Virgin Money Prepaid Card Review | Prepaid365

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Virgin Money Prepaid Card Review 4.5 Stars

Available in a Pay Monthly & Pay As You Go tariff to suit you; provide access to a whole range of Virgin Discounts including Holidays, Wines, Insurance, Books, Experiences & Virgin Balloon Flights
Virgin Money Prepaid Card

Pay As You Go

£9.95
Issue Fee
  • Monthly Fee £0.00
  • UK POS 2.95%
  • UK ATM 2.95%
  • FX FEE 3.50%
  • INTL POS 2.95%
  • INTL ATM 3.50%
  • LOAD Free at Post Office and via debit card. 2.75% via PayPoint

Pay Monthly

£9.95
Issue Fee
  • Monthly Fee £4.75
  • UK POS £0.00
  • UK ATM £1.50
  • FX FEE 2.95%
  • INTL POS £0.00
  • INTL ATM £1.50
  • LOAD Free at Post Office and via debit card. 2.75% via PayPoint
*Looking to Use Abroad -  If your primary intended usage of the card is outside the UK, you should consider Virgin Money Travel Cards instead.

Note on Card Funding

It’s not possible to load up a Virgin Prepaid MasterCard online using a debit or credit card if your card has been set to a reduced spending limit.

Visit the Virgin Money Prepaid Website to find out more.

The brand new and shiny Virgin Money prepaid MasterCard is finally here. This prepaid card is brought to you by the team at Virgin Money and provides you with a world of Virgin discounts as added value on top of all the standard benefits of a pay as you go or pay monthly prepaid credit card. This means that as a Virgin Money customer you can get access to the following sort of discounts
  • Up to 5% off Virgin Holidays.
  • 10% off at Virgin Trains.
  • £50 Virgin Wines Voucher.
  • 1 month Free at Virgin Active.
  • Up to 13% of BCP Airport Parking.
  • 10% off Holiday Autos and Cottages4U.
  • 10% off Virgin Pet Insurance.
  • Up to 20% off Virgin Experiences.
  • 30% off Virgin Books and
  • 30% of Virgin Balloon Flights with free chocolate and Champagne.
You can use your Virgin prepaid card to spend just like you would use your credit or debit card wherever you see the MasterCard acceptance mark. The main difference is that you need to load it up with cash before you shop, rather than paying for it after. That means no worrying about bills or interest, and no getting carried away and absolutely no getting in debt on your Virgin Prepaid Card.

This useful alternative to credit cards gives you the freedom to shop safely online, by phone or in the high street and is great for helping you manage your spend as you can't overspend and the discounts mean that there is always more in your pocket to start with.
Ease of application, two excellent card designs and aspirational brand value to start with - but where the Virgin Money prepaid MasterCard really scores is with access to a world of Virgin discounts including discounts at Virgin Wines,Virgin Books, Virgin Holidays and Virgin experiences as well. The Virgin Money prepaid card is part of the MasterCard network and hence benefits from the convenience and ease of usage at over 33 million worldwide locations. What's more, there are two tariffs - Pay Monthly and Pay As You go and you can even switch between tariffs for free.
The card is available in GBP only and hence is not the friendliest card for travel abroad and there are a few other cards in the market which have lower transaction fees but the Virgin Money prepaid card has excellent overall value with its exclusive access to Virgin discounts and you do have the option of the new Virgin Money Prepaid Travel cards to consider as well.
Virgin Money Prepaid Card
Reviewed by Prepaid365 on .
Voted best overall prepaid card 2014
Available in a Pay Monthly & Pay As You Go tariff to suit you; provide access to a whole range of Virgin Discounts including Holidays, Wines, Insurance, Books, Experiences & Virgin Balloon Flights.
Rating: 4.5

Application Process  5 Stars

Applying for the Virgin Money prepaid Mastercard is really easy and you can make an application online by visiting the virgin money prepaid card website.

  • Apply online – if you have the right to reside in the UK, you can apply for your Virgin Money prepaid card online. All you need to provide a few personal details and your address and you are good to go. You can choose from the Red or Pink card as well as choose whether you want a pay monthly prepaid card or a pay as you go prepaid card. Your card will arrive within 2 weeks.

Remember, you need to be a UK resident and aged 13 or above to apply for the Virgin Money Prepaid Mastercard. Under 18 years of age must obtain approval from a parent or a guardian.

You can pay for your Virgin Money prepaid card application via text message, using a PayPoint e-voucher, with a credit or debit card. Choices aplenty with the Virgin Money prepaid cards.

Card Features  5 Stars

  • Ease of application: Unlike credit cards, a Virgin Prepaid Card application isn’t dependent on credit checks or earnings, so if you are over 13 and a UK resident – you can apply. Under 18’s need consent from a parent or guardian.
  • Switch between PAYG and Pay monthly Tariff for Free.
  • Access to exclusive Virgin money deals on holidays, books, wine and more from Virgin.

