In addition to all of the other monetary services that Western Union provides, consumers can now obtain the Western Union prepaid card, which works like a debit card without an attached bank account.
The Western Union prepaid card has a MasterCard logo and can be used just like any MasterCard debit card. It can be used for purchases and at ATM’s, and can be reloaded at any of the Western Union storefronts located throughout the U.S. This, however, is not a credit card, and cannot be used unless there are funds to cover the cost of whatever purchase you intend to make.
The Western Union Prepaid MasterCard is a convenient way to make purchases. Owners of these cards just need to add money to the balance of their prepaid cards, and they can make purchases everywhere that MasterCard is accepted. For those who have difficulties passing credit checks due to a negative credit history, the prepaid card may be a good alternative to applying for card after card and being constantly turned down.
Consumers have the choice of either the Western Union MoneyWise Prepaid MasterCard or the Western Union Gold Card Prepaid MasterCard. The benefits of the MoneyWise card are the free use of the card without fees for maintenance, no fees for making purchases with the card, no fees charged for overdrawing on the balance, people can qualify without a bank account or a credit check, free online card activation, direct deposit for paychecks without paying any fees, money transfers can be applied toward the card’s balance, card owners have 46,000 locations around the country for adding money, it contains the MasterCard Zero Liability Policy, they can make purchases online, they have online and telephone access to the account and they have the ability to track the card’s balance by text message or email.
The Gold card has a few more advantages than the MoneyWise card. Along with all of the options listed above, the gold card gives it owners the ability to obtain rewards from using their cards and it eliminates the need for people to fill out any forms. When gold card owners make purchases and add money to the balances on their cards, they will be awarded points. These points translate into different types of rewards such as time added to the card owner’s phone card worth up to $100, cash back of up to $100 and any transactions the card owner needs to make will come close to being completely free.
These cards offer the consumer a few guarantees that are highly needed in these times of rampant identity theft. The liability policy guarantees that if anyone manages to use the Western Union prepaid card without the permission of the owner, the owners will not be responsible for paying for those charges. Any money that is stolen from the prepaid account will be returned to that account by Western Union.
This card would be a great choice for people who are having difficulties qualifying for a credit card. The prepaid card does not require that applicants submit to a credit check. The convenience of these cards is that people with credit issues will have the ability to make purchases when a credit card is necessary. Sometimes, people can only make certain purchases online, for example, but these establishments generally require a credit card in order to make the transaction simple. A debit card such as the Western Union prepaid card can take the place of a credit card for these times.
Using this particular card is not just convenient for people with credit problems; it also helps these people to refrain from delving even deeper into credit card debt. The Western Union prepaid card is not a credit card that will charge its users interest; the money that is spent is the cardholder’s own money that has been set aside for the purpose of making purchases without having to carry a lot of cash around.
This card also helps people with credit card issues plan their purchases better than they have in the past. At the beginning of the month, for example, card owners can determine how much money is required to make the purchases they need to make for the entire month. Card owners will have the ability to spend that much money, and once it is gone they will not add any more money until the beginning of the next month. With this strategy, card owners cannot build up a debt again with unplanned purchases.
The prepaid debit card such as Western Union’s MasterCard, have several benefits for the people who choose to use them. They are excellent for those who need the ability to make purchases online or offline without having to carry around a lot of cash. They also do not give the card owner the chance to create a balance that will be subject to high interest rates. All of these benefits can be had for very little to no fees.
As with any prepaid card, consumers should carefully read the terms and conditions for the Western Union prepaid card before deciding to obtain one for themselves.
