Virgin Prepaid Card - Our award-winning prepaid card

It’s not a credit card, charge card or debit card, although you use it in exactly the same way to shop online, over the phone and in stores.

It’s a Virgin Prepaid Card, which means you load money onto the card before you shop. When your funds are running low, you simply top up again.

You don’t have to have a bank account to own a Virgin Prepaid Card, and there are no credit checks.

The card costs just £9.95 to buy and offers two tariffs. Depending on how much you use it – choose from 'Pay as you go' or 'Pay monthly'.

A Virgin Prepaid Card is ideal for shopping online, by phone or mail order if you don't have, can't get, or don't want a credit card. It could also be a great alternative to old-fashioned pocket-money.

You don't need a bank account to get one, and it's great for keeping a lid on temptation, as you can never spend more than you've got. It also has PIN protection and fraud protection like a credit card*, and is accepted wherever you see the Visa sign.

* Although it looks like a credit card, the Virgin Prepaid Card doesn't offer some of the additional card protection on purchases that credit cards offer.

Unlike credit cards, a Virgin Prepaid Card application isn't dependent on credit checks or earnings, so if you are over 18 and a UK resident you can apply.

When you apply for your Virgin Prepaid Card we verify your identity against the information you've given us, so we know it's you. In most cases, this will go through automatically and we'll get a card to you within 7-10 days.

If we’re unable to do this automatically we’ll ask you to send us documents to confirm your identity. Depending on the information you provide, we may issue you with a restricted or an unrestricted card. A restricted card lets you shop everywhere but has a total spending limit of £1,600 a year (up to £600 of this can be withdrawn from cash machines). If we can’t verify your identity, we may be unable to send you a card.

The Virgin Prepaid Card costs just £9.95 to buy, and offers two tariffs.

'Pay as you go' is suitable if you only use the card occasionally. Or if you think you will be using it a fair bit, then 'Pay monthly' might be best. See examples.

You can apply online for the Virgin Prepaid Card. Applying online is secure and easy.

You can pay for the card using either a debit or credit card. Or you can text PREPAID to 83838 and we'll send you a voucher code to use during your application*.

If you want to pay in cash you'll need to head to the nearest shop with a PayPoint facility first to buy an Ease e-money voucher. Just look for this logo:

You should get your card within 7-10 days of applying.

Occasionally we require further information before we can send out a card. If this is the case, we will be in touch.

*It costs £9.95 to purchase the Virgin Prepaid Card. £10 will be charged to/debited from your mobile phone and the remaining 5p will be added to your card balance.

You should receive your card within 7-10 days of applying. Occasionally we require further information from you - if this is the case, we'll be in touch.

We’ll tell you your PIN when you call to activate your card.

To activate your card, please call us on 0845 089 6278. When you call to activate you'll be asked to key in the 6 digit Phone Access Code you selected when you applied so make sure you have this to hand. If you want to change your PIN to something more memorable you can, free of charge, at most UK cash machines.

Don’t forget to sign the back of your card as soon as it arrives.

When you apply for your Virgin Prepaid Card you'll be asked to key in a 6 digit number called a 'Phone Access Code'. It's important that you remember this number as you'll need it when you call to activate your card, as well as for any future calls to service your card. If you forget your code you'll need to call 0845 089 6278 and it will be re-set by an operator.

You will notice your new card has ‘for electronic use only’ written on the top right hand corner. This doesn't affect using it online, over the phone or at a cash machine. It simply means that when you are out shopping it can only be used in the normal electronic terminals you find in the UK and elsewhere.

The card can’t be used in the older manual sliding style of card machines, as it doesn’t feature raised numbers. And you may find you can't use it in a plane or a train as there may not be an electronic connection available.

Load your card	Approximate business days it takes for funds to reach your card	Cost
At any Post Office®	1	FREE
By debit card at myvirginmoney.com*	Immediate	FREE
By direct transfer from your bank account	1	FREE
By credit card at myvirginmoney.com*	Immediate	2.5%
At any shop or garage where you see the PayPoint logo	Immediate	2.75%

To top up by direct transfer from a bank account, just visit the online service at My Virgin Money where you'll be able to find all the details you need.

*Debit or credit cards used to load money onto your Virgin Prepaid Card using our online service need to be registered with your bank for 'MasterCard Secure Code' or 'Verified by Visa'. We do not accept payments from Solo debit cards.

