How To Get A Prepaid Card

Nowadays, most prepaid cards are valid for international use. That's because Visa International, the single largest credit card and debit card issuer of the world has agreements with millions of merchants in most countries around the globe.

If you're already holding a credit card or debit card from Visa, there's actually no need to look for a separate one for international use. However, if the credit or debit card that you're using comes with limitations on worldwide usage, there're various ways to get a prepaid Visa card for international use.

In fact, having a prepaid Visa card for international use has several benefits. Let me tell you a bit about these advantages.

Advantages of Prepaid Visa Card for International Use

As I say earlier, most Visa cards that are available nowadays are already valid for international use. Often, banks also offer the facility of blocking your card for international use with a simple smartphone app or reactivating the facility within seconds, when necessary.

In such cases, why should you opt for a prepaid Visa card?

Actually, there are five main advantages of getting a prepaid Visa card for international use.

Visa cards are accepted by more than 9.5 million merchants worldwide, ranging from the smallest neighborhood store to dealers of expensive cars, porn sites and swanky hotels, magazine publishers to pharmacies and almost everyone.
Over 16,000 banks, credit unions, Non-Banking Financial Companies issue Visa cards. Hence, you can get a prepaid card anywhere in the world, if you have proper documents.
A prepaid Visa card for international use protects you against loss of money while making online purchases from foreign merchants. Even if someone hacks your Visa card details, they can't get much money from a prepaid card. You can also dispute a purchase and Visa refunds the money after verifying all details.
Some banks and credit unions charge a higher free for Visa cards for international use. Therefore, you could be losing money while paying the annual fees of your debit or credit card. In contrast, Visa cards for domestic use are available free or at much lower annual fees.
If you'll be traveling abroad, there's no need to carry your regular debit card or credit card for the duration. Instead, you can simply get a prepaid Visa card for international use. Upon return, you can get the money back in a bank account or use it locally.

Additionally, there're different types of prepaid Visa cards for international use that are easily available.

Different Types of Prepaid Visa Cards

Visa has four different prepaid cards for international use that you can select from. These are available from various financial institutions.

Prepaid Visa Card: This means, you simply get a Visa card for international use by paying the card fee and loading money. It's possible to recharge a prepaid card with as less a $5.These cards are ideal for everyone that's making online purchases from foreign vendors. You can opt for such a Visa card if you'll be traveling abroad and don't wish to carry regular cards or have a fixed spending limit. Such cards are also ideal for giving teenagers and students going or studying abroad.
Secured Visa Card: A secured Visa card for international use is available from certain banks and credit unions or financial institutions only. You have to keep a Time Deposit or Fixed Deposit with these banks, credit unions or financial institutions. They issue you a prepaid Visa credit card for international use that has a limit of up to 80 percent of your deposit. Meaning, if you maintain $1,000 as Time Deposit or Fixed Deposit, you'll get spending limit of $800. Your Time Deposit gathers interest. In case of default, the credit card issuer deducts or forfeits your Time Deposit.
E-card: An e-card from Visa isn't a plastic card. It exists in cyberspace. You can access the card using the app is issuing bank or financial institution provides. These cards drastically minimize the risk of fraud. To access the e-card, you'll require complex passwords for the app. You have to personally authorize the payment using a One Time Password the issuer sends for every transaction.

Ask your local bank for such Visa cards for international use. And you can also search on Internet to find where you can get any of these three kinds of Visa debit or credit cards.

However, I'll list a few places where you can easily get a prepaid Visa card for use abroad or online, which is valid worldwide.

7 Places to Get Prepaid Visa Card for International Use

Before applying for a prepaid Visa card for international use, I suggest you do some research. That's because some of these Visa cards also come with loyalty programs. Meaning, you get points for every Dollar you deposit or spend. You can redeem these points for excellent freebies.

1. Walmart MoneyCard

The easiest way to get a prepaid Visa card for international use is at Walmart. You can collect a Walmart MoneyCard at your nearest Walmart or apply online. This card is issued by Visa and is valid for international use.

Walmart MoneyCard gives you cashback facilities while shopping at Walmart. And you can also avail cash overdraft two days before payday, if you link it with your salary account and meet certain specifications. This prepaid Visa card for international use is available online and offline.

2. Green Dot Visa Cards

Green Dot prepaid Visa debit cards are also available from Walmart. However, they don't come with any frills. You can collect a Green Dot visa prepaid card in-store from any Walmart and Green Dot outlets. It is valid for international use.

This card also offers a facility known as ASAP Direct Deposit. Meaning, your Green Dot Visa debit card will get automatic top-ups one to two days before payday. There're certain rules to avail this overdraft facility on Green Dot prepaid Visa card.

3. Target Prepaid Cards

Target chain of supermarkets also offers its own brand of prepaid Visa cards for international use. Currently, Target is offering two distinct prepaid Visa debit cards that are valid around the world. You can select any of these. You can order them online or collect from any Target store in your area.

One of them is the Target Visa Prepaid card, which comes with international use facilities. You can reload this card for $200 to get extra credit of $6. Additionally, Target offers discounts when you shop at their and select partner stores. The other is Target Visa Gift Card. You can buy the gift card for self too. Both these cards offer a few benefits, which can differ according to your area and season.

4. Rakuten Cash Back Visa Credit Card

The Japanese chain of supermarkets, Rakuten, also offers two distinct prepaid Visa credit cards that offer between one and three percent cashback on your purchases. There're certain rules and regulations to qualify for this prepaid Visa card for international use. These cards are issued by Symphony Financial Co. You get amazing cashback in your bank account, PayPal wallet or prepaid card.

Rakuten Cash Back Visa Credit Card allows you to earn amazing cashback at more than 2,500 stores in the US and elsewhere including Macy's, Walmart, Target and Amazon. Additionally, you don't need to carry the physical card: Rakuten also has an e-card that you can use. Application for this prepaid card is simple: create an online account, fill in the necessary details and Symphony Financial Co will mail you one.

5. NetSpend Visa Prepaid Card

You can apply for a prepaid Visa debit card for international use online from NetSpend. Their card is issued by MetaBank. There're no lower limits on recharging these prepaid Visa cards. You can recharge them using gift cards, debit cards issued by plasma collection centers and others by simply transferring the balance online.

The NetSpend Visa debit card doesn't come with any frills. It has global acceptance. And you can hold more than one NetSpend Visa debit cards. These are ideal for giving to your children who may be traveling abroad for studies or holidays. You can recharge them instantly through the NetSpend website.

6. Foreign Currency & Travel Cards

Foreign currency and travel cards are very simple to get. A lot of banks and other financial institutions issue them for a small fee. They're valid for spending in various major currencies of the world such as Euro, Yen, British Pound Sterling, Indian Rupee, Australian Dollar and others.

However, some issuers do not permit local use of these cards. And foreign exchange rates can make their usage very expensive. Therefore, opt for these cards only while traveling abroad. Such cards are best suited for frequent travelers and businesspersons who need to pay in foreign currencies.

More Visa Prepaid Cards for International Use

There's another excellent option I can suggest. Visit the Visa International website and look for their prepaid cards. You'll find a lot of information and a list of issuers. Some of these would be in America while others would generally be abroad.

However, it's also possible to order a prepaid Visa card from foreign issues in some cases. As I mention earlier, look for terms, conditions, fees, other charges as well as benefits before applying for a prepaid Visa card for international use.

Closing Thoughts

If you're a plasma donor or have been gifted a prepaid Visa card by someone, there may be no need to buy another. Check with the issuer if the card is valid for international use. It can save you some money on buying a new one. Also find charges on international use to ensure you don't spend more.