Prepaid Credit Cards or simply prepaid cards as they are also known have been creating waves and hype. The financial service equivalent to the mobile phone prepaid card means that you can load money on to the prepaid card and then use that card to spend online, in-store and over the phone wherever your card is accepted. There are no credit checks, no bank account requirements, so getting a card is really easy and quick. Simply produce some valid ID and a valid address and the cards in your back pocket sooner than you know it.

Everyone Loves Prepaid – Maybe Not!

Yes, it is true. For all the power of the prepaid card and all the wonderful benefits of prepaid cards, prepaid cards attract a lot of criticism as well.

The reason is irritatingly simple, prepaid cards typically have fees attached to them which means that you need to pay a fee to load and top up your card and in some cases, to use your card as well. Typically, this fee is very small but that has no prevented the media from jumping on the bandwagon to criticise the entire concept of prepaid. We are so used to the idea of free banking, that the mere thought that we actually have to pay for a little bit of added value service seems to be unacceptable.

Prepaid Cards Fighting Back

Well, it seems that Prepaid Card companies are fighting back by providing us with added value propositions so that are protestations melt away. Fighting back are the BaBeeCard, the Rational FX Travel Money Card, the Caxton FX Travel Card and the Virgin Money Prepaid Card.

1. BaBeeCard

Top of the hoop would be the BaBeeCard. Should really have been called the “Mummy card” because it is the one card in the market which delivers exceptional value to mummies – young, old and expecting.

With numerous discounts on shopping like Argos, ASDA, Alton Towers, Boots, Buyagift, Comet, Carphone Warehouse, Debenhams, JJB Sports, Halfords, H.Samuel, House of Fraser, Homebase, HMV, Legoland, Mothercare, Ocado.com, Sainsbury’s, Selfridges, TopShop, Waitrose, WH Smith and many many more, the BaBeeCard can typically deliver a saving of GBP 831.95 across your grocery and petrol shopping alone.

Difficult to criticise that one – eh, Mr. Cynical Media Blab!!

2. Rational FX Travel Money Card and Caxton FX Prepaid Card

Travel money from specialised FX providers like Caxton FX and Rational FX means you get a fantastic exchange rate which is way better than the high street exchange rate. Avoid Exchange rates at the Airport at all costs because they are simply too high – a bit of last minute extortion money!.

Now take this market leading FX rate and put the currency onto a prepaid card and what do you get?

Well, quite simply, a free card with the best exchange rate in the market delivered on a convenient secure card in multiple currencies ready to deliver savings and security when you use your card at over 28.5 million worldwide locations.

The media does quite like travel cards but not as much as they are loved by consumers and travel cards along with money transfer cards represent the fastest growing segment of the market by far

3. Virgin Money Prepaid Card

Take a market leading brand which every consumer would love to be associated with and carry in their pocket, which has numerous different stores and product offerings across which it offers a 10% discount to its cardholders and add to it, the prestige of having a product that looks and feels exactly like the “best buy” credit card solution provided by the same provider and what do you get?

Well, the totally delicious Virgin Money Prepaid Card, of course.

Three wonderful prepaid card propositions that are changing the context of prepaid.

Read all about these wonderful prepaid card products at Prepaid365 – the prepaid card comparison portal.