Archive for September, 2009

Building Your Credit With a Prepaid Credit Card

Tuesday, September 8th, 2009
Tom Tessin recently asked:


One of the main reasons that some people get credit cards is simply based on the fact that they help build your credit history. We all know by now that if you don’t have a good credit score, you’re not going to be able to get a mortgage, car loan or even a personal loan. This is why it’s important to look for a card that reports to the three major credit bureaus. If it doesn’t, you won’t build credit.

Today, I’m going to show you how you can find a prepaid credit card that reports to the major credit bureaus. Remember that if it doesn’t, your prepaid card is going to be just like a gift card. The main reason people get a prepaid card is because it helps them with their spending. If you find yourself spending each and every month over your head, you may want to consider this type of card.

A prepaid card offers everything a regular card does. It will have a major brand, you can use it online and in the store and heck, 99% of the time, people don’t even know it’s a prepaid card. Now, you’re probably wondering how you can find one that reports. Well, this is actually pretty easy.

The way you can find a card is simply by looking at the application. A company will always boast when the card reports to the bureau. 99% of the time, they will tell you. This is a huge selling point and the companies know it. But if you’re looking at a card and it doesn’t say so, don’t worry because it may report, you never know. Just to make sure, call up the company themselves and ask. You will get a direct answer.

As long as you do your homework, you should be able to find the card that suits your needs. Find a card that reports and your credit history will be built up in no time. In the meantime, you’ll also be able to control your spending as well.

How can I control my spending?

Think of a gift card. Whenever you get a gift card, you get a card with a pre-set amount on the card. Once you spend that amount, you can’t use it anymore. The same works with a prepaid card. You can get money directly on your card. Once you spend that amount, you can’t use it anymore. So if you see a $100 pair of shoes and you only have $50 on your card, you won’t be able to use your card. If you think of it the other way, you can swipe your regular card until your arm falls off. But guess what?

When you get your bill at the end of the month, you’ll be surprised and this is what leads to debt.

Always make sure that you do your homework when it comes to prepaid cards. There are hundreds of cards out there. Look for the best one, make sure it reports and you’ll be using a card just like your regular ones.





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4 Reasons to Buy a Calling Card Online

Sunday, September 6th, 2009
Euro Calling Cards recently asked:


You can buy the calling cards from retail stores or gas stations. There are many other places where you get the calling cards over-the-counter. But, here are few good reasons as to why it is better to buy the calling cards online as compared to the retail stores. But, be sure to look at the website certificate which certifies the website as safe for online shopping.

1. Comfort – Buy the calling cards from the comfort of your home. Buy them before traveling to the destination as you can start using it as soon as you land in the new place. You just need to enter your and your credit card details and you have purchased your calling card online.

2. Discount – If lucky you can get more discount or bonus if bought online. Many online retailers do provide these special offers. Check for special offers on Euro Calling Cards.

3. Compare – You can compare different calling cards from different providers. So, you can choose the best one which suits your requirement and usage.

4. Current – You usually will have the current rates displayed on the web. The offline retailers may not have the latest info about the rates, but online the changes are almost immediate and you will get the latest and accurate rates.

Euro Calling Cards stock the widest range of international prepaid phone cards and calling cards to destinations virtually anywhere in the world, all available for purchase through our online store. By pre-paying for your long distance telephone call charges you will not receive any nasty surprises in your telephone bill. In addition, the calling cards we sell offer big discounts on regular international call rates.





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Could A Prepaid Credit Card Protect You From Fraud?

Friday, September 4th, 2009
Lyndsey Burton recently asked:


Over recent years credit card fraud has become a major problem, and the level of card fraud, particularly CNP fraud, which is card not present fraud, has been rising.

Card not present fraud is, as the name suggests, fraud that affects transactions where the card does not have to be physically presented such as with telephone and online purchases, where the card details are provided but no card is actually seen by the seller.

Because credit card fraud with CNP transaction has become so prevalent more and more people are becoming nervous about shopping online with their credit cards, according to recent reports. The research showed that one in every three people knew someone that had been the victim of card fraud, and this increased their wariness when it came to making credit card transaction online themselves.

In fact, it has been found that over half of the population is nervous about using their credit cards online, and given this information some officials are questioning whether those that are wary about online credit card transactions could benefit from using a prepaid card rather than a regular credit card.

One official said: “Prepaid cards allow such people to be part of the modern day ‘plastic culture’ which allows you to take advantage of online shopping discounts as well as access to hugely popular sites such as eBay.” He added: “The risk with a credit card is that the fraudsters will be able to max out your card, where a prepaid card is almost like a pay-as-you-go mobile phone. The only money that can be stolen, is the money you have loaded on. And unlike a debit card, a prepaid card does not have any link to your bank account or address, so the chance of fraud is next to none.”

You can compare prepaid cards to find those that offer lower or waive the usage and loading fees.

However, there are also disadvantages to using prepaid cards over credit cards. Firstly, you may find that you have to pay charges for using your own money, which can be somewhat offputting. Another downside is that with prepaid cards you do not get the benefits that you get with many credit cards such as section 75 purchase protection (which can be protection from fraud if you are missold an item or it never gets delivered), the interest free credit that you can get on credit cards or the rewards that can be earned on some cards.

For those that do not want to give up these benefits the key to avoiding fraudulent activity may simply be to ensure that you are careful about your credit card details, and this means not saving account details and passwords on websites, not saving account information on shared computers, and not falling for phishing scams, where you link to a website or bank via an email that has been sent to you.

You should also never give out your card details to someone on the phone if the call was not initiated by you, and don’t give your card details to strangers who stop you in the street or come to your door claiming to be selling something, as you never really know who you are giving your details to. With some simple and sensible precuationery steps you could minimise the risk of card fraud without having to opt for a prepaid card and lose the benefits of a traditional credit card.





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10 Unbeatable Advantages of Prepaid Cards

Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009
cynthiastewart recently asked:


Prepaid cards come as a whiff of fresh air to those suffering from huge drawbacks of credit cards, and credit card debt. The convenience, ease of availability, guaranteed approval and other features make them ideal replacement of credit cards. In this article we take a look at the most important advantages of prepaid cards.

1. Prepaid card is given on the basis of your deposited money. So everyone, even those with bad credit are eligible. There are no credit checks, no employment verification and approval is guaranteed.

2. Prepaid cards can be applied online instantly. And if sufficient deposits are made there are no monthly, annual and other fees. Since, prepaid cards use the deposited money, there are no repayments to be made and hence no late payment fees and other associated penalties.

3. Prepaid cards are as widely accepted as credit cards, and they have even more acceptability than credit cards in some cases. They can be used on the internet, on phone and all other vends.

4. Since, you can only spend what you have deposited, the chances of overspending are negligible. This can hugely increase the financial discipline and help build good financial habits.

5. Adding the money to your prepaid card account is a breeze using direct deposit.

6. Prepaid credit cards can be used to get instant cash from almost all the ATM’s and the transaction is very secure as every prepaid card is protected by a secure PIN number.

7. Some prepaid card report to major credit bureaus and if your account is in good standing your credit history improves.

8. The activity and usage of your prepaid card can be tracked online or by using phone. This makes is super easy to control and monitor all your spending, generate reports and keep records.

9. Prepaid cards can be used to pay utility and other bills online and by using phone.

10. You can even earn money when you refer a friend to use a company’s prepaid card.

Prepaid cards by virtue of these and more qualities are fast getting into hearts and pockets of US population. The benefits are simply too overwhelming to ignore.





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