I want to give prepaid visa cards to my underage siblings...

[Starving_Artist]

@OpalCat

This has always struck me as an odd attitude when I’ve encountered it. For me, it wouldn’t occur to me to expect to be thanked every time I contributed to a conversation. Sometimes a thank you on the spot is fitting. I did, for example, say thank you to the person who sent me a specific suggestion in private message. Other than that, my inclination would be to have the full discussion, then at the end when I’ve come to some sort of decision, I’d say a generalized thanks to everyone for their input. To interject personalized thank-yous to every single person every single time they reply seems awkward and bizarre to me. If you think I’m rude for not doing so, I think you’re far, far, far more rude for your comment.

I can understand your thinking that perhaps it would be better to thank everyone once the thread had run its course, although I’ve always made it a practice to thank everyone every few posts if they are trying to be helpful and to then encourage additional posts, but that’s just me. I think its been your overall tone to the responses here that struck me as rude and caused me to post my comments rather than simply the lack of thank yous. In other words, IMO there’s been plenty of evidence in your responses conveying impatience, frustration and annoyance with the attempts of others to offer helpful advice, but precious little appreciation.

However, I also admit that at the time I made that post I was involved in several unpleasant threads regarding the new banner ads and I was in a more testy mood than I am now. Perhaps if I had encountered this thread this morning instead of last night I’d have tried to convey the same observation with less rudeness.

[ForumBot]

@ForumBot

For what it’s worth, that was an endorsement of the gift cards. Kids need space to rebel safely.

Aww heck, that was a weak rationalization. I really just want to play the part of “sneaky uncle ForumBot” who got the kids porn.

[VinylTurnip]

Ever tried to buy a bag of weed with a credit card? Just give cash. You don’t have to thank me.

[OpalCat]

@Starving Artist

I can understand your thinking that perhaps it would be better to thank everyone once the thread had run its course, although I’ve always made it a practice to thank everyone every few posts if they are trying to be helpful and to then encourage additional posts, but that’s just me. I think its been your overall tone to the responses here that struck me as rude and caused me to post my comments rather than simply the lack of thank yous. In other words, IMO there’s been plenty of evidence in your responses conveying impatience, frustration and annoyance with the attempts of others to offer helpful advice, but precious little appreciation.

However, I also admit that at the time I made that post I was involved in several unpleasant threads regarding the new banner ads and I was in a more testy mood than I am now. Perhaps if I had encountered this thread this morning instead of last night I’d have tried to convey the same observation with less rudeness.

The first person to advice giving cash, fine. But then I explained that I specifically was not looking for a card-vs-cash debate or advice, and several more people proceeded to come in to do nothing but say “give cash” which strikes me as a waste of time at best and rude at worst. So yeah, I get impatient with that kind of thing.

I understand being on edge over the other stuff on the board. Me, I’m on edge because I had 4 finals this week, as well as a 6 page paper due. I got about 3 hours of sleep over the course of about 70 consecutive hours and it’s left me a bit frayed at the edges.

[Starving_Artist]

@OpalCat

The first person to advice giving cash, fine. But then I explained that I specifically was not looking for a card-vs-cash debate or advice, and several more people proceeded to come in to do nothing but say “give cash” which strikes me as a waste of time at best and rude at worst. So yeah, I get impatient with that kind of thing.

My guess is that people suggesting cash after you’d expressed no interest in it had simply not read through the thread but were responding only to the OP. That was my take on it anyway since so many people continued to offer suggestions that you had already discounted.

@OpalCat

I understand being on edge over the other stuff on the board. Me, I’m on edge because I had 4 finals this week, as well as a 6 page paper due. I got about 3 hours of sleep over the course of about 70 consecutive hours and it’s left me a bit frayed at the edges.

Well, dang! In that light I’m surprised you responded to me with as much civility as you did.

[OpalCat]

I guess it didn’t occur to me they wouldn’t have read the thread, only because the thread is still so short. I expect it of multiple page threads, but on short ones I always assume people will have read the posts.

[Starving_Artist]

In threads asking for help with some specific issue I often either don’t read the other posts or just skim them lightly because in my mind the thread isn’t there for discussion but to get specific advice. I’m looking to offer that advice and then move on rather than taking the time to see what everyone else is saying on the subject.

Anyway, it looks like you’ve got a lot on your plate and I appreciate your taking the time to talk to me about this. It looks like I’ve misjudged you. I apologize.

[PunditLisa]

@OpalCat

Well if there are ones with no extra costs, I’d rather do that.

Fee-free pre-paid Visa cards don’t exist. Retail gift cards, yes. Amex/MC/AmEx cards, no.

I work for a corporation that gave out thousands of pre-paid AMEX cards totalling in the millions each year as employee recognition and as payment for doing product panels. When management got wind that we were paying almost $8 per card in service fees, they attempted to negotiate a discount or kill the service fees altogether. AMEX wouldn’t budge. Now we give out Walmart and Kroger cards.

[aptronym]

@FairyChatMom

I recall reading that they may have a limited lifespan, or after a certain time, VISA deducts a service charge. I think someone gave my daughter one once, and for some stupid reason, unless she knew the exact balance on it, she couldn’t use it to make a purchase.

