Nearly all of the major issuers offer these. The concept is very simple. Once you are approved, and nearly everybody regardless of their history is, you get a card in the mail. It looks identical to a regular one typically with a Visa or MasterCard logo. It can be used anywhere that Visa & MasterCard are accepted and nobody will know that it is prepaid.

The first thing you have to do is fund it. The amount of money you deposit in to your account is the amount of money available to you. You can’t carry a balance, you can’t pay interest or over the limit fees. To avoid any kind of fee, set up a direct deposit. Also bank transfers, ATM deposits, and even a mailed check can fund it.

Most valuable perks including free bill pay, free direct deposit, balance alerts sent to your e-mail or cell phone, and if you have damaged credit report, your positive payment activities will be reported to the bureaus.

These companies are making money off of each transaction that you make yet still, some companies try to charge annual or monthly fees. Make sure to do a lot of comparison shopping and find one that is 100% free to be issued and activated. Some may require that you set up direct deposit in order for it to be free.

As American’s become more conscious of how they borrow money, this card represents one of the safest ways to build positive marks on your report and without the worry of finding yourself in over your head in debt.

Additionally these are a good alternatives for individuals in chexsystem and don’t have a checking account. This is because to cash a check you have to pay a check cashing fee. To pay a bill you must buy a money order. These expenses add up quick. However a good card will let you use direct deposit for free and may have a program to allow you to pay your bills without having to buy money orders.

Url of this article:

http://tpservice.org/blog/2009/09/best-prepaid-credit-card-what-you-should-look-for/

The National Retail Federation says that gift card sales increase in the billions each year. Most people spend $30 or more on gift cards that they give as holiday presents. Many people don’t realize that the gift they are giving might be part of a scam.

One very popular scam involves people copying the gift card numbers that are hanging on the store racks. They then call the retailer’s 800 number to check on the balances for the card numbers they have copied. When the cards are purchased and activated, the thief uses the card number to buy items online.

There are also many fake gift cards floating around out there. These have been stolen. You buy them online and give them as a gift only to find that they had never been activated.

When considering gift cards as a holiday gift, keep these tips in mind:

• Buy gift cards from the store or retailer’s secure website. Do not buy gift cards from a third party or an auction site.
• When you purchase a gift card from a physical store, make sure that you carefully examine both sides of the card. Make sure that it hasn’t been tampered with. The PIN number should not be exposed. If you are unsure, do not purchase the gift card.
• Make sure that you hold onto your receipt. This is your proof of purchase. If the card was compromised and was unable to be used, many retailers will replace the card for you.
• Once you have bought a gift card in the store, ask the cashier to scan the card to ensure that it is valid and reflects the balance you just added to the card. This ensures that you are giving exactly what you paid for.

Gift cards are an excellent gift option for the holidays and other events. It is easy to stay within your budget when you simply purchase gift cards for everyone. And they do show thought if you choose retailers that are of specific interest for the intended recipient. For example, a hunting and fishing store for dad, a quilt shop for mom and a toy store for junior. It saves you money, time and being jostled around by other holiday shoppers.

All you have to do is determine how much you want to spend towards each person on your list. This is easy. Make a list of everyone that you want to puchase items for. Then look to your budget for how much you are able to spend on holiday shopping. Then simply divide the number of people into the total you want to spend. This gives you the amount you can spend on each person’s gift card. It couldn’t be any more simple.

Url of this article:

http://tpservice.org/blog/2009/08/avoiding-gift-card-scams/

Url of this article:

http://tpservice.org/blog/2009/07/how-to-check-simon-gift-card-balance/

Amazon offer several ways to redeem your gift certificate.

Shopping Cart: If you want to redeem your gift certificate when you place a new order, just add items to your Shopping Cart and place an order via our order form. You will be asked to enter the claim code on the order form. If you’ve entered the claim code on your account previously, make sure the box is checked next to the words “Apply gift certificate or promotional credit.”

1-Click Ordering: If you use 1-Click ordering and want to redeem your gift certificate, click the “Review or edit your 1-Click orders” link that you’ll see after clicking the “Buy now with 1-Click” button. You will be provided with a box in which to enter your claim code.

Your Account:If you want to apply gift certificate funds to an order you’ve already placed, visit the relevant Order Summary. If you want to redeem your gift certificate but aren’t ready to make a purchase just yet, you can redeem it for future use. To begin doing either of these things, click the Your Account link at the top of most pages of our store.

Multiple Gift Certificates: To redeem more than one gift certificate, enter the first claim code and click the “Enter another” button. You can repeat this once for each gift certificate that you have. Please note that promotional certificates may have restrictions that limit you to one per purchase.

Gift Certificate Balance: If your gift certificate covers the cost of your order, we will place the balance in your gift certificate account. The next time you place an order via our order form, you will be given the opportunity to use those gift certificate funds. You will not have to re-enter your claim code. Unused gift certificate funds will remain in your account until the expiration date. You may check your gift certificate balance any time through Your Account.

Additional Payment Methods: If the cost of your order exceeds the value of your gift certificate, you will be given the opportunity to provide a credit card or bank account to pay for the balance, to redeem another gift certificate, or to change your order. We cannot accept check payments for the balance of gift certificate orders.

Url of this article:

http://tpservice.org/blog/2009/07/how-to-redeem-amazon-gift-card/

Gift Cards and Certificates are valid for use only in the country in which they were purchased. Only residents of the U.S may redeem gift certificates purchased in the U.S.

