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windycityxx · 06-05-2018, 12:21

Just be careful that most of them sold in the USA only work for online purchases or "inside of the USA".. not outside of the country etc.

So don't go loaded up a bunch and heading to The Bahamas or Mexico etc. they won't work.

Quote:

Originally Posted by newhaul

they work just like a debit card from your bank just they are not tied to anything . I have never had any fees charged to me when I used them . Here in the USA reloads are available just about everywhere. Have used them to have a customer pay me for a load I delivered for him . I was in Seattle he was in Florida. All he had to do was give me the numbers off the reload and I just put it on a card. Done and done.
Universally accepted and nobody but you know it's not a normal bank/ credit card.

**newhaul** · 06-05-2018, 15:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by windycityxx

Just be careful that most of them sold in the USA only work for online purchases or "inside of the USA".. not outside of the country etc.

So don't go loaded up a bunch and heading to The Bahamas or Mexico etc. they won't work.

The Green Dot Personalized Card is a prepaid Visa or debit MasterCard Card that you can use anywhere debit MasterCard or Visa debit cards are accepted worldwide. ... It's a prepaid debit card. Personalized Cards can be used at ATMs and can also be reloaded (more money can be added to them)
https://secure.greendot.com/greendot/account/faqs#place

windycityxx · 06-05-2018, 15:46

I only have experience with the generic ones where you haven't registered and waiting for a personal card in the mail.

Just the "off the rack" ones for $25, $50, $100, $500 etc.

All the one's I've seen, clearly say in small print, only good for purchases online or in the USA.

No experience with personalized, but great feedback!

Quote:

Originally Posted by newhaul

The Green Dot Personalized Card is a prepaid Visa or debit MasterCard Card that you can use anywhere debit MasterCard or Visa debit cards are accepted worldwide. ... It's a prepaid debit card. Personalized Cards can be used at ATMs and can also be reloaded (more money can be added to them)
https://secure.greendot.com/greendot/account/faqs#place

hellosailor · 06-05-2018, 16:11

Any credit or debit card issued in the US may not work overseas. Our cards typically have a four-digit pin, many other countries require a six-digit pin. If your bank or the card issuer can't set that up with you--your card can't be used overseas in a country that requires six digits.

Does anyone else miss the day of travelers' cheques?

Paul L · 06-05-2018, 16:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by hellosailor

Any credit or debit card issued in the US may not work overseas. Our cards typically have a four-digit pin, many other countries require a six-digit pin. If your bank or the card issuer can't set that up with you--your card can't be used overseas in a country that requires six digits.

Does anyone else miss the day of travelers' cheques?

Where have you run into these 6 digit requirements? We've used our Schwab bank debit card with 4 digit pin in a couple of dozen countries without issue.

sailorboy1 · 06-05-2018, 16:57

I believe we have about $150 aboard. But that’s a guess and it may only be $131

hellosailor · 06-05-2018, 16:57

Paul-
I haven't. A number of older forum messages have remarked on the 4/6 digit issue with PINs though. Mainly in the EU, if I recall.
Of course now many of our cards have chips, and some places require chipped cards. While others, even here, have the chip readers but still require you to swipe because they haven't upgraded their software.
I was reading last month about Sweden? Norway? no longer requiring merchants to accept cash at all--and some customers being very upset because they want to use CASH not plastic. There are no longer any worldwide standards.

Paul L · 06-05-2018, 17:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

I believe we have about $150 aboard. But that’s a guess and it may only be $131

Probably not very relevant based on how close you are to multiple functioning ATMs. It's when you are far from functioning ATMs and/or far from a place that you can receive a replacement card that having cash onboard counts.

sailorboy1 · 06-05-2018, 17:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul L

Probably not very relevant based on how close you are to multiple functioning ATMs. It's when you are far from functioning ATMs and/or far from a place that you can receive a replacement card that having cash onboard counts.

Haven’t been to an ATM in at least 3 months and I am sure we have more cash on the boat now than then. So I don’t know how many might be around.

Paul L · 06-05-2018, 17:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

Haven’t been to an ATM in at least 3 months and I am sure we have more cash on the boat now than then. So I don’t know how many might be around.

OK. I guess I should have included being in a place where they don't generally accept credit cards top. This includes lots of places we have cruised to. When you live in the first worldd it's pretty easy to forget the need for cash.

**newhaul** · 06-05-2018, 19:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul L

. It's when you are far from functioning ATMs and/or far from a place that you can receive a replacement card that having cash onboard counts.

Hence the great aspect of prepaid cards you can get more than one card in your name and just load it when you need to. ( btw reloads are useless without a reloadable card on the same network) so there is some measure of safety there.
And no need to wait for new card.

**Jim Cate** · 06-05-2018, 20:10

Quote:

Does anyone else miss the day of travelers' cheques?

Well, not me! I too well remember standing in queues in Mexican banks for hours trying to cash them. Nope, most places plastic works ok and cash is still accepted in those where plastic is something you pick up off the beach.

Jim