Do you want a reliable portal to activate your prepaid cards? Whenever you need to input personal information into a website, you must make sure that it is a reliable one. There are hundreds of scammers, fraudsters, and phishing operations in the digital world today.
For online purchases, users of prepaid cards need to be able to activate them and also check their balances. You can do this if you go to the card issuer’s official website, which is usually embossed on the back of the card.
However, there are some reliable portals online, such as MyPrepaidCenter, which can also provide you with the information you seek. You can also use those portals to register and activate you card. The good ones can be used by holders of Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and other major cards.
Most issuers have a toll-free number which you can use to complete the whole procedure by phone. In most cases, you will be listening and responding to a computer-activated voice. However, if you wait, you will eventually be able to talk to a human being.
Activate and check balance
A good portal should allow you to activate your card, check your balance, register your profile, and create transaction reports. Through this portal, it will be easy for you to access award cards, promotions, and loyalty points from merchants with a specific Blackhawk tag. The issuers of these cards may vary. For instance:
- MetaBank issues prepaid Mastercard and Visa cards in the United States.
- The People Trust Company issues these cards in Canada.
- MetaBank offers Discover prepaid cards and gift cards.
Before you can use a prepaid card you need to activate it. You won’t be able to register it if you have not activated it. Follow the instructions on the portal’s website. It will ask you to key in some numbers and codes that are embossed on the card.
What is a prepaid card?
A prepaid card is a plastic alternative to carrying cash around with you to pay for things. Some people refer to them as everyday cards. Over the past ten years, they have become increasingly popular.
First, you have to load them with funds when you first purchase them. Some cards, such as gift cards, are thrown away as soon as all the money is spent. Others can be reloaded with money and operate like a pay-as-you-go mobile phone arrangement, i.e., you can keep adding money.
Prepaid cards are ideal for teenagers, children, and individuals who are worried they might overspend with a credit card.
They are also useful for people who don’t have a bank account or have a bad credit score. It is harder to get a credit card if your credit score is bad.
No borrowing involved
Banks and other companies will issue a prepaid card to people with bad credit scores because the card purcasher is the source of the funds in the card – the bank is not lending them the money.
Video – What is Your Credit Score?
When you first purchase a prepaid card, you need to determine how much you want to load it with. In most cases, there is an upper limit.
As the amount of money in your account falls, you can add funds in different ways. You can do it, for example, online either in the issuer’s website or a specialized portal. Some cards allow you to add money by SMS text.
For people who don’t have a bank account, their employers can pay their wages directly into their prepaid card account.
Why do you want a prepaid card?
Not all prepaid cards are they same. They have different fees, functions, and features. Before you start searching for the right card for you, you need to determine why you want one.
- Is it something you will use regularly?
- Is it for your child or other relative?
- Will your salary be paid into it?
- Will you only use it for shopping or also for bill payments or cash withdrawals?
You also need to understand all of the fees the card company might charge you. Read the card information carefully. In most countries, by law, card issuers must tell you what fees they charge.
Some cards charge transaction fees but have no monthly fees. Others have no transaction fees but have a monthly charge.
The prepaid card sector is huge and igrowing fast. Some experts predict that the worldwide market for prepaid cards will reach $3.1 trillion by the year 2022.
As a growing number of businesses go cashless, people without bank accounts need to adapt. Prepaid cards are a good and realistic option for them.