If we receive the funds on a business day, we will update your balance as soon as the funds are received on the same business day, or within two hours. If we receive the funds on a day that is not a business day, we will update your balance at the start of the next business day.

An e-voucher is used when you want to pay for your Virgin Prepaid Card with cash. Hand your money over to any PayPoint retailer and ask for an Ease e-money voucher.

This voucher contains a code which you type into the application form to pay for your new Virgin Prepaid Card. Once you have your card you can also buy an e-voucher to top up - just log in to online service at My Virgin Money and type in your code.

To make things even easier, just print off this barcode and hand it over to the PayPoint retailer with your cash to get your e-voucher.

You can load money onto your card wherever you see the PayPoint logo.

You'll see it in in certain shops and garages near you. There are over 16,000 places around the UK with PayPoint. Just look for this logo:

Or to make things easier, find your nearest PayPoint agent before you go out.

If you've got your card, hand it over along with the money you want to put on it. The shop assistant will put your details into the PayPoint machine and the funds are immediately loaded onto your card.

If you've bought a PayPoint voucher for your Virgin Prepaid MasterCard, you'll need to use this by 7 December 2010.

If you bought a PayPoint voucher, SMS voucher or starter pack before 8 December 2010 please call us on 08454 601 606.

The time that it takes for your card balance to be updated when you load your card depends on the payment method that you use and the time that it takes for the funds to be sent to us.

If we receive the funds on a business day, we will update your balance as soon as the funds are received on the same business day, or within two hours. If we receive the funds on a day that is not a business day, we will update your balance at the start of the next business day.

You can check the transfer time with your bank or credit card provider if paying from a bank account or credit card. Otherwise, you can check with the provider of the loading service.

Your employer can pay your wages directly onto your Virgin Prepaid Card. Then you can spend it like cash. Simple.

Our 'Pay monthly' tariff is designed for customers who use their card a fair bit. You can choose this option when you apply, or if you already have a card you can switch to ‘Pay monthly’ at any time.

You can have up to £3,500 on your card at any time*.

To get your weekly or monthly wage put onto your card, just visit online service at My Virgin Money, where you'll be able to print off a form to complete and give to your employer. Your employer should be able to transfer your wages directly to your card - for free.

Your funds should be available on your Virgin Prepaid Card account from approximately the start of the business day on which your employer normally pays you. You can check they've gone onto your card by looking at your balance online.

*If you’ve got a card with a reduced spending limit, the amount you can have on your card at any one time is lower (£1,600 a year). So it’s likely you’ll want to increase your spending limit.

To do this, you’ll need to send us certain documents which confirm your identity. Please see 'Upgrading your card' for more information.

There's a £4.95 administration fee for this identity check which would be taken from your card.

Spend on it just like you would a credit card and use it wherever you see the Visa logo. Use it to shop safely online, by phone and on the high street.

You won't be able to use your card in the following countries:

• Cuba
• Burma
• Iran
• Sudan
• North Korea

Yes, it's not generally a good idea to use the card at hotel and car rental check-ins. They can't always predict what your final bill will be, so when you check-in they may request pre-authorisation for a higher amount than you expected, which may leave you with less remaining balance to spend on your card than you thought. So it's often a better idea to use a credit or debit card for check-in. You are still able to pay the final bill with your prepaid card if you have sufficient funds.

Also you can't use the card at self-service petrol pumps, but it's fine to pay at the cashier inside the petrol station.

Yes. The cost of a cash withdrawal on the 'Pay as you Go' tariff is 2.95% in the UK and 3.5% overseas. On the 'Pay monthly' tariff it is £1.50 per withdrawal, either in the UK or overseas.*

*Please note, ATM operators may make supplementary charges.

As a Virgin Money customer you'll have exclusive access to lots of great deals.

See all the great discounts available to you.*

*Please note, each discount has its own terms and conditions, and your 2.95% card transaction fee ('Pay as you go' only) is applied after any discount. So the fee is based on the discounted amount, which means you pay less.

To set up online service, just visit My Virgin Money. From the drop-down list, choose the option that has the first 4 digits of your card number, then click on the 'Register' link that appears underneath.

It's really easy to set up and only takes a few minutes - just answer a few security questions and you're away. Then you can check your balance, see statements, load funds and update your details.

To help the planet, we don't send out monthly printed statements but if you would like a statement posted to you, just give us a call us on
0845 089 6278.

Please note, there’s a fee of £3.50 for each statement you request, charged to your Virgin Prepaid Card.

