfers are not possible

    You can not borrow money using the Tuexdo pay as you go pre-paid credit card

    There are no rewards with this card

    N/A

  • escape-prepaid-card
    Card Rating: 3 out of 5
    • Escape
      Prepaid Card
    • 0%
      N/A month
      0% fee
    • 0%
      N/A month
    • Cashback
    • 0
      APR
    • Upto 20% cashback online
    • Transfer money abroad
    • £9.99 purchase fee
    • £4.99 annual fee
    • 99p ATM fee

    Representative example: 0% p.a. (variable) on card purchases. This is equivalent to 0% APR representative (variable) based on a credit limit of £1,200.

    It is not possible to perform a balance transfer on the Escape prepaid card because it does not offer a credit facility.

    No fees are charged when you spend the money on this card at UK retailers in the High Street or online. Because this is a prepaid Mastercard it is not possible to spend money that you have not already loaded on to the card.

    When shopping through the EscapeCashBack website you can receive up to 20% cashback at selected online retailers.

    The Escape Prepaid MasterCard looks and feels like a credit card however it does not have a credit facility. This means you cannot spend money that has not been loaded onto the card therefore you cannot borrow with this pre-paid card so there is no headline representative APR rate.

  • escape-travel-money-prepaid-card
    Card Rating: 3 out of 5
    • Escape
      Prepaid Travel Card
    • 0%
      N/A month
      0% fee
    • 0%
      N/A month
    • Cashback
    • 0
      APR
    • No fees on purchases at home or abroad
    • No fees on ATM usage abroad
    • Earn cashback online
    • £9.99 purchase fee
    • £4.99 annual fee
    • £2/€2/$3 ATM withdrawal fee in UK

    Representative example: 0% p.a. (variable) on card purchases. This is equivalent to 0% APR representative (variable) based on a credit limit of £1,200.

    You can not make balance transfers using a prepaid credit card

    No transaction fees are levied on purchases made at home or abroad when using this Escape prepaid travel card.

    Over 1,000 cashback offers are available at EscapeCashBack.com. Once you have earned £10 from shopping at participating retailers the money is transferred on to your Escape Travel Card.

    This pre paid travel card from Escape does not enable you to borrow money. It acts like a debit card with only the money you place on the card becoming available to spend.

  • orange-prepaid-card
    Card Rating: 0 out of 5
    • Orange Prepaid Card
    • 0%
      N/A month
      0% fee
    • 0%
      N/A month
    • Mobile Mins
    • 0
      APR
    • £5.00 Issue fee
    • Instant Approval
    • No Credit Check
    • Bank Account Required
    • Purchase Protection
    • Not good for Improving Credit

    Representative example: 0% p.a. (variable) on card purchases. This is equivalent to 0% APR representative (variable) based on a credit limit of £1,200.

    N/A

    N/A

    Earn points with your orange cash card which you can exchange for credit to your phone or exchange in to a voucher

    N/A

  • clearcash-prepaid-card
    Card Rating: 0 out of 5
    • Clearcash
      Prepaid Card
    • 0%
      N/A month
      0% fee
    • 0%
      N/A month
    • N/A
    • 0
      APR
    • £4.50 Fee for card
    • No Credit Check
    • Gauranteed Acceptance
    • Bank Account Needed
    • Won't Imporve Credit Rating
    • Direct Debit Needed

    Representative example: 0% p.a. (variable) on card purchases. This is equivalent to 0% APR representative (variable) based on a credit limit of £1,200.

    N/A

    N/A

    N/A

    N/A

  • me-card
    Card Rating: 0 out of 5
    • MeCard
      Prepaid Card
    • 0%
      N/A month
      0% fee
    • 0%
      N/A month
    • Cashback
    • 0
      APR
    • No Credit Check
    • Online Banking
    • Mobile Banking
    • Cashback Program
    • Bank Account required
    • Not Good for Building Credit
    • Direct Debit Required

    Representative example: 0% p.a. (variable) on card purchases. This is equivalent to 0% APR representative (variable) based on a credit limit of £1,200.

    N/A

    N/A

    N/A

    MeCard is a Free prepaid card. Even when teenagers purchase the card for £9.99 they get a tenner loaded on the card for free once activated.

Prepaid credit cards: the ‘pay as you go’ credit card

Also known as ‘secured credit cards’ and ‘reloadable credit cards’, prepaid credit cards work in a really simple way. You pre-load your card with an amount of cash which you can then spend wherever your card is accepted. All the major credit card brands offer pre-paid credit cards including VISA, Mastercard and Amex, and you can use these at home, abroad or online. Some UK prepaid cards even offer the CHIP & PIN feature.

In many ways a pre paid credit card is like the gift cards you’ll find in high street shops. You could also compare it topping up a ‘pay as you go’ mobile phone. It’s essentially the same as credit cards, just without any credit.

Who are prepaid credit cards designed for?

Prepaid cards for credit are most suitable for people who need to keep a careful eye on their spending or who have experienced difficulties in managing credit cards in the past. Because you limit how much you can spend on a pre pay card, you won’t be tempted to spend money you can’t afford.

Prepaid credit cards are also a handy way of learning to manage credit card-style spending. So if you don’t feel comfortable with having a credit at your fingertips but would like the flexibility a prepaid card offers you, it can be a useful alternative. As you can only spend your own money, and there is no credit, there’s no danger of paying interest charges, late payment fees or going over your credit limit.

What to look for in a prepaid card

These are the simplest kind of cards to compare because they work in such a simple way. The key things to check are the charges that apply on ATM cash withdrawals and any other transactions. Apart from this there’s very little to choose from between the cards.

Qualifying for a prepaid card

As prepaid cards don’t offer a credit facility, you do not need to pass a credit check. In fact, all prepaid cards offer guaranteed acceptance, so you should have no problem gaining one.

As with most financial products, you will still required to provide details to confirm your identity and address (e.g drivers licence or passport with a household bill or other formal letter stating your address). You’ll probably find that many of the prepaid card providers we feature will be able to verify your information online, which means you’ll get instant approval on your prepaid credit card application.

You can also use your prepaid card for a money transfer

A common use for pre-paid credit cards is as a cost effective way of making overseas money transfers. With most providers, you’ll find it’s very easy to add an additional card to your prepaid account, which you can then send to family or friends abroad. You can load the card with cash here, and the funds can be withdrawn immediately overseas in the local currency. In many cases it can be a faster, cheaper method than using a money transfer service.

So is a prepaid card the best option for you?

We hope you’ve found this short guide helpful. Prepaid credit cards fill a useful role in allowing people to make payments easily and without all the potential risks or costs of a standard credit card. If you’re considering a prepaid card because of a poor credit history you may also want to consider the bad credit or Credit Builder cards out there. However if you’ve decided that a prepaid card is the best option for you, you’ll find the all the latest deals in the comparison table above. Simply choose your card and take care of your prepaid credit card application in minutes online.

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