I was stunned to receive an email from Bread Card today wishing me A Happy New Year and taking pleasure in informing me that all future purchases (after Feb 1st) will incure 2% charge and loading the card will go fro a straight £1 to 3%.

I purchassed three of these cards at a tenner each as they were tops for value - now they are the pits.

I just hope I manage to get all consumer sites who recommended them to highlight this

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Most such cards also charge a transaction fee of 50p or more each time you use it. They are not a sensible choice when most banks and building societies will give most customers something better for free.

maxsteam:

They are not a sensible choice when most banks and building societies will give most customers something better for free.

Sorry maxsteam but this is not true. Banks and Building Societies will only give Visa Debit cards etc. out to people who have good credit history even though these cannot be regarded as 'credit' cards. Many people who use the Bread card and similar concepts are forced down these routes because their banks refuse to let them have a debit card.

With the credit crunch still becoming tighter and tighter, this will become a bigger issue through the early part of 2008 I fear.

SHARK!

---

For every positive action, there's an equal and opposite government plan.

Same here Baggins. Another card run by Newcastle Building Society under the Affinity Brand. I see other brandnames from them here getting some stick.

These cards are aimed at the poorest of us or those fallen on hard times.

I just hope Which Magazine makes a piece on it as they made it the Best Buy - Not that that usually accounts for too much.

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I have been using bread now since the card was launched in 2007. When i joined up i was told of all the positive stuff, how great it would be and how cheap it was, now there is loads of charges and also i have noticed that i have to keep chasing the bread team to get my money, funny because they blame the employer for not putting the reference number on, however every week i have been sitting with my accounts team in work watching them process my wages with the account number,

however is looking to use bread i strongly recommend you DONT for your own sake!

Too many story's like this about Bread Card. They obviously cannot be trusted as has been shown by their prompt, and adverse, change of conditions. This was clearly part of their business plan.

REMEMBER that your money is NOT covered by any government/FSA guarantee so beware. Newcastle Building Society shares the same locality as Northern Crock after all!

Setting aside how bad it now is (as the "Avoid the Bread Card thread that was running on this Forum now seems to have been deleted), let me instead ask a proper question...

They have now introduced the percentage load fee for PayPoints, as opposed to the original fixed £1.

But... what happened to the FREE top-ups via thier "High Street Partner Bank" that was meant to be coming?

If Tim wants to show us he is serious in being fair, you don't introduce new high rates for top ups, until you first secure the alternative free top up method.

So come on Tim...

Where's the free Top Up facility, for those of us grudgingly sticking with Bread and giving you the benefit of the doubt mate?

Anyone looking at a prepaid card should look into the Post Office's Travel Money Card. It's intended to be loaded with foreign currency for holidays but it can also be used with pounds. These card are an expensive way to shop but the Post Office card looks less of a rip off than any of the others that I've looked at.

i have been looking in to prepaid cards you are all saying that 2% is too high to pay can i bring the following rates to your attention these are all prepaid cards and all are UK based rates

Virgin 2.95%

Western Union 99p first £50 then 99p+2%

splash 2.5%

if you want a good option i have 2 for you

Club 18-30
extremecred

both offer free transactions in the UK and 18-30 offers free international tranaction

this information is as far as i see correct at time of writing this post

Just 2% on its own isn't too bad but there are fees to get the cards, fees to recharge the cards and fees to spend on the cards. If one of the fees is 2% it means nothing if the other fees are extortionate.

A normal debit card can be used in the UK with no fees and no up-front payment. Pre-paid cards should be compared to this.

here is about the cheapest i have found so far

cost to get £5 (see note at cashback bellow)

cost to top up

3% for loads by PayPoint, Internet

£1.00 Post Office

£0.20 for Standing Order/Direct Debit

£500.00 Maximum single load for PayPoint, Post Office, Internet, Standing Order and Direct Debit

cost to use

Shopping

£0.20 purchase transactions made in the UK

FREE (i think this is a mistake i think it should read £0.20) purchase transactions outside the UK

ATM

£1.50 per ATM withdrawals in the UK

£1.50 per ATM withdrawals outside the UK

Plus earn cashback (when you sign up for the cashback site you get £10 according to https://www.charitychampionscard.com/cashback.aspx)

the UK purchase transactions fees are donation to charity

charities are

National Deaf Children's Society
Diabetes UK
Dreams Come True Charity
International Animal Rescue
The Stroke Association
Lorica Trust
Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust
British Divers Marine Life Rescue
John Grooms
NACRO
Outreach 3 Way
Eternity Church

if this sounds good then head to https://www.charitychampionscard.com/

"A normal debit card can be used in the UK with no fees and no up-front payment. Pre-paid cards should be compared to this"

in the best world these would be free but companies do have to make money normal debit cards the banks make there money from intrest on money in your account or by charging you fees for going over drawn

The Post Office Travel Money card, if loaded and spent in pounds, will charge 1.5% to load subject to a min of £3 / max £20. The fee schedule suggest this will be the only charge if the card is loaded and spent in pounds but like a lot of these things, I'd hate to promise this interpretation is correct without actually using the card.

http://www.postoffice.co.uk/portal/po/content1;jsessionid=SQSP0OC4UM32WFB2IGEEOSQUHRAYUQ2K?catId=26800661&mediaId=53800721

maxsteam:

The Post Office Travel Money card, if loaded and spent in pounds, will charge 1.5% to load subject to a min of £3 / max £20. The fee schedule suggest this will be the only charge if the card is loaded and spent in pounds but like a lot of these things, I'd hate to promise this interpretation is correct without actually using the card.

http://www.postoffice.co.uk/portal/po/content1;jsessionid=SQSP0OC4UM32WFB2IGEEOSQUHRAYUQ2K?catId=26800661&mediaId=53800721

the Minimum initial load is £50 (or the $ or € equivalent) and to get the 1.5% load fee you have to load £200

Yes. But £3 to load a smaller amount and no charge to get the card is still better than other pre-paid cards.

the card is ok but if you only antto top up a small amont its not good