Mastercard??

[nikinakinoo]

Hi all

I have been looking into getting a prepaid mastercard for 2 reasons mainly, it will allow me to put u.s. dollars onto it monthly so by the time my cruise comes next year my spending money will be in place,:) 2nd reason is that it is safer than carrying cash. Ok so my question is....do most ATM machines in USA (Orlando) accept mastercard so I can withdraw money of it and does anybody have any experiance of using the prepaid card scheme.

Thanks in advance

Nikkie

[kitty9]

You cannot use those pre-paid cards on cruise ships for payment. They are not accepted. Also, most pre-paid cards, like those gift cards we have here in the US, do not have pin numbers, so they can't be used in ATM machines.

[klfrodo]

Hi all

I have been looking into getting a prepaid mastercard for 2 reasons mainly, it will allow me to put u.s. dollars onto it monthly so by the time my cruise comes next year my spending money will be in place,:) 2nd reason is that it is safer than carrying cash. Ok so my question is....do most ATM machines in USA (Orlando) accept mastercard so I can withdraw money of it and does anybody have any experiance of using the prepaid card scheme.

Thanks in advance

Nikkie

 

Good thought.

 

Most likely not going to work though for the reasons already posted above.

[tulsacubfan]

We thought the same thing - better than carrying cash or using our "regular" credit card in Mexico (don't flame me for not wanting to use my regular credit card in Mexico - that's not the point of this thread), no hassle with travelers checks. We ended up going north instead of to Mexico. In SF, we rented bicycles. They wanted a $400 deposit for 2 bikes, which is reasonable. All we had with us was the pre-paid credit card. They put a $400 hold on the card. That too is fine. HOWEVER, when we returned the bike, the release was not processed by the credit card company for 72 hours! So, we had $400 tied up on the card that was not available in Seattle or Victoria. Perhaps they do the same with a regular credit card, but the credit line is not so limited.

[phoenix1181]

I always wonder what happens if it's lost? Except when I'm in transit, I don't carry all my cash, travelers checks or credit cards with me so if I lose my pocketbook when on a tour, there's more in my room safe. If I were using a pre-paid card, it woul be with me and I'd be flat broke................

[tulsacubfan]

I always wonder what happens if it's lost? Except when I'm in transit, I don't carry all my cash, travelers checks or credit cards with me so if I lose my pocketbook when on a tour, there's more in my room safe. If I were using a pre-paid card, it woul be with me and I'd be flat broke................

 

We actually split up the money on 2 different cards for that very reason. Still wouldn't do it again!

[Treven]

The previous poster is sort of wrong in saying that the pre-paid or "debit" cards are not accepted for cruise charges. I've been using my MasterCard debit card for several years now and it's been accepted from Honolulu to, and all ships in between, Grand Turks and all places in Mexico. It's just as accepted as a MasterCard credit card.

[nikinakinoo]

Hi all

Thanks for your replies. I was planning to use a "proper" credit card for my on board account, I was thinking on using the pre paid card to withdraw cash that I had saved on it, they are issued with a pin and they say you can withdraw from cash machines showing the mastercard sign and use them in shops. If i do lose the card or if it gets stolen they send you a new one with the same credit amount on as you had on it. I would presume they would send it to the most local bank. I just wanted to check if ATMs do accept mastercard or visa as that is another pre paid card you can get.

Thanks

[GeneHunter]

AAA has a "Travel Money" Prepaid VISA card, with a PIN # for ATM machines, that can be used worldwide. However it cannot be used for On-board Accounts.

 

It can be reloaded where purchased, online, or by phone. This was a great feature when my children were in high school and traveling overseas with a school group or their grandparents.

[noobcruiser]

Hi all

Thanks for your replies. I was planning to use a "proper" credit card for my on board account, I was thinking on using the pre paid card to withdraw cash that I had saved on it, they are issued with a pin and they say you can withdraw from cash machines showing the mastercard sign and use them in shops. If i do lose the card or if it gets stolen they send you a new one with the same credit amount on as you had on it. I would presume they would send it to the most local bank. I just wanted to check if ATMs do accept mastercard or visa as that is another pre paid card you can get.

Thanks

 

 

If the card has a pin, then the answer is yes, nearly every ATM will accept MasterCard.

 

However, I would also suggest you think about simply using that card for whatever you need to pay for, because every time you use an ATM you will be charged anywhere from $1.50 - $3.50 per transaction (if not more).

[Donray]

The previous poster is sort of wrong in saying that the pre-paid or "debit" cards are not accepted for cruise charges. I've been using my MasterCard debit card for several years now and it's been accepted from Honolulu to, and all ships in between, Grand Turks and all places in Mexico. It's just as accepted as a MasterCard credit card.

 

You have a credit card that is sort of a debit card....