Card Design  4 Stars

The new Virgin money prepaid card is available in two colours. So take your pick from “pretty pink” or “racey red”. At the end of the day, it is a Virgin Money prepaid card that sits in your pocket.

Card Fees  4 Stars

There are two pricing plans to choose from – a Pay As You Go price plan and a Pay Monthlyprice plan giving you the choice of tariff to suit your needs with the Virgin Money Service, benefits and branding as standard.

Virgin Money Pay As You Go Prepaid Card:

  • Card Issue Fee – £9.95.
  • Monthly Fee – Free.
  • Transaction Fee UK – 2.95%.
  • ATM Withdrawal Fee UK – 2.95%.
  • Reload Fee – Free at Post Office and via debit card. 2.75% via PayPoint.

Virgin Money Pay Monthly Prepaid Card:

  • Card Issue Fee – £9.95
  • Monthly Fee – £4.75.
  • Transaction Fee UK – Free.
  • ATM Withdrawal Fee UK – £1.50.
  • Reload Fee – Free at Post Office and via debit card. 2.75% via PayPoint.

For a complete listing of the fee structure, see the “What does it cost?” section on the Virgin Money Prepaid Card Website. Furthermore, you can switch between tariffs for free. So if you end up using the card more than you thought you would or a bit less, just switch.

You can switch between tariff’s once your card is set up, and then once every four months if you wish using your online virgin money prepaid card account.

Account Management  5 Stars

You can service your account on the Virgin Money prepaid card website. You can view your balance, recent transactions and change your personal details as well as reload your Virgin prepaid credit card with additional funds.

Using Abroad  2 Stars

The Virgin Money prepaid card is Mastercard branded. Hence, you can use your Virgin Prepaid Card at millions of places worldwide wherever you see the Mastercard Acceptance mark. The can also be used to withdraw cash at over 1 million ATM’s worldwide.

However, only a GBP card is available which means that there are additional fees payable for usage abroad. There is a 2.95% transaction fee chargeable in addition to currency exchange rate and FX fee of 3.50% that you will pay for both purchase and ATM transactions on the Pay as you go card and 2.95% and £1.50 ATM withdrawal fee on the Pay Monthly Card. So whilst the option exists to use the Virgin Money prepaid Mastercard abroad, it can be an expensive option.

If you are planning a trip abroad, it may be wiser to consider the Virgin Prepaid Travel Money Card– which is available in a choice of currencies (US Dollars or Euros) – or consider other prepaid travel cards.

Note: that you cannot use your Virgin Money prepaid card in Cuba, Burma, North Korea, Iran or Sudan.

Reload Options  5 Stars

Funds can be loaded on to your Virgin Money prepaid Mastercard in a number of ways. The list below shows the available options and the approx. time in which the funds are made available on your card following the load.

  • Using Cash at any PayPoint outlet – 2.75% of load amount (Immediately)
  • Using Cash at any Post Office outlet – Free (1 day)
  • Bank account transfer – Free (4 Days)
  • Wage Transfer – Free (4 Days)
  • Internet Debit Card Top-up – Free (Immediately)**
  • Internet Credit Card Top-up – 2.5% (Immediately)**

Quite a vast array of options exist. Just find the one that works best for you.

**Note that Internet Debit/Credit card load is not available if you have a restricted card and your prepaid card has been set to reduced spending limits.

Customer Services  5 Stars

There are a number of ways you can get in touch with the Virgin Money Prepaid Mastercard Customer Services team.

  • By Phone – 08454 601 606 (8am – 7pm Mon-Fri, 9am – 5pm Sat)
  • By Email: virginprepaid@360money.com
  • Lost and Stolen Cards: +44 (0)845 089 6278
  • By Post – Virgin Prepaid Card, PO Box 3883, Swindon, SN3 9EA

*Calls may be monitored or recorded. Maximum call charge from a BT landline is 4p per minute. Calls from other networks may vary whilst email is free.

Complaints Procedure  5 Stars

If you have a complaint regarding your Virgin Money Prepaid Mastercard, please contact the Virgin Money team on 08454 601 606 (8am – 7pm Mon-Fri, 9am – 5pm Sat) or write to them  at Virgin Prepaid Card, PO Box 3883, Swindon, SN3 9EA.

Any complaints you have will be dealt with quickly and fairly. 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.

Awards  5 Stars

The Virgin Money Prepaid Mastercard is a new launch but Virgin Money prepaid cards have previously won the following awards

  • Best Overall Prepaid Card – Winner – Prepaid365 Awards 2012
  • Best Privacy Prepaid Card – Winner – Prepaid365 Awards 2013, 2012
  • Best Online Shopping Prepaid Card – Winner – Prepaid365 Awards 2013, 2012
  • Best Rewards Prepaid Card – Winner – Prepaid365 Awards 2012, 2011

Overall Rating  4.5 Stars

Aspirational and beautiful pay monthly and pay as you go prepaid card.

Get the aspirational and rewarding Virgin Prepaid Card
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