Compare occasional cards - Ordered by cards which incur the least monthly costs for an upload of
£150 with 3 transactions of £35 each and 1 ATM transactions of £45, includes any special or
introductory offers.
Transaction fee
Free —
Card fee
Free —
UK ATM fee
Free —
International ATM fee
Free —
Foreign Transaction fee
Free —
- Free £10 when you make a first load of £50
- Contactless card, no transaction fees at home or abroad and no ATM fees when you withdraw £200 or more in one transaction
- Instant online approval and no credit checks
- You must be a UK resident aged 18 or over
- ATM fees of £1.50 for withdrawals under £200
- In the UK, you can withdraw a maximum of £200 from ATMs in a 7 day period. The limit is £400 outside of the UK
As a MoneySuperMarket customer, get an extra £10 free on a first load of £50 or more. This offer is only available through MoneySuperMarket.com. T&Cs apply
Transaction fee
Free —
Card fee
Free —
UK ATM fee
Free —
International ATM fee
Free —
Foreign Transaction fee
Free —
- FREE UK ATM Withdrawals, FREE Purchases, NO Monthly Fee
- Instant online approval. No credit check to apply
- iDraft up to £250 and £1000 Direct Debit cover available – subject to approval
- You must be a UK resident aged 18 or over
MoneySuperMarket customers receive £10 upon first load of £50. This offer is only available through MoneySuperMarket.com. T&Cs apply.
Transaction fee
Free —
Card fee
Free —
UK ATM fee
Free —
International ATM fee
Free —
Foreign Transaction fee
Free —
- A great way to manage your everyday spending, with budgeting, savings pots and real time spending notifications
- You can load this card for free, using a debit card, credit card, bank transfer or Revolut transfer
- You can use this card abroad with no fees in over 130 countries
- You can only withdraw the equivalent of £200 per month in cash. If you withdraw more than this you'll be charged a 2% fee
UNTIL 31 AUGUST, MONEYSUPERMARKET CUSTOMERS CAN RECEIVE A FREE REVOLUT CARD (WORTH £5) BY FOLLOWING THE ADJACENT LINK, ENTERING THEIR MOBILE NUMBER ON THE PAGE AND FOLLOWING THE SIGN-UP TEXT.
Transaction fee
Free —
Card fee
Free —
UK ATM fee
Free —
International ATM fee
Free —
Foreign Transaction fee
Free —
- Instant approval guaranteed for verified applicants
- Account number and sort code details are generated immediately
- Card issue fee of £4.95 (£5.00 if paying by SMS). A fee of up to £5.95 applies for additional and replacement cards
- Maximum daily ATM withdrawal limit is £500 (£250 for Express Access accounts)
- Purchase transaction fee of 2.5%
Transaction fee
Free —
Card fee
Free —
UK ATM fee
Free —
International ATM fee
Free —
Foreign Transaction fee
Free —
- Pay as you go card with no monthly fee
- Free Purchase Protection and cashback rewards from online shopping
- Ideal for occasional use
- Card fee of £5.95 applies, and £5.95 for any replacements
- Purchase transaction fee of £0.99 applies to any payments or direct debits
Prepaid cards are not eligible for protection under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme
Pay-as-you-go cards
A prepaid card is a payment card that is pre-loaded with money. Once you've loaded money onto your pay-as-you-go card, you can therefore use it to shop online or take cash out of a cash machine, just as you would with a credit or debit card.
However, pay-as-you-go prepaid cards, in the same way as pay-as-you-go mobile phones, do not allow you to spend more than you can afford. So while they are often targeted at teenagers and students, their in-built discipline means they are also useful for anyone trying to stick to a budget.
Safer than cash, they are also a secure way to shop online, and they can be bought as gifts in the same way that you might give someone cash or a cheque.
Safe spending
It is all too easy to overspend and get yourself into debt if you use a credit card, or even a debit card if it is linked to an account with an overdraft facility.
Young people particularly often find it tempting to spend more than they have. That’s why many parents prefer to give their children a pay-as-you-go prepaid card that only allows them to spend the amount that has been put on to the card, but still means they can shop online.
Another advantage is that carrying a prepaid card is a lot safer than having a pocket full of cash. After all, lost or stolen prepaid cards can simply be cancelled and replaced, but cash that disappears has usually gone for good.
Available to all
You need a clean credit history and a good credit score to qualify for many of the best credit cards on the market today. But it is much easier to be accepted by a prepaid card provider.
Even youngsters with no credit history, as well as anyone recently arrived in the UK, can qualify for a pay-as-you-go prepaid card. You will be accepted as a customer as long as the company offering the card can verify your identity using your personal details.
Secure online shopping
Nowadays, many of the best bargains and deals are found online – not on the high street. However, some people are worried about sharing their credit and debit card details on the internet.
Pay-as-you-go prepaid cards, which are not linked to a bank or credit card account and so limit your exposure to fraud, are therefore a great way to shop online.
No monthly fee
Unlike some credit cards, pay-as-you-go prepaid cards have no monthly fee. You must, however, look out for other fees such as transaction charges when choosing your pay-as-you-go prepaid card.
Cards of this kind are also generally limited to a maximum of, say, five transactions a month. If you are looking for a card for everyday use, you would therefore probably be better off with a pay monthly prepaid card.
Find the best deal
You can compare a range of pay-as-you-go prepaid cards with MoneySuperMarket, so take a look at what's on offer to ensure you choose the right deal for your circumstances and preferences.