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About the International Prepaid MasterCard/Visa Card
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What is the International Prepaid
MasterCard / Visa Card?
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The International Prepaid MasterCard/Visa Card is a payment card that can be used to access cash or to purchase products anywhere MasterCard/Visa is accepted. Money is deposited into your card account, and then you can access your money by ATM cash withdrawal or by using your card just like a visa card at any merchant that accepts the
MasterCard / Visa brand.
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Do I have to qualify for an International Prepaid
MasterCard / Visa Card?
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No, you can't be denied and there is no qualification process
for a card. The card is a stored value card, meaning you or
anyone paying you can deposit money into your card account,
and then you can access the money in your account. There is
no credit involved, and you can't spend more than you have
in your account.
Credit is not a determining factor when
issuing the International Prepaid MasterCard / Visa Card.
All applicants are accepted, regardless of their credit
history. There is no credit check performed with any credit
referencing company and so the card is available to all.
This opens up an opportunity for those who are normally
declined mainstream credit card facilities due to adverse
credit, low credit score or lack of a credit history.
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Can I use my International Prepaid
MasterCard / Visa Card to
withdraw cash from an ATM?
/ Visa Card to
withdraw cash from an ATM?
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Of course. Your card can be used at any ATM operated by the
bank that issued your card or by any ATM that displays any
of the network logos on the back of your card. You'll need
to enter your PIN number when prompted - your PIN either was
delivered to you with your card or was mailed to you.
Remember that if you use an ATM outside of the network
operated by the issuing bank, you will be subject to
additional ATM fees.
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Can the International Prepaid
MasterCard / Visa Card be used to make online purchases?
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You can always use your card to make purchases at your favorite stores on the web. Just enter your card information and
billing address at the checkout. The billing address you provide a merchant must match exactly the address associated with your card.
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Are there any costs associated with using the International Prepaid
MasterCard
/ Visa Card?
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There are fees associated with card usage or card funding. Please
see terms and conditions for more information.
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How long does it normally take to obtain the International Prepaid
MasterCard
/ Visa Card?
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It takes approximately 3/4 weeks for your card to be sent to you after we have received cleared funds. Your
International Prepaid MasterCard/Visa Card will be shipped to you via registered post.
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Will the International Prepaid
MasterCard / Visa Card rebuild my credit?
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The International Prepaid
MasterCard/Visa Card facility is not linked to the credit
reference agencies in any country and so it will not improve
your credit rating.
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What is the role of Bocal (UK) Ltd?
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Bocal (UK) Ltd is an