Where can I purchase a prepaid credit card?

Prepaid credit cards are a great alternative for those who have had credit problems in the past. One of the great advantages to them is that they can help in controlling your spending habits, by placing an absolute limit on what you can purchase. That’s the basic idea, anyway, but they have become a little complex, or at least as complex as anything related to credit. There are a couple of different kinds of prepaid credit cards, and they’re both up for purchase in different places and in different ways.

The most elemental kind of prepaid credit card is just that. You can purchase these at kiosks in shopping malls as well as at gas stations and convenience stores. Simply ask at the counter, and the sales clerks should be able to direct you. There are even vending machines that dispense these in various locations. The good part about these is that they are exactly what they say they are. If you put 20 dollars on the card, then that’s what you have. However, there has to be a drawback to everything, and on these, for many of the cards there are fees related to the money placed on the card, and sometimes the transfers can get quite expensive. There are also cards available for set denominations that don’t have a fee connected, but they have very limited uses. They are also not particularly useful for anyone looking to establish a clean, new credit history, because they don’t even show up on a credit check.

The other kind of prepaid credit card is one that’s available from the credit card company directly. A simple search from VISA will reveal at least a dozen choices for prepaid cards. All of these require an application, which itself isn’t a very lengthy procedure. Again, these are not very useful for establishing a credit history, but they are a beginning. They could be considered a kind of a training card for those purposes then. However, for those with bad credit, these can be as difficult to get as a regular card, and sometimes seem as though they have none of the advantages, but all of the hassle of a regular card.

They are an option, then, as an alternative to a credit card, and can be useful. Their best uses, however, are for helping consumers to discipline themselves for a future where credit cards might be something that can be integrated into their financial lifestyle.