10. Does this offer apply to applicants from any country?
Even though the Prepaid Visa is an internationally distributed card the banks on this program are highly astute in ensuring they are compliant with Visa bylaws and as such there may always  be the possibility that a country may be excluded from this program for political and security reasons should such a need arise.

11. What advantage does the  Prepaid Visa  have over other prepaid Visa offers?
All other organisations who offer  prepaid Visa programs only offer the maestro, cirrus and Visaelectron brands. These fall short of being the total global payment solutions for the global customer since you cannot use Maestro, Cirrus or VisaElectron to make purchases at particular merchants. The Visas offered by DPI are global brands. With a Visa you will never be rejected for making an electronic payment.

12. Is the  Prepaid Visa  part of an affiliate program?
We do not offer an affiliate program directly but some of our Resellers who have chosen to brand a website have an affiliate program available. If you would like to be an affiliate send us an email and we'll pass on your request.

13. I have previously applied for prepaid credit cards but have been disappointed?
Direct Pay International is aware of the misinformation on the internet regarding the availability of prepaid credit cards. Some companies employ misleading marketing tactics and so you should be aware of the following pitfalls.

• Card is being offered as a Visa when in reality it is a Maestro card
• Card is being offered as a prepaid Visa when in reality it is a VisaElectron card
• Card is being offered as a physical prepaid card when in reality it is just a card and pin number only for use in making purchases on the Internet
• Card is being offered as a prepaid card when in reality there is no card but simply a process for recruiting people into a multi level marketing affiliate program
• Card being offered to  clients when in reality the card is not available to  clients

14. What is the process for acquiring a "no named" card ?
A no named card is simply where you are offered a Visa without your name being printed on the card. The card will simply have your card number and expiry date. However your name and address will still be linked to the card electronically so that should you wish to use your card online or for mail/telephone orders then your card will still be accepted since such transactions require your name and address. The "no named" card works on the same concept as gift cards in the USA where the recipients name may not necessarily be printed on the card.

Using the  Prepaid Visa  

1. I just received my  Prepaid Visa in the mail. What do I do now?
The first step is to sign the card issuers terms and conditions and return with a photocopy of your ID in the self addressed envelope. Once received, the card issuer will activate your card within 5 days. The next step will be to activate your card on the customer service website. You can activate your card online. Once your card has been activated you can use it to withdraw cash from ATMs or to make purchases at merchants that accept the brand on the card.

3. Can I add my own money to my  Prepaid Visa account?
You can add your own personal money to your active Card account using a number of options, specific instructions can be attained by clicking here:

4. What happens if I use up all of the money in my  Prepaid Visa account?
If you use up all of the money on the card, you can always add more money to the account to continue using it until the expiration date. Otherwise, if you have used up all of the money on the card, and it is expired, please destroy the card by cutting it up. A new card will be reissued.

6. Can my  Prepaid Visa ever carry a negative balance?
An authorization request for an amount that is greater than the account balance will be declined. However, occasionally, a merchant does not immediately send through an authorization request, meaning that while the money has been spent with a merchant, the account has not yet been vi. If another purchase is made before the authorization is put through, there is a possibility that your card account could hold a negative balance. If that happens, you would be notified immediately to add additional funds to the account or else your card will incur charges and ultimately be deactivated.

7. Is there a monthly fee?
All cardholders are charged a $5.00 monthly maintenance fee. Whilst there is no need to keep a minimum balance on card it is a good idea to keep a small amount of money on your card to cover the monthly maintenance fee and the charges for any transactions you may be making during the course of a month

8. Will my employer, family or friends be able to know what I buy or where I spend?
No. All transactions using the Card will be available only to the holder of the Card.

9. Why do I sometimes have problems spending my  Prepaid Visa at restaurants when I have enough money left on my  Prepaid Visa to cover the food bill?
The most frequent cause of the problem is how restaurants have programmed their card terminals to account for the food server’s tip in addition to the total amount of the food bill. The card terminals are typically programmed by restaurants to up charge the tip amount (usually between 15% - 20%) based on a percentage of the total food bill. This up charge is to ensure that should you put the tip on your  Prepaid Visa you have the funds available to cover the total of your food bill plus tip. However, you will not be charged this up charge should you choose to pay a different tip amount or pay tip in cash your  Prepaid Visa balance will reflect the total that you sign on the restaurant receipt. Every restaurant programs their own up charge amount. In addition to what may be programmed by the restaurant, many food servers unknowingly may up charge the food bill again. Therefore, the final attempted amount for authorization (food bill including tip) can sometimes easily exceed your  Prepaid Visa balance available, in those instances when your food bill is about 75% to 90% of your  Prepaid Visa balance. On occasions when your food bill is 50% or less of your  Prepaid Visa balance, you will mostly likely not have a problem getting your restaurant check and tip amount authorized. To use up the balance of your  Prepaid Visa and avoid the up charge authorization problems at restaurants, simply use your  Prepaid Visa for purchases at retail stores.

10. Why do I some times have problems using my; Prepaid Visa at "pay at the pump" gasoline stations?
The card terminal in the pay at the pump stations automatically checks with the card issuer to see if your Prepaid Visa has enough money left to pay for an average purchase of gas. If your Prepaid Visa does not have enough money to pay for an average amount, your attempt to pay at the pump will be declined. The average gas purchase amount changes just as retail gas prices change. This check is in place to prevent people from spending more than the balance left on the Prepaid Visa. To use up the remaining balance on your Prepaid Visa when your pay at the pump attempt is declined, we recommend that you prepay at the cashier at the counter the dollar amount of gas you want to purchase.

Using the Prepaid Visa Customer Service Website

How do I log into the Prepaid Visa website?
You'll need your card number and pin number in order to log into the website. Once you receive your card you will also receive the necessary information to log into our website.

How can I change my account information?
You can change account information such as the billing address associated with your Card by logging onto the website or by calling customer service. However, in the case of an address change, you must also report this change to your employer to make the change in your employer personnel files if your employer has the authorization to make deposits to your card.

When I view my transaction history, what does "pending" mean next to some of my purchases?
A notice of 'pending' next to a merchant's name on your statement means that while we have received notice from that merchant that you spent that amount at their store or web site the merchant hasn't yet sent through the final amount for payment. This notice, called an authorization, is done to make sure that your card is valid and to tell us to put on hold that money in your account until the merchant sends through the final transaction amount for payment. When we receive that final notification (usually within 3 days of the purchase) the transaction is considered 'settled' or 'posted,' and the amount of that transaction is taken out of your account.

Why is the amount shown as 'pending' different than the amount I actually spent at that merchant?
In some cases, like at a restaurant, the merchant will send us request for authorization (see above) for only the amount of the food you purchased (since you won't have yet written in a tip). In that case, we'll place on hold the amount the restaurant sends us, plus an additional 20% in case you write in a tip. While the money is on hold, it isn't taken out of your account until we get the FINAL, correct amount from the restaurant. Another case where the amount you spent may look different from the pending amount from a merchant is in the case of a gas station. If you're paying for gas at the pump, the machine will send through a preliminary authorization just to make sure your card is valid, and the card issuer will place on hold $20 to cover the potential cost of filling up your tank. Again, this is just a hold on the money until the card issuer receives the final amount you spent on gas. Once this transaction settles, you'll see the correct amount reflected in your statement.