To redeem iTunes Gift Cards or Certificates, go to the iTunes Store and in the “Quick Links” section in the right column, select “Redeem”. Or go to the iTunes Store “Redeem Code”area directly by visiting http://www.apple.com/itunes/store/gifts.html

In the resulting screen, enter your iTunes Gift Card or Certificate code in the field. If you are redeeming an iTunes Gift Card you need to use the 16-digit code on the back of your card (to be scratched off). If you are redeeming an iTunes Gift Certificate you need to use the certificate number listed on your email certificate. Enter the numbers exactly as they appear.

Once you redeem your iTunes Gift Card or Certificate, the full amount appears as a credit next to your Apple ID in the upper-right part of the window. Any time you buy an item, the purchase price (+ tax) will be deducted from the balance.

Url of this article:

http://tpservice.org/blog/2009/07/how-to-use-itunes-gift-cards-and-certificates/

I therefore decided to do some research about this problem.

The following is the result after my research:

Yes, you can use an iTunes gift card to set up an iTunes account or buy music on the iTunes store (if you do not have a credit card or do not want to use a credit card).

Below is a step-by-step instruction from apple.com on how to do that.

How Adding Bank Account Fundsto Create an iTunes account with a Gift Card, without using a Credit Card.

1. Install the latest version of iTunes. You can download iTunes for free from the iTunes webpage. If iTunes is already installed on your computer, check your version and update if necessary.
2. Open iTunes.
3. In the Source list (on the left side of the iTunes window), click iTunes Store.
4. In the upper-right corner of the iTunes Store window, verify that the button next to Account says “Sign In.” If this button displays an email address instead, click the button and then click Sign Out.
5. In the iTunes Store window, click the Redeem link in the right column.
   
   
   
6. In the resulting screen, enter the 16-digit code printed on the back of the gift card (it starts with an “X”), then click Redeem.
   
   
   
7. In the resulting screen, create your new iTunes Store account. You will have the option to enter credit card information; if you do not wish to do so, click the None button on the Payment screen.
8. Once you’ve successfully redeemed your music card (gift card), the credit amount will appear next to the Account details in the upper-right corner. Each time you purchase music, iTunes will deduct funds from the credit until it’s depleted. If a pending purchase exceeds the credit amount, iTunes will ask you to enter a credit card number. You do not need to re-enter your gift card number to make multiple purchases.

Url of this article:

http://tpservice.org/blog/2009/06/how-to-use-an-itunes-gift-card-to-set-up-an-itunes-account/

After you win an item in ebay, you can select payment method of PayPal. At the bottom right of the PayPal payment page, there will be a box for buyers to enter a gift card number, if they have one. Just enter the number on the card, click and you’re in like Flynn.

If the item you buy is less than the face value of ebay gift card, you can use the left money again to pay for your next purchase. If the amount on your gift card is insufficient, PayPal will tell you how much more you owe, then you can pay with your PayPal balance or a credit card or a bank transfer.

Url of this article:

http://tpservice.org/blog/2009/06/how-to-use-ebay-gift-card/

http://tpservice.org/blog/2009/06/how-to-check-balance-of-walmart-gift-card/

However, there are additional steps you have to take to prevent your card from being rejected by the merchant. The problem with using Visa (or any other bank issued) gift card online is that there is no verifiable name and address associated with the card. When buying things online, most merchants want your name and billing address to match the name and address you have on file with your card (credit, debit, or bank gift card) issuer.

Therefore, before you use your Visa or other bank issued gift card, call the merchant/financial institution that issued the card or go to their website and add your name and address to the card. This will ensure that when you use the card online, the name and address you provide to the merchant for billing will match the name and address on file for the card. Once you have registered your card, you can use it online just like you would use a regular credit card.

If your information (name and address) has changed since you registered your Visa gift card, call the card issuer or go online and update your information before you use the card online.

Url of this article:

http://tpservice.org/blog/2009/06/how-to-use-visa-or-american-express-gift-cards-to-shop-online/

1. The Visa Gift Card is not “reloadable”. Once the initial value on a Visa Gift Card is spent, the plastic becomes worthless. On the other hand, the Visa Reloadable Prepaid card can be reloaded with cash several times over until the expiration date listed on the card.
2. The Visa Gift Card can be purchased at many grocery stores or supermarkets without any precondition, such as age requirement or proof of ID. However, to purchase Visa Reloadable Prepaid Card, you must be at least 18 years of age and must provide a government issued ID.
3. You can use a Visa Reloadable Prepaid Card to get cash at an ATM while the Visa Gift Card does not allow you to get cash at the ATM.
4. The Visa Reloadable Prepaid Card also allows you to add money to the card through direct deposit of your wages, tax refunds, or other disbursements, such as social security, child support, welfare or other payments. This feature does not exist with the Visa Gift Card.
5. The Visa Reloadable Prepaid Card can be used for online bill payment, including recurring bills and subscriptions while the Visa Gift Card does not usually work for recurring bills and subscriptions.

The Visa Gift Card and the Visa Reloadable Prepaid Card have a few things in common, including the following:

1. As mentioned earlier, both cards are accepted anywhere Visa debit cards are accepted-including supermarkets, pharmacies, drug stores, retail stores and online merchants, as well as mail and phone orders.
2. Both cards can be replaced when lost (you need to provide your Card number for a replacement card to be issued).
3. Both come with fees, so be sure you understand all the fees that will be assessed and when they are charged before buying either card.

Url of this article:

http://tpservice.org/blog/2009/06/difference-between-visa-reloadable-prepaid-card-and-visa-gift-card/