I got a VISA debit card from my workplace as a birthday gift and that thing was godawful to use. They start deducting the service charge after a certain time (generally the time when it was purchased, so be careful if you get it as a gift because there may be a long lag between purchasing and gifting). They deduct a service charge when you first use it, and per unit time after you first start using it. You cannot drain the card and pay an excess balance in cash. You also cannot check what your balance is without being charged.

“I have a $25 gift card! Let me try and buy $30 worth of books.”
“Okay, let me try to buy $25.77 worth of books.”
:rolleyes: “Okay, let me try to buy $20.44 worth of books.”
:rolleyes: “Finally … okay, I’ll use the last $4.56 to buy a $4 coffee.”
:dubious: “What do you mean insufficient funds? Let me check my balance online.”
:dubious: “$4.26? Why the $0.30 discrepancy? Let me check again.”
:mad: “$3.96? Am I getting charged to check my balance??”

Grr …

On a more positive note, I’d just read all the fine print carefully and try and pick the card that has the least retarded rules. A lot of people seem to like the AmEx gift cards.

[Starving_Artist]

Not that this information is what Opal is looking for ( ) but just to clear up a few things regarding your post aptronym, I got one of the prepaid VISA cards a few months ago that are offered through Wal Mart so I could load it and buy things online without worrying about subsequent phony and/or erroneous charges (i.e., if the money isn’t in there, they can’t take it ).

Anyway, the fee structure is much better than the one you got with yours. I paid $8.94 to obtain and load the first card and get the permanent imprinted one. Whenever I want to load more money into it I pay $4.84 (there is no requirement as to how often this needs to be done, nor is there a penalty for not loading more within a specific period of time). There is a monthly maintenance fee of $4.94 which is deducted from the card’s balance around the 10th of each month.

And that’s pretty much all I pay. I get updated balances for free by email each morning and I can check my balance and purchase history online by computer whenever I want to for free as well. There are charges for ATM withdrawals and the like but no transaction fees when making purchases.

Anyone who would like to see the fee schedule for these cards can do so here. Look for item No. 10.

[aptronym]

@Starving Artist

I got one of the prepaid VISA cards a few months ago that are offered through Wal Mart so I could load it and buy things online without worrying about subsequent phony and/or erroneous charges (i.e., if the money isn’t in there, they can’t take it ).

This sounds fundamentally different from my card. I believe that my employer paid a charge just to get the card (e.g. $27 for a $25 card) and that I cannot reload the card, even for a fee. If it were possible, it was not clear on the VISA site and I threw away $3.96 because I couldn’t get that thing to work anywhere. I even tried debit-ing $3 worth of parking at an automated parking garage to no avail.

[Starving_Artist]

Yeah, sorry to hear your card was such a dud. One of the reasons I posted about the Wal Mart card was so that you and/or others whose employers might want to give these types of cards would know that this one might be a good one to go with.

[GusNSpot]

I have read all the post and I’m not even going to give any adv ------- oops !!

[tarragon918]

I’ve looked into this recently as well; my son is in college in Arkansas (and I’m in Maryland), so I wanted a way to be able to send him money that he could use anywhere, without having to send cash or a check/money order. I got a pre-paid Visa gift card (which is different from the reloadable debit card) at my local Safeway and the only extra charge was $2-$3 fee to purchase the card. I sent it to him and he had no problems using it, however he did use it right away, so I don’t know if there was a time limit on it. There wasn’t any place to put a name on the card, though. I think it’s still probably a good idea, the gift card; perhaps you can find some other way to personalize it?

Just as an additional aside, I had a Circuit City gift card for $50, and I held onto it for at least two years before I spent it (it was a gift from my bosses at work). When I finally did spend it, I used it to make a purchase online and it worked fine!

[OtakuLoki]

Okay here’s my take.

Not all pre-purchased Credit Cards are created equal.

The ones that you buy in most retail outfits do take a chunk for a processing fee right off the top. IIRC it’s about 5% when I looked into it, myself.

Then I found out that my credit union will issue them. The ones that my credit union issues are issued on a straight 1:1 cash withdrawn from my account, to monetary value on the card. There are no fees at least for the first year. (I can’t recall about the period after that, but I really don’t have any concerns about that - if I haven’t used it up within that time, I figure it’s my own silly fault.)

Checking the balance online is free.

They don’t put a specific name on the card, though.

The card can be used online, or in a brick-and-mortar store.

The card I’m thinking of is not “reloadable” but since getting it was free, I’m not too worried about getting another when this one is used up.

Using the last bit on the card is a hassle - one has to set up the charge so that it’s not a penny over that. If you know the value on the card, it can be done, of course. But you have to know that.

Combining the payment at most brick-and-mortar stores was straightforward. Doing so online has proven to be effectively impossible.

The issuing company for my pre-paid card is at this site: http://www.libertygiftcard.com/ I think they have a locator on the site for where you can get similar cards. You can order through them, but they have a S&H fee associated with the card that way. (But that might let you get your recipient’s name embossed on the card… How much might that be worth to you?)

If you’re in a credit union, ask them about their pre-paid credit cards.

One caveat - as mentioned upthread, when using such a card in a brick-and-mortar store, do NOT tell the cashier it’s a debit card. It’s a pre-paid credit card, and the way that credit card companies handle the payments are very different.