Compare Prepaid Cards for Under 18's

Prepaid Cards for Under 18's

Last Updated: 22nd March 2011 - Compare under 18's Prepaid Credit Cards fees online - What Prepaid Card

The following table compares all prepaid cards available to teens under the age of 18. It's ordered by product type - full MasterCard or Visa CHIP first, Maestro/Electron Mag only last, and then by aprox usage cost. This estimated cost may be higher or lower based on your intended use and selected prepaid product type. It is just a guide to enable a more informed selection.

Prepaid Card Issuer	Card Type	Card Issue Fee (inc. Postage)	Reload Fees	Monthly Fees	Max Balance Allowed in Account	Other Fees	Key Benefits	Approximate monthly fees, based on one £250 reload per month and 3 purchase's each week
Splash Plastic	Chip and Pin	£5	Bank Transfers/Wage Payments = Free Post Office/Paypoint = £0.30 per £10 loaded Credit/Debit Card = 2.5% - min. £1.50	Free	£3500	Per Use Fee (purchases) = £2.5% Annual Fee = £4.95 (payable on first reload) UK ATM Fee = £1.50 (+ 2% for withdrawals above £50) Foreign Transaction Fee = Additional 1.00% Gambling or betting transactions = Additional 1.00%	-Accepted on gambling sites -Pay By Text Message -Great for under 18's, and available to persons aged 10 and over. -Accepted at 9 Million Locations -Choice of plastic design	£6.25 (if reloaded by bank trfr/wages)
Virgin Prepaid Visa Card (PAY AS YOU GO)	Chip and Pin	£9.95	Post Office = Free Debit Card = Free BACS Payment = Free PayPoint = 2.75%	free	£3,500	Per Use Fee (UK purchases) = 2.95% ATM Fee = 2.95% (UK) Foreign Exchange rate Fee = 3.5%	-PAY AS YOU GO -Accepted at 28 Million Locations -Top-up at the Post Office, PayPoint and by Debit/credit card - Access to the Virgin Discount Network	£7.37
MeCard Prepaid MasterCard	Chip and Pin	Parent card Free and Teen card £9.99 (but £10 free load)	Paypoint – 3% Bank & Wage Payments – Free Debit cards = £1.00	Free	£5,000	UK ATM Fee = £0.75 Foreign Transaction Fee = Free Per Use Fee (purchases) = Free ATM fee £1.50 (non UK)	Free adult card Complete control of your money 24/7 with full parental control - Pay £9.99 for Teen Card but get £10 loaded on your card for free.	Free
Virgin Prepaid Visa Card (PAY MONTHLY)	Chip and Pin	£9.95	Post Office = Free Debit Card = Free BACS Payment = Free PayPoint = 2.75%	£4.75	£3,500	ATM Fee = £1.50 (uk/Int) Foreign Exchange rate Fee = 2.95%	-Accepted at 28 Million Locations -Top-up at the Post Office, PayPoint and by Debit/credit card - Access to the Virgin Discount Network	£4.75

Credit Cards And Debit Cards - Basic Differences Between Credit Cards And Debit Cards

Debit card holders and credit card holders can probably become a way of classifying people on the basis of choices. Just like do you support Chelsea or Liverpool (football teams), are you Conservative Party supporter or Labour, do you like rock or classical music. Similarly do you use a under 18's credit card or a under 18's debit card? There exists a sea of a difference between debit cards and credit cards. Both have their own set rewards and shortcoming.

This article is aimed at those greenhorns who are yet to join either of the two clubs. So if you are new, and you are confused, read on for a comprehensive understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of the two kinds of cards. We must put a disclaimer here, that if any debit card holder hops into the credit card cartel or vice versa, after reading this article, then it is unintentional and sole choice of the user him/herself. So now read on.

Credit cards and debit cards are what the world today calls plastic money which can make the paper money obsolete in future. You can be without a note in your wallet and yet carry 1000 pounds. Both the cards are issued by your banks, where you also have an account.

Debit cards let you spend as much amount as there is in your account at the moment. You can swipe it at restaurants, malls, wherever and the amount will be directly deducted from your account and transferred. They are usually being provided for free these days as soon as you open an account in any bank, along with your cheque book and they also function as your ATM cards. There is mostly no separate application process for it. If you opened an account at a time when they were not being doled out, then you can demand one, again usually free, without much hassle.

Credit cards enable you to spend more than there is in your account. The bank will pay on your behalf, which you can pay back to the bank later. Though you will have a credit limit, as to what is the maximum amount you can spend using your card. Also one needs to apply separately for them. Then the bank does an inspection of your income and expenditure history and gives you a credit score. This score is a measure of how reliable you are to be given credit by the bank. This is done because the bank wants to ensure that if it pays on your behalf, then you should have the capacity to return it all, otherwise the bank will have to incur a loss.

So now that you are capable of informed choice, you are ready to join your club of cards!