WHEN investigating how best to manage your finances, it can be mind boggling deciding where to start.
Banks seem to push out deal after deal, urging you to sign up to one of their accounts. So, how do you choose? Traditional over-the-counter banking is fast becoming a thing of the past, with more and more people opting for the simplicity of managing their finances online.
With prepaid credit cards you can take charge of your money by making quick and easy payments and transfers to companies or individuals with a few simple clicks of a mouse. There’s no need to leave the house or face a lengthy phone call to your bank, only to be put through to an automated machine. Instead, you can manage your finances the easy way - online. What’s more, some prepaid cards also offer a very valuable benefit: Free Purchase Protection. This is designed to help you to get your money back if the goods you’ve bought don’t arrive, are broken or not as described.. So you can easily fill your basket with all those must-haves, safe in the knowledge that you’re not risking your bank or credit cards details. One of the safest ways to shop online, cards like this do not link to your bank account and they offer fraud protection.
You can still use a prepaid card for all the usual day-to-day necessities too, from shopping or paying for goods and services to withdrawing money from ATMs - wherever you see the MasterCard acceptance mark.
Paying bills is extremely easy with a prepaid card. Ideal for one-off bills or regular standing orders, some of these cards allow you to automatically set up bills on a regular basis, similar to a Direct Debit.
Prepaid cards are generally simple to top up, too. For example, with Cashplus not only can you top up with cash at any UK Post Office® branch, but also at many exclusive Cashplus stores. Uniquely, for the ultimate in convenience, Cashplus now provides their customers with their very own account number and sort code, which means you can top up the funds in your account via a simple bank transfer. Depending on whether the bank involved offers a Faster Payments Service, if, the transfer is made before 3:30pm, the funds will be loaded onto the prepaid credit card’s account on the same day.
Perhaps one of the biggest areas that a Cashplus card can help with is credit. That’s because if a customer’s had problems with credit in the past,, or has been hit by CCJs, there’s help available to address the resulting poor credit rating. Adding the card’s Creditbuilder feature can help improve the customer’s credit rating at no extra cost. It works by adding successful loan payments to your account profile. This will help to demonstrate to lenders that you’re a reliable individual.
Then there’s the prospect of credit itself! Should an unexpected expense crop up (for example a broken boiler), Cashplus can offer its customers short term loans of up to £400.
Worried you’ll struggle to get a prepaid credit card in the first instance? You’ll be pleased to learn there are no dreaded credit checks and acceptance is 100% guaranteed, as long as you’re 18+ and live in the UK. In fact, applying takes minutes and the account will be set up almost immediately, with a card usually in your hand within just three working days.
So, if you’re looking for a real banking alternative, why not take charge of your finances today and take a look at what a prepaid card can do for you?
