• want to give someone a gift - a MasterCard or Maestro prepaid card is more widely accepted than vouchers or store gift cards.
• are travelling abroad and don't want to carry cash or traveller's cheques. A prepaid card is more secure because it can be blocked if it's lost or stolen.
• want to help younger family members learn about managing their money. They can only spend as much money as is loaded onto the card, and the spending can be viewed on-line.
• want to manage your money by separating it into different places for different purposes. You could have one card for everyday shopping, one for travel, one for on-line purchases, etc.
• are having difficulty opening a bank account or getting a credit or debit card for some reason. You don't need to pass a credit check to get a prepaid card.

Things that a prepaid card may be used for:

• Everyday shopping
• Internet shopping
• Mail order and telephone order
• Topping up your mobile phone
• Paying bills
• Paying monthly subscriptions
• Withdrawing cash from ATMs

Benefits for cardholders

Convenience

• Prepaid cards can be used wherever MasterCard and/or Maestro cards are accepted
• Anyone can get one - no need for credit checks or a credit history

Money management

• Can help you budget your money
• No interest charges on the card
• There's no danger of going overdrawn on the card. Once the money loaded onto the card has been spent, you can't spend any more until you've reloaded it

Security

• Carrying a prepaid card is safer than carrying cash. The card can be blocked if it's lost or stolen