Don’t forget though, you can check your statements and print them off for free anytime online, when you register for online service at My Virgin Money.

The first payment will be debited from your card when you make your first top-up. Your monthly payments will then be taken on that date each month until your card expires. (Though if you top up after the 28th of the month, your payment date will be the first of the month.)

If there isn’t enough money on your card to pay the monthly fee, you won’t be able to use your card until you top up again. When you next top-up, the full £4.75 will be debited and you will then be billed each month on this date instead.

Yes - up to 5 in fact. Maybe you want each member of your family to have a card for emergencies.

It costs £4.95 for each additional card and you can have a maximum of £3,500 across all cards*.

You can order additional cards through online service once you have received your main card and created your online service account at My Virgin Money. Please note, additional cardholders must be over 13 years old, reside and be registered at the same address as the main cardholder.

* If you have a restricted card, the maximum balance will be £1,600. If you would like to upgrade to an unrestricted card with a maximum balance of £3,500 please see 'Upgrading your card' Q&A below for more information.

To upgrade from a restricted card we’ll need to check your identity, you'll need to send us 2 documents from the table below.

• Any documents must show the same personal details you gave us when applying for your card i.e. name, address and date of birth.
• If you send a passport or driving licence this must be within the expiry date.
• Please make sure your passport or driving licence photocopies are readable.
• If you supply a utility bill, bank, mortgage or credit card statement, these must be dated within the last 3 months. We can only accept one utility bill.

There's a £4.95 administration fee for the identity check which will be taken from your card.

Please note, you can't use the same document twice. For example a UK driving licence can only be used once. We are also unable to accept more than one document from each provider.

Please send the documents along with a note quoting your account number to:

Virgin Money
PO Box 6139
Milton Keynes
MK7 8LE

You should receive notification within 7 working days of us receiving your documentation. We’ll write to let you know when your card has been upgraded.

If you have any further questions, please email: info@prepaidcard.virginmoney.com

Yes, you can switch 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 from 'Pay as you go' to the 'Pay monthly' tariff and vice versa once your card is set up, and then once every four months if you wish*.

Switching tariff is quick and easy. Just visit My Virgin Money and register/log in to the Virgin Prepaid Card online service. Choose the 'Switch tariff' option then follow the on-screen instructions.

* Please note, if you switch from a ‘Pay monthly’ tariff to a ‘Pay as you go’ tariff any unused monthly fee will not be refunded.

You can use your Virgin Prepaid Card at millions of places worldwide wherever you see the Visa logo.

The charges for overseas transactions and cash withdrawals are:

If you are planning a trip abroad, the Virgin Prepaid Travel Money Card - in a choice of currencies (US Dollars or Euros) - might be the right card for you. See how both cards compare.

If you have a family member travelling abroad and you want to share money with them, as long as the family member normally resides and is registered at the same address as the main chardholder, all you need is for them to have an additional card on your account.

This will cost you £4.95. When their card arrives, your relative should phone to activate the card and get their PIN.

Then you’re all set – to share money you simply load it onto your card in this country and the additional cardholder will have access to those funds wherever in the world they may be. Alternatively, if you want to send money to a relative travelling in a country which has the Euro or US Dollar as it's main currency, the Virgin Prepaid Travel Money Card may be the right card for you. See how both cards compare.

If your card gets lost or stolen, call us anytime on 0845 089 6278 and we’ll block it so it can’t be used. Then we’ll transfer the funds onto a replacement card and get that sent out to you within 7 days. A charge of £4.95 will then be debited from your balance for the replacement card.

If you wish to cancel your card, please call us on 0845 089 6278.

If you cancel your card within 14 days of applying, there is no cancellation fee. We will refund your application fee and return any balance to you by bank transfer.

If you cancel your card and redeem any remaining funds after 14 days of applying but within the first 12 months of the card being issued to you, a fee of £5 will apply. Again, any balance will be returned to you by bank transfer.

We'll send you a replacement card free of charge if you've used your card in the 8 weeks before it expires* unless you tell us otherwise - if you decide you don't want a replacement please call us on 0845 089 6278.

If you don’t receive a replacement card at expiry, you have 12 months following the expiry date to order another (there will be a £4.95 fee for this). You can redeem any outstanding balance on the card for up to 6 years following the expiry date. If a balance remains on your account for more than 6 years following your card expiry, it will not be refunded.

* If you have any additional cardholders on your account, their cards will expire at the same time as yours and no replacement cards will be issued.