What Are Prepaid Credit Cards
01 December 2008|
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Prepaid credit cards are those types of credit cards you pay for before you use them.The bank of the credit card issuer must receive a “security deposit” of a certain amount from the credit card applicant to pay for the prepaid card.The credit line on the credit card will be limited by the security deposit amount, normally between $200 to $500, which has been prepaid for the use of the card.
Traditional credit cards are issued on a basis of whether or not you have a suitable credit rating, and when you are approved you will most likely have a specified credit line available to you.If you have a weak credit rating or if you have no established credit, you may be denied by traditional banks.
The closely enforced credit rating requirements that most traditional lenders go by may be eliminated on prepaid credit cards as sometimes they may not even do a credit check or verify your employment.Since your line of credit is secured by the deposited security amount, the credit card issuer is covered in case you default on the payments.These cards are secured by the prepaid deposit made to the credit card issuer and this helps to establish credit or rebuild credit for nearly anyone.The requirements may be minimal on these prepaid credit cards and the approval rate is high, however you may have to be at the least 18 to 21 years old or have a U.S. citizenship.
Prepaid credit cards can be used just as you would use traditional credit cards, anywhere that VISA and MasterCard is accepted these cards can be used with ease.These prepaid credit cards can be used to pay bills online or on the phone or to access cash from an ATM machine for any purpose or they can be used to do online and offline shopping.
Prepaid credit cards offer can offer such advantages as allowing you to rebuilding credit or establishing credit for the first time and they can help you avoid making late payments.The prepaid credit card offers you the convenience of not having to write checks and money orders and make extra trips to the post office in order to pay your bills, plus the added advantage of having your paycheck deposited directly onto your card.
The prepaid credit cards also have some real disadvantages connected to them, such as interest rates that are often higher, over the limit fees of a higher amount and a monthly maintenance fee.Other disadvantages of prepaid credit cards are the necessity of paying security deposits which must be put down before you can use the card and the reality that these cards sometimes will not be accepted by car rental agencies.
Whether you are rebuilding your credit rating or establishing credit for the first time, it is very important for you to make your payments on time and you must be careful to not exceed your credit line limit.The main reason prepaid credit cards were introduced to the public was to help us learn how to be responsible in our financial matters and develop better spending traits.
It can be too easy to get caught up in the late payment trap and before you know it, you are 60 to 90 days behind and the fees are continuing to add up.By continuing to make a consistent effort to pay your payments on time, most companies may return your deposit with interest and or increase your credit line.
