Wsing a prepaid Visa card for online financial transactions

[razz]

I have seen the prepaid Visa cards displayed with the large variety of gift cards in a local grocery store. I would like to have a prepaid card that I can redeem for online transactions like an ITunes card even paying my donation to the SLF with it.
Is it doable? How does one do this? Feeling a little silly not knowing such info. I know that I can simply scan a gift card at any store to obtain the credit but doing this online seems foreign to me at present so am researching. My goal is to stop using my CC for any online purchases if I can.
Advice and suggestions?
TIA

[catherine]

I'm assuming you don't like using debit cards online? Any reason why? I use my debit card all the time online, and I've never had a problem.

But to your question, yes, I noticed those cards yesterday actually when I went to get a gift card for my brother. I'm assuming you load it somehow and then use it like a credit card.. but that's an obvious answer, and I don't have the specifics.

[cdttmm]

Typically you purchase it much like you purchase a gift card, but there is often a fee attached. Simply take the card to the check out and have them put the amount you want on it. You might have to read the info attached to the card to see if there are any limits to the amount you can put on it, what the fee associated with it is, and if there is an expiration date associated with the card. Hope that helps!

[lmerullo]

I am also open to this idea, especially since the last two times hubby and I travelled our credit cards were hacked. The bank actually recommended a $500 prepaid card to be used for gas / meals, etc - and there is no real financial exposure to our accounts.

The card needs to be filled with CASH for it to be really secure. I know you aren't trying to evade the law or anything, but if you use a credit or debit card to fill - the potential for compromising your credit is still there.

It is a PITA when filling up at the gas pump, as you must go inside the store - one time we had a VISA gift card and it would not read / authorize at a pump.

[ApatheticNoMore]

Yes it's doable. Buy a card, the amount to be put on the card is paid for at the checkout, sometimes you have to activate them online, I think some may have instant activation. There generally are fees and fairly high fees, fees to purchase and monthly fees (the fees are paid by reduction in the balance on the card). Then after it's activated use it like any credit card.

If the concern is theft, there are reason to prefer these to debit cards and to prefer credit cards to debit cards as well. With prepaid cards they can't steal more than is on the card (no access to your bank account), with credit cards you also have better legal protection (for chargebacks, no access to your bank accounts, etc.) than with debit cards.

If the goal is anonymity, not easy, mostly outlawed by the patriot act, but I guess I'd buy a GIFT card with a small amount on it, an amount low enough that there's no requirement to give personal info to activate. Then try to find a way to spend in anonymously, not easy if your plugging in your physical address to a website (ha never mind IP).

[razz]

With the ITunes card, a screen popped up with a box marked "Redeem" and I entered the numbers on the card and it loaded onto the Apple website, I believe. I have not seen such an opening with other sites so was curious.

Being Canadian, I cannot use a debit card online as far as I know so have used a CC only. I have signed up with Paypal but not renewed my CC's expiry date since different sites have mentioned the cost of accepting Paypal is steep for the recipients. Is it more than a CC? Safer than a CC?
I can send a cheque which might be best but I was checking out if there was any alternative.

[jp1]

I don't know the details about these cards so I can't really speak to them. But, as someone who deals with network security/privacy insurance for work I can say it's not a great idea to use your debit card for purchases. Credit cards have much better protection for the consumer. And with a debit card you run the risk of having to fight to get your money back if the card is compromised. And your entire bank account balance is at risk. The banks strongly encourage debit card use for purchases, but like Nancy Reagan always said, just say no...

[ApatheticNoMore]

You can usually phone in or go to a website to make the cards active after purchase. Some may instant activate at point of sale, not sure. With a check you won't be paying a fee like you will with the cards (just a stamp :)), but sure cards of all types are convenient for the web.

As far as I see it the only reason to use debit cards rather than credit is if you know you can't handle credit or tend to forget to pay it off every month. Otherwise credit cards have better protection.

[ToomuchStuff]

In my area, we have coin machines called Coinstar (not the only brand, just the one I have used), where you take your change and you can either get bills back, minus a percentage, or change the coins in for prepaid gift cards (itunes was one place, but I bought Amazon ones before).
I wonder what is the legal reason you can't use a debit card online in Canada? Using it without a pin, in the USA, puts it in the credit card system and you get the same protections. (although in the end, the money still comes out of your account).
There is a fee when buying the prepaid cards, but I don't know what it is. ALSO some of the cards have tricks, like, below a certain point, money will start coming off the card (fee's) until it expires (used up). These might be safer, but they also used to have a credit card, that did some sort of unique transactions when online (if the number was tried again, it wouldn't work). That might be something to ask about.
I am not really a fan of Paypal (higher transaction fee's and was originally targeted at those who didn't have merchant accounts). Things like the square have made it easier to accept plastic (we still don't at work, and I am still a cash guy, credit card is almost exclusively online/work stuff).