 

There is a defference. You have the worse of all cards, a pretend debit card. Bet you don't need a pin number every time you use it.

[Treven]

You have a credit card that is sort of a debit card....

 

There is a defference. You have the worse of all cards, a pretend debit card. Bet you don't need a pin number every time you use it.

Yes, I do need my PIN every time I use it.

[tulsacubfan]

The previous poster is sort of wrong in saying that the pre-paid or "debit" cards are not accepted for cruise charges. I've been using my MasterCard debit card for several years now and it's been accepted from Honolulu to, and all ships in between, Grand Turks and all places in Mexico. It's just as accepted as a MasterCard credit card.

 

I think the OP is talking about a pre-paid Visa card and not the type of debit card you are referring to.

[CandCrew]

Hi all

I have been looking into getting a prepaid mastercard for 2 reasons mainly, it will allow me to put u.s. dollars onto it monthly so by the time my cruise comes next year my spending money will be in place,:) 2nd reason is that it is safer than carrying cash. Ok so my question is....do most ATM machines in USA (Orlando) accept mastercard so I can withdraw money of it and does anybody have any experiance of using the prepaid card scheme.

Thanks in advance

Nikkie

 

I have a prepaid Visa card and it works just fine at an ATM. When I opened the account I was asked to provide a PIN. There are sometimes I have to provide the PIN for purchases and other times I don't--just like a regular debit card. The only drawback to the ATM use is the issuing company charges $2.50 on their end and the ATM bank can charge $1-3 on their end.

[tulsacubfan]

I have a prepaid Visa card and it works just fine at an ATM. When I opened the account I was asked to provide a PIN. There are sometimes I have to provide the PIN for purchases and other times I don't--just like a regular debit card. The only drawback to the ATM use is the issuing company charges $2.50 on their end and the ATM bank can charge $1-3 on their end.

 

Ouch! Those are some stiff fees!

[thinfool]

do most ATM machines in USA (Orlando) accept mastercard so I can withdraw money of it and does anybody have any experiance of using the prepaid card scheme.

Thanks in advance

Nikkie

 

Most answers are from the US and you are in the UK. So I ask this...

 

Can you open an online bank account? One that can have an ATM card attached to it (even Paypal). Then configure it to take xxUSD or xxGBP from your primary bank account once a month. At the end of your saving period you would have the full amount along with an ATM card that you can use most anywhere in the civilized world. Your ATM card should be a VISA cheque card so that it will work virtually anywhere.

 

The pre-paid thing seems cumbersome, unreliable and inconvenient.

 

What I described above is easily done in the US, but things may be different in the UK.

[kitty9]

Ouch! Those are some stiff fees!

 

 

On Celebrity, I've had fees as high as $5.50 to use their ATM. I'm not convinced that using those pre-paid cards are the best idea if you're using an ATM. You could rack up a lot of fees and lose a lot of your money on those fees.

[GeneHunter]

The fees on ATM use are usually the same on both the bank VISA check card and the Pre Paid VISA card. If you are receiving foreign $ there is also an exchange rate fee. Plan your ATM cash withdraws carefully, the ship will charge a large fee than a bank at a port. The ATM machines right off the ship will have a larger fee than those in the city (where the locals bank.)

 

In some places, such as Bonaire, the ATM machines will dispense cash in either USD (US Dollars) or NAf (Netherland Antilles Guilders).

 

My parents found that their Bank VISA check card was accepted in tiny villages in Europe, but they wouldn't accept the standard Traveler's Check/Cheque. Every one of those little towns also had ATM machines available 24/7 and you weren't tied to banker's hours to recieve the local currency.

 

The Prepaid card is a great way to set aside funds for your cruise or other travel. True, you don't get interest on your money, but with each $100 you add to the balance, that's $100 less on the credit card!

[blindrid]

The previous poster is sort of wrong in saying that the pre-paid or "debit" cards are not accepted for cruise charges. I've been using my MasterCard debit card for several years now and it's been accepted from Honolulu to, and all ships in between, Grand Turks and all places in Mexico. It's just as accepted as a MasterCard credit card.

 

Not sure where you read debit cards....... You do have problems with some pre-paids.

[nikinakinoo]

Hi all

Once again thank you for your help.

Regarding an account with a ATM card...I could prob open an account but I think I can only put £££ in to it so when it came to taking the money out your end I would have fees and usually not a good exchange rate.

With the pre paid card I would get a much better exchange rate with it and from reading some more about it, aslong as I have the local currency on the card then I will not occur fees from the card company just a fee to use the ATM. I think I will have to look abit more into it, I dont want to carry too much cash on me as im traveling alone with my 8 year old so I dont want to be worring about passports and money when im going to be having a very excitied and hyper child bouncing all over the place (although no doubt I will be acting the same) :D

Thanks again