Compare pay as you go prepaid cards
Pay-as-you-go prepaid cards are a great choice for parents keen to keep a lid on their children’s spending. Aimed mainly at teenagers and students, they have no monthly fee. You can find the best deals here on MoneySuperMarket.
Compare occasional cards - Ordered alphabetically A-Z
Cashplus
Cashplus Prepaid MasterCard (Freedom)
Monthly fee
Free
Card fee
£9.95
Transaction fee
Free
UK ATM fee
Free
International ATM fee
£3.00
Great for
- FREE UK ATM Withdrawals, FREE Purchases, NO Monthly Fee
- Instant online approval. No credit check to apply
- Up to £500 Overdraft - subject to approval
But be aware that
- You must be a UK resident aged 18 or over
More Details
THE BASICS
Card issuer: APS Financial Ltd
Card type: MasterCard
The card is valid for 36 months
BENEFITS
Online account management
24 hour service
Accepted online
Sort code & account number included
Benefits notes:
Free UK ATM withdrawals
Free UK purchases
Free to set up Direct Debits and standing orders
Free purchase protection
CARD FEES
Card application fee - £9.95
Monthly service fee - Free
Annual service fee - Free
Card replacement fee - £5.95
Card cancellation fee - N/A
Dormancy fee - No dormancy fees
Card fee notes:
No UK purchase fees
RELOAD OPTIONS (Online)
Cash - Free
RELOAD OPTIONS (Post Office)
Cash - 0.50%
Reload notes:
Bank transfers onto account: Free
Post Office loads: 0.50% fee will apply to the total amount paid in (min fee £3.00)
TRANSACTION FEES
Foreign transaction Fee: 2.99%
Purchase fee: Free
Internet Purchase fee: Free
ATM WITHDRAWAL FEES
ATM withdrawal fee (UK): Free
ATM withdrawal fee (International): £3.00
ELIGIBILITY
You must be a UK resident and aged 18+
You are advised to check the lenders Terms & Conditions for information relating to interest rates, fees and charges.
Cashplus
Cashplus Prepaid MasterCard (Flexiplus)
Transaction fee
£0.99
Card fee
£5.95
UK ATM fee
£2.00
International ATM fee
£3.00
Foreign Transaction fee
2.99%
Great for
- Pay as you go card with no monthly fee
- Free purchase protection
- Ideal for occasional use
But be aware that
- 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
More Details
THE BASICS
Card issuer: Advanced Payment Solutions Financial Ltd
Card type: MasterCard
The card is valid for 36 months
BENEFITS
Online account management
24 hour service
Accepted online
Sort code & account number included
Benefits notes:
No credit checks
A bank account is not required
Apply online and get an instant decision and immediate response
Puts you in control because your card only approves transactions up to the amount prepaid on it
Have your wages paid directly in to your Cashplus account
100% acceptance guaranteed (subject to eligibility requirements stated below)
CARD FEES
Card application fee - £5.95
Monthly service fee - Free
Annual service fee - Free
Card replacement fee - £5.95
Card cancellation fee - £10.00
Dormancy fee - There is a fee of £5.95 per month after 120 days dormant – no fee if no funds in the account
RELOAD OPTIONS CASH
Online - FREE
Post Office 0.30%
Reload notes:
You can top up your card by transferring money from any UK bank account online, in branch or over the phone, or set up a standing order to make regular top ups
You can also have your wages paid straight to your card. You must have a Total Access account to be able to top up using your bank account or to have wages paid onto your card, refer to provider for full details
A fee of 0.3% will apply to the total amount paid in at Post Offices
TRANSACTION FEES
Foreign transaction Fee - 2.99%
Purchase fee - £0.99
Internet Purchase fee - £0.99
Transaction fee notes:
You can use your card to get cash over the counter at a bank, subject to a fee of £3 per transaction
ATM WITHDRAWAL FEES
ATM withdrawal fee (UK) – £2.00
ATM withdrawal fee (International) - £3.00
ATM withdrawal fee notes:
You can get cash from any cash machine that displays the MasterCard brand mark
ELIGIBILITY
Minimum age: 18 Years
You must be a UK resident.
Additional cardholders must be at least 13 years old
You are advised to check the lenders Terms & Conditions for information relating to interest rates, fees and charges.
