I just got a new Amex card. Tough part is that not many places accepting Amex these days. I can put up some surcharges but a lot of places refuses to take Amex cards.
So I am looking at getting prepaid Visa or MC cards where I can add them to Google Pay or Apple Pay to tap in stores.
Does anyone know any prepaid VISA or MC that does not charge expensive activation fees these days?
Looking for Prepaid Visa or MC without Activation Fee
arctan on 06/02/2024 - 18:21
Last edited 06/02/2024 - 18:22
Last edited 06/02/2024 - 18:22
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Does anyone know any prepaid VISA or MC that does not charge expensive activation fees these days?
LOL That'll be the 🦄 of prepaid cards.
I am happy with low activation fees too
What is the point of it if you are having to pay to use it?
Between all the promos, I spend less per year on activation fees than I would on a Visa/MC credit card that earns anywhere near comparable rate as my Amex.
If you are happy with low activation fees, here are two suggestions:
Starting tomorrow, Giftz.com.au (operated by Blackhawk Network, the company that operates the Activ Visa gift card scheme) is selling Activ Visa eGift Card Chinese New Year 2024 with a $2.95 purchase fee. You can load up to $750 on this type of Activ Visa gift card too.
Card.Gift (operated by TCN) sells a digital eftpos prepaid gift card with a $1.95 purchase fee. You can load up to $500 on each gift card too. However, the issue is that it operates on the eftpos (SAV) network, which does not quite meet your criteria of Visa or Mastercard…
Thanks WookieMonster. I'll probably go with the Activ Visa option.
Coles Prepaid MC on giftcard.com.au with no fee. No digital wallet support.
Some limitations
TCN Grocery Gift Card, Fuel Gift Card.Special Super Shopper, Woolworths, etc.
Shopback Supermarket Activ VISA
Just checked they charge $7 for the Coles Prepaid MC…
$100, $250 with no fee till 27 Feb.
Correct to
giftcards.com.auYep you are right. The fee is waived at payment page.
There is no way to add to google pay?@arctan: Correct.
The Coles Mastercard gift card sold on giftcards.com.au also only supports card-not-present transactions (i.e. online payments, MOTO transactions).
In other words, if you are instore and a merchant is forcing you to do a card-present transaction (i.e. requires you to swipe/insert/tap a card), the Coles Mastercard gift card sold on giftcards.com.au is useless.
@arctan: boi less online it is,
the safer the payment is.so if you are comfortable with offline payments then wait and get eftpos cards, (otherwise yeah if need online one, you get comfort on ease of use, but risk of getting that card hacked too)
Revolut?
Just open a debit card account? Ubank is free, add to wallet.
Its for Amex card spending requirement so debit card is not helpful.
In my experience, if you have the amex platinum edge and buy coles mastercard from giftcards.com.au, it counts as a supermarket purchase and you get the double points.
Triple …. x3
You got approved for an Amex, but you want to alternatively use prepaid Mastercards or Visa for purchases? I don't quite get it.
Not every vendor accepts Amex these days in Australia.
That is true, but why prepaid MC or Visa, when every bank offers them as part of their accounts?
I am referring to Prepaid Visa or MC Gift cards. They are pre loaded with money so you can spend at most of venues that accept Visa or MC.
Its not the debit cards that are linked to your bank accounts.OP wants to collect points / signup bonus.
I'm assuming it avoids some fees/places not taking amex - but mostly that OP was being coy about manufactured spend. i.e. making a few thousand dollars worth of purchases to meet a points bonus requirement, but doing it in a way they can then have the cash left for using like they normally would, and taking the smallest hit possible on that manufactured spend.
when you dont get the beauty of it - you just dont get it. When we know the super power of GC, we all use GC,
This actually looks good but it only supports Apple Pay.
No, it supports GWallet.
Yes my bad. I can see the Google pay too.
Do they charge any activation fees? I am about to buy it with my Amex card.
Try a Revolution virtual card. Bank transfer funds across as needed and tap and go.
Giftcards.com.au
No purchase fee for $100 and $250 prepaid Mastercards
The issue is that the Coles Mastercard gift cards sold on giftcards.com.au do not meet OP’s requirements.
OP said they wanted prepaid Visa or Mastercard gift cards that can be used for card-present transactions:
So I am looking at getting prepaid Visa or MC cards where I can add them to Google Pay or Apple Pay to tap in stores.
However, the Coles Mastercard gift cards sold on giftcards.com.au do not support card-present transactions.
I use both, the physical cards when they are available and the online cards to pay my rates, water bill and other things that would not generate any points.
I think you can use CBA travel card as a prepaid Visa card in AUD currency without incurring any costs. Here are some info.
https://auspost.com.au/money-insurance/prepaid-cards/everyda…
$7.95 initial activation fee (+ a few others but it comes out cheaper in the long run), can be repeatedly reloaded using cash, bank transfer, BPAY, debit cardThanks mate. So do they accept Amex card for reload?
Here's a quick copy-paste of the Auspost Product Disclosure Statement, page 7; They're a bit vague, and I don't own AMEX cards so you'll have to ask them to find out.
In-Store load
Your Everyday Card can be loaded and reloaded in the available Currencies at any participating Australia
Post Outlets when you present your Card Account Number and valid photo ID (“in-store load”). You can ask
the participating Australia post retail outlet for the applicable exchange rates at the time of your transaction.
Exchange rates may differ between participating Australia Post Outlets and will vary each day.Online load
You can load additional funds onto your card at auspost.com.au/everydaycard. Once you complete your
load/reload transaction instruction you will be able to make payment for the transaction using BPAY® via
your financial institution or using other such methods made available on the website from time to time.
Although a load transaction can be for a value denominated in any of the available Currencies, you may only
make payment for such load transactions for which instructions have been completed online in Australian
dollars.BPAY® load
Funds can also be loaded by BPAY® as detailed below
Biller code: 184416
Reference no: Your 16 digit Everyday Card number
BPAY® reloads will generally take two Australian business banking days to be processed however may take
longer if the payment is made after 2 PM Australian Eastern Standard Time
BPAY® reloads will be allocated to your current default reload Currency. The default reload Currency will
initially be AUD, however you can change your default BPAY® reload Currency online via auspost.com.au/
everydaycard/login.
Please note that you can only have one default reload Currency at a time. If you send a BPAY® reload and
then change your default reload Currency before the Issuer receives your BPAY® payment we will apply
your reload to the Currency that is set as your default reload Currency at the time the Issuer processes your
reload.
Australia Post Everyday Mastercard® Product Disclosure Statement effective 27 February 2024Other methods
Funds can be loaded by Bank Transfer directly via your own internet banking.
BSB: 880-117
Account number: 9 digit account number to be retrieved from ‘My Account’
Account name: “Your name”
Bank transfer loads will generally take one business day to be processed however may take longer if the
payment is not made before 2 PM on a business day Australian Eastern Standard Time. Bank transfer not
via the website will be allocated to your current default Currency nominated on your Everyday Card. The
default currency will initially be Australian Dollars, however you can change your default Currency online.
If your default currency is not Australian Dollars at the time the transaction is settled, the load will be
converted into the default Currency in accordance with the Terms and Conditions.Not directly. And the potential work-arounds all have fees involved to the point it's not really worth it (assuming it's allowed, since they shouldn't be anyway).
Tried to buy that at two Auspost shops. They don't allow buying it with credit cards. Buying online does not give the option of paying with credit cards too.
Have you tried searching OzBargain?