Happy Holidays from Prepaid Expo

We're taking some much needed time off from our coverage of Prepaid payment cards to celebrate the season with our loved ones. We want to sincerely thank you for your readership, your comments and your participation.

Here are our top posts from 2009:

• WalMart MoneyCard
• Open-Loop Prepaid In Retail: Expanding Consumer Payment Options
• O2 readies prepaid credit card

We'll be back in January with more coverage.

We wish you Happy Holidays!

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Disaster in New Jersey? Policyholders to Get Paid Via Prepaid Debit Card

Getdebit.com reports that victims of disasters in New Jersey may now get the financial help they need more quickly, thanks to prepaid debit cards issued by The Bancorp Bank, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Bancorp, Inc. The cards will be issed by Bancorp in collaboration with InsurCard.

Here’s how the program works. The InsurCard Visa Prepaid Debit Card is loaded when emergency payments are required, eliminating the challenges associated with check issuance. The InsurCard can be used to make purchases wherever Visa debit cards are accepted and cardholders have access to cash through ATMs located nationwide. Policyholders can obtain account balance and transaction information 24-hours a day.

What do you think? Should beneficiaries receive payment via debit card?

Learn more: Disaster in New Jersey? Policyholders to Get Paid Via Prepaid Debit Card

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Avoid Mountainous Charges this Holiday Season with Prepaid Cards

This post in Fair Investment highlights how choosing the right type of prepaid card for the Holidays can help consumers avoid a mountain of charges. Instead of using credit cards, consumers should use prepaid cards to make it easier to budget holiday spending. Prepaid cards can be used worldwide just like any credit card.

Peter Harrison, moneysupermarket's travel money expert recently mentioned:

"Prepaid currency cards are great for budgeting as consumers can only spend up to the value of funds that they load onto their card. Another advantage is that if lost, customers can have their card replaced, usually for a fee of around £10, with all the funds in tact."

Do you think consumers will end up using prepaid cards more than credit cards this holiday season?

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Canadian Justice Minister Tries Eliminating Prepaid Gift Card Expiration Dates

CTV.ca reports that under new legislation tabled by Quebec Justice Minister Kathleen Weil, there will no longer be expiry dates on gift cards.

The new legislation ensures that gift cards will not gradually lose their value over time.

In some cases, companies choose to deduct an amount from a gift card's balance if the card is not used within a certain time frame.

Weil said the new law is necessary because the conditions attached to gift cards have been unfair to consumers.

What do you think about this development, will it pass?

Learn more: No more expiry dates for gift cards

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One World Ventures partners with eCommLink to offer Prepaid Solutions

CNNMoney highlights in this article that 1WorldCard will be working together with eCommLink to create and deploy prepaid solution and remittance programs. The relationship will merge the quick payment processing platform of eCommLink with 1WorldCard's prepaid cards.

This card will allow those without bank accounts to conveniently use their payroll cards instead of getting hit with high costs of check cashing. Steve Prior, CEO of One World Ventures mentions

"We are excited to be working with eCommLink, one of the premier processors of prepaid solutions. Our business model is to provide a wide range of much needed financial products that improve the quality of life for our cardholders and we believe the adaptive nature of the eCommLink platform will allow us to do that today and for the long term as well."

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IFX travel currency card – facts and figures

For individuals travelling throughout different countries, finding an affordable way to keep track of money exchanges can be difficult. IFX travel currency card offers individuals a way to track their spending and not worry about being robbed for their cash. Moneyhighstreet.com discusses the card, the IFX MasterCard Prepaid Currency card is available in Euro and US Dollar and can be used in 28 million locations worldwide, including over 1.5 million ATMs. Card members can manage your money abroad via SMS, online or by phone. It uses chip and pin for extra security and blocks reported stolen or lost cards.

The maximum balance for eccount is £5,000 and US Dollar and Euro cards are available on the same eccount.

What do you think about IFX travel currency card? Is it a good option for consumers?

IFX travel currency card – facts and figures

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EA SPORTS Launches First-Ever Prepaid Debit Card with Rewards for Loyal Customers

Welt Online reports that EA Sports has partnered with Visa to launch their first-ever prepaid debit cards. According to the report, "Electronic Arts Inc. has made it easier for loyal gamers to buy their favorite EA SPORTS™ titles with the launch of the first-ever EA SPORTS branded prepaid debit card. The reloadable prepaid debit card enables users to receive a percent back from every purchase at thousands of brick-and-mortar and online retailers to redeem points that can be used to purchase select EA SPORTS game titles."

What do you think of the move by EA Sports? Will we see other game companies following suit?

EA SPORTS Launches First-Ever Prepaid Debit Card with Rewards for Loyal Customers

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Good News for Prepaid Cards?

DigitalTransactions.net sees a "sunny" forecast for prepaid cards as we continue with the tough economic climate. Says the article, "...But prepaid cards remain the one bright spot, according to a new market analysis from Mercator Advisory Group Inc. Maynard, Mass.-based Mercator’s latest annual forecast, for 2009-12, predicts that combined load volume on closed-loop and general-purpose, or open-loop, prepaid cards will hit $525.8 billion in 2012, up 112% from $247.6 billion last year."

For a more in-depth analysis of this forecast, please visit the original article.

The Latest Forecast Is Especially Sunny for Prepaid Cards

Do you think that Prepaid cards are set to flourish? What other factors may be contributing to the success of prepaid cards?

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