Suits Me
Suits Me Premium
Transaction fee
£1.97
Monthly fee
£4.97
Card fee
Free
UK ATM fee
£1.25
International ATM fee
£2.50
Great for
- You could be approved in under 10 minutes with no proof of address and no credit checks required
- Get exclusive access to Suits Me's cashback rewards programme where you'll earn up to 15% cashback instore and online at many top UK retailers
- Manage your money and finances on the go, with the free, safe and secure Suits Me mobile banking app and online banking account
But be aware that
- You need to be a UK resident and aged 18 or over to open an account
More Details
THE BASICS
Card issuer: PrePay Technologies Limited
Card type: MasterCard
The card is valid for 36 months
BENEFITS
Online account management
Accepted online
Sort code & account number included
Benefits notes:
Apply online and you could get instant approval with no proof of address or credit checks
Account opening within 10 minutes where you'll gain instant access to your account number and sort code, and mobile and online banking to start managing your money and finances
CARD FEES
Card application fee - Free
Monthly service fee - £4.97
Annual service fee - Free
Card replacement fee - £5.00
Card cancellation fee - Free
Dormancy fee – n/a
Reload notes:
PayPoint Load: £0.99 + 2.6%
PayPoint: £1.29+ 2.6%. Maximum load of £250 per day
Bank Transfer (UK): Maximum of £10,000
TRANSACTION FEES
Foreign transaction fee – n/a
Purchase fee - £1.97
Internet Purchase fee - Free
Transaction fee notes:
No UK transaction fees
European transaction fee (EUR, RON, SEK): 2.35% of the transaction value
International transaction fee (Other currencies): £1.97 plus 2.57% of the transaction value
ATM WITHDRAWAL FEES
ATM withdrawal fee (UK) - £1.25
ATM withdrawal fee (Europe) - £2.50 plus 2.35% of the transaction value
ATM withdrawal fee (International) - £2.50 plus 2.57% of the transaction value
ELIGIBILITY
You must be a UK resident aged 18 or over
You are advised to check the lenders Terms & Conditions for information relating to interest rates, fees and charges.
Suits Me
Suits Me Essential
Transaction fee
£1.00
Monthly fee
Free
Card Fee
Free
UK ATM fee
£1.00
International ATM fee
£2.50
Great for
- You could be approved in under 10 minutes with no proof of address and no credit checks required
- Get exclusive access to Suits Me's cashback rewards programme where you'll earn up to 15% cashback instore and online at many top UK retailers
- Pay no monthly fee and manage your money and finances on the go, with the free, safe and secure Suits Me mobile banking app and online banking account
But be aware that
- You need to be a UK resident and aged 18 or over to open an account
- One-off activation fee of £5.00 is needed to start using your account
More Details
THE BASICS
Card issuer: PrePay Technologies Limited
Card type: MasterCard
The card is valid for 36 months
BENEFITS
Online account management
Accepted online
Sort code & account number included
Benefits notes:
Apply online and you could get instant approval with no proof of address or credit checks
Account opening within 10 minutes where you'll gain instant access to your account number and sort code to start managing your money and finances
CARD FEES
Card application fee - Free
Monthly service fee - Free
Annual service fee - Free
Card replacement fee - £5.00
Card cancellation fee - Free
Dormancy fee – n/a
Reload notes:
Bank transfer in from UK - £1.25
PayPoint - £2:30 + 2.6%. Maximum load of £250 per day
TRANSACTION FEES
Foreign transaction fee – n/a
Purchase fee - £1.00 plus 2% of the transaction value
Internet Purchase fee – Free
Transaction fee notes:
No UK transaction fees
International transaction fee: £1 plus 2% of the transaction value
ATM WITHDRAWAL FEES
ATM withdrawal fee (UK) - £1.50
ATM withdrawal fee (International) - £2.50 plus 2% of the transaction value
ELIGIBILITY
You must be a UK resident aged 18 or over
You are advised to check the lenders Terms & Conditions for information relating to interest rates, fees and charges.
Suits Me
Premium Plus
Transaction fee
£1.97
Monthly fee
£9.97
Card fee
Free
UK ATM fee
Free
International ATM fee
£2.50
Great for
- You could be approved in under 10 minutes with no proof of address and no credit checks required
- Get exclusive access to Suits Me's cashback rewards programme where you'll earn up to 15% cashback instore and online at many top UK retailers
- Manage your money and finances on the go, with the free, safe and secure Suits Me mobile banking app and online banking account
But be aware that
- You need to be a UK resident and aged 18 or over to open an account
More Details
THE BASICS
Card issuer: PrePay Technologies Limited
Card type: MasterCard
The card is valid for 36 months
BENEFITS
Online account management
Accepted online
Sort code & account number included
Benefits notes:
Apply online and you could get instant approval with no proof of address or credit checks
Account opening within 10 minutes where you'll gain instant access to your account number and sort code, and mobile and online banking to start managing your money and finances
CARD FEES
Card application fee - Free
Monthly service fee - £9.97
Annual service fee - Free
Card replacement fee - £5.00
Card cancellation fee - Free
Dormancy fee – n/a
Reload notes:
PayPoint Load: £0.80 + 2.6%. Maximum load of £250 per day
Bank Transfer (UK): Maximum of £10,000
TRANSACTION FEES
Foreign transaction Fee - Free
Purchase fee - £1.97
Internet Purchase fee - £0
Transaction fee notes:
No UK transaction fees
European transaction fee (EUR, RON, SEK): 2.35% of the transaction value
International transaction fee (Other currencies): £1.97 plus 2.57% of the transaction value
ATM WITHDRAWAL FEES
ATM withdrawal fee (UK) - Free
ATM withdrawal fee (International) - £2.50
UK ATM withdrawal fee notes:
4 free UK ATM withdrawals permitted per month
A fee of £1.12 per withdrawal is then applied
ELIGIBILITY
You must be a UK resident aged 18 or over
You are advised to check the lenders Terms & Conditions for information relating to interest rates, fees and charges.
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.