Did you know that there are currently around 9.4 million prepaid cards issued in Australia? According to the Reserve Bank of Australia, cardholders have $1.8 billions of stored value held on them, or $190 per card on average.
Many Australians use prepaid cards for overseas travel because prepaid cards are known to be a safer alternative to carrying cash. Another reason is that the risk of losing or having your card and personal information stolen is a real concern for many travellers.
While travel bans have put a pause on Australian’s favourite pastime, prepaid cards are more relevant than ever as consumers redirect their spending online. In the same way we want to minimise the risks of having our credit card skimmed whilst travelling, we should apply the same vigilance to online shopping.
With rising concerns about online privacy and online credit card fraud, prepaid cards offer a unique solution for people who don’t want to share their personal and banking information online.
Do prepaid cards work for all online purchases?
Like credit and debit cards, prepaid cards have card account numbers, expiry date and CVV. This means that prepaid cards will generally be accepted by most online merchants, unless the they have specifically placed a block on prepaid cards.
You can use your Vasco Pay Prepaid Cards for one-time or recurring purchases (subscriptions) across many online vendors, including:
- Streaming services – Netflix, Stan, Disney+ etc.
- Shopping – eBay, Amazon Prime etc.
- Gaming – Mobile Games, Nintendo Store, Steam etc.
- Business Services – LinkedIn, Facebook etc.
- Gig Marketplace – AirTasker, UberEats etc.
WHY SHOULD I USE PREPAID CARDS?
Separate from your bank account
The big difference between prepaid cards and credit/debit cards is that prepaid cards are not linked to a bank account, so they don’t require credit and debt to use. This means that even if your card number is stolen, the thief can only gain access to the amount of money loaded on the card. Since these cards are not linked to a bank account, it protects you from potentially having to deal with thousands of dollars in fraudulent charges on a credit card.
You’re not held liable for fraudulent charges
Ok, but you’re saying that it is still possible for scammers to gain access to your money loaded to your prepaid card. The good news is that prepaid cards are protected by a zero liability policy, which means you won’t be held responsible for fraudulent charges or unauthorised purchases made with your card or account information.
Prepaid solutions also have a meticulous monitoring system in real-time, providing transparency, reducing the possibility of fraudulent activities, and allowing for quick action to be taken in case of suspicious transactions.
Last but not least, control that budget
On a lighter note, if online shopping is causing some serious burns in your bank account, you may be better off using prepaid cards as a tool to stay within your budget. With prepaid cards, you can transfer a set amount onto your prepaid card, which you can then use exclusively for online shopping or for your guilt-free ‘splurge purchases’.
INTERESTED IN A PREPAID CARD SOLUTION?
Our Visa Prepaid Cards are perfect for individual online shoppers, small business owners and e-commerce retailers seeking offer a payment solution for their customers.