Virgin Travel Money Card Review

Virgin Travel Money Visa Card

Prepaid Card Review Directory

Virgin Visa Travel Card^®

^{What Prepaid? Summary

Date Reviewed: March 2011}

What's Good

The Virgin travel card is unlike credit cards, a Virgin Prepaid Travel Money Card application isn't dependent on credit checks or earnings, so if you are over 18 and a UK resident you can apply.Plus as well as sending on your main card you get a free card for use in emergencies. You only need to activate it if you lose your main Virgin Prepaid Visa Card.

It's accepted wherever you see the Visa brand mark,

What's not so good?

Not a lot! But, when you apply for a card Virgin are legally obliged to verify your identity. If Virgin can't confirm your identity Virgin will send you a 'restricted' card. This simply limits the amount you can initially load onto the card to $1,000/€1,000, and the maximum balance you can have on the card at any time is $2,500/€2,500.

Key Features

Application Process

Well, like most Virgin products, the application process if first class. It's easy to apply and pay for your Virgin Visa card, and it will arrive on the door mat in no time at all. You'll need to choose either a Euro or US Dollar card. The minimum initial payment onto the card is £100 and this can be paid by debit or credit card. The minimum top-up is $100/€50. The debit/credit card needs to be registered to the same address as your travel card.

Card Designs

Only one card design is available, but does it matter? Its red, and it says Virgin on the front. What more could you want.

Fees

The Virgin Travel card has a clear set of charges when using the Visa card abroad.

Transaction	Euro Card	US Dollar Card
Card application fee	None
Monthly fee	None
Fee for a transaction in your card currency	None
Fee for a transaction not in your card currency	3.5%
Cash withdrawal in your card currency	€1.50	$2
Cash withdrawal not in your card currency	3.5% plus €1.50	3.5% plus $2
Topping up your card by debit card	Free
Topping up your card by credit card	2.5%
Replacement card/additional card (in addition to your free emergency card)	€5	$7.50

With the Virgin Prepaid Travel Money Card there's no fee for making a transaction in your card's currency. So you won't pay a fee when spending on your Euro card in a country which has the Euro as its currency. And you won't pay a fee for spending on your US Dollar card in any US state. It is worth noting that currency exchanges are still subject to the difference between buying and selling rates which will fluctutate over time.

Self Servicing

You can update your personal details, check your balance, review your recent transactions and add new cardholders, all via the Virgin Money website..

The Virgin Prepaid Card is issued by MBNA Europe Bank Limited. Registered Office: Stansfield House, Chester Business Park, Chester CH4 9QQ. Registered in England number 2783251. MBNA is authorised and regulated in the UK by the Financial Services Authority to issue e-money (Firm Reference Number: 204487). Any phone calls made may be monitored or recorded.