Product Snapshot
CrewCard is a prepaid MasterCard® card and it works in the same way as a pay-as-you-go mobile: you top it up with cash which you can then use wherever the MasterCard® acceptance mark is displayed. With CrewCard it's easy for your employer to pay your wages straight onto your card. You don't need to wait until you get a statement in the post to check your transactions - log onto your secure CrewCard account online and control your money.
Shopping with your CrewCard prepaid card is great as CrewCard don't charge their customers for purchase transactions. Furthermore when you buy a CrewCard Prepaid card, you actually get a pack with TWO cards. One is for the primary prepaid card holder who remains in control of the account and uploading funds. The second prepaid card can be given to a relative and funds transferred from the primary prepaid card to the secondary prepaid card, which can be used to withdraw money, to pay for goods online, in shops and in the same way as the primary prepaid card. The money is transferred instantaneously and can be cheaper than other traditional methods of transferring money and is very useful for workers wanting to send money back home to relatives, or for example to send funds to relatives travelling abroad who need emergency money.
Another exceptional feature of the CrewCard prepaid card is that the account can be controlled by mobile text message (SMS.) You can even buy your card by mobile phone online by going to the CrewCard website. With SMS banking, you can request balance details, load money, transfer money between cards, lock the card if you suspect it has been lost, and unlock it if you find it again.
The Good
The two card pack allows you to share money with friends and family and allows you to transfer money from one card to the other instantaneously and cost-effectively. A £10 card for a Two card pack is also quite competitive and the CrewCard team provide a vast array of convenient and cost effective reload options.
The Not so Good
Payzone top-ups are only available in the UK at this stage and reloads are not possible on the secondary card using any mechanism other than the primary card. This is a security feature but can be a tad bit irritating nonetheless. The £1.00 fee to call customer services is quite expensive and a lo-call rate number would have been better.
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Application Process 
The CrewCard application process is excellent and you can make an application online, by post or by visiting one of the specialist CrewCard shops.
- Apply online - if you have the right to reside in the UK, have a valid passport and a mobile phone then you can apply online. Your card will arrive in 10 days
- Apply by post - you can apply using an application form on the CrewCard Website. It can take up to 10 working days for the cards to arrive
- Apply at a specialist CrewCard shops - With a valid passport, you can walk away with a CrewCard Money Share pack straight away.
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Card Features
- A two card pack which allows instant money share between the cards
- Free POS transactions within the UK
- You can manage your CrewCard prepaid card using your mobile phone
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Card Design 
At this stage, only one card design is available. We hear that more card designs are on the way.
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Card Fees
- Card Issue Fee - £10.00 for a 2 card pack
- Monthly Fee - £0.50
- Transaction Fee UK - Free
- ATM Withdrawal Fee UK - £1.25 per withdrawal
- Reload Fee - Free via bank transfer, £0.70 via debit card online/SMS
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Online Account Management and Self Servicing
You can service your account on the CrewCard website or via an interactive voice response (IVR) facility. You can also use your mobile phone to manage your prepaid card account and move money between your cards. You can view your balance, recent transactions and change your personal details.
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Using Abroad
The CrewCard is available in GBP, USD and EURO's. A POS transaction abroad will set you back an extremely reasonable £0.50 or equivalent in USD/EURO and an ATM withdrawal will cost you £1.25 or equivalent. Using a GBP card in a USD/EURO currency territory or vice versa will incur a 3% foreign exchange cost but with three currencies to choose from, you should be able to avoid this fee.
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Reload Options
Funds can be loaded on to your CrewCard Prepaid Card in a number of ways:
- Using Cash at any Payzone outlet - 3% of load amount
- Using cash at participating high street bank - Free
- Bank account transfer - Free
- Wage Transfer - Free
- Internet top up using your debit card - £0.70
- SMS/Phone top-up using your debit card - £0.70
- Card load from Primary to Secondary Card - 2.5% (min fees £2.50 apply)
Quite a vast array of options exist and you should choose the most cost-effective ones.
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Customer Service
There are a couple of ways you can get in touch with the CrewCard Customer Services team.
- By Email:info@CrewCard.co.uk
- By Telephone : +44 (0)207 127 0027 - £1.00 per call
- Lost and Stolen Cards: +44 (0)207 127 0009 - Free
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Complaints Procedure
The CrewCard team promise to investigate and resolve all queries with 14 days. You can use the ‘Contact Us’ facility on the CrewCard Website to get in touch and detail your complaint.
You may be able to take unresolved complaints to the Financial Ombudsman Service at South Quay Plaza, 183 Marsh Wall, London E14 9SR. Telephone: 0845 080 1800 or +44 (0)20 7964 1000 (for calls from outside the UK) and e-mail: enquiries@financial-ombudsman.org.uk
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Awards
The CrewCard prepaid card is one of the leading prepaid card products in the market. We are awaiting details of any award wins at this stage.
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Overall Card rating
An excellent product for money share and UK POS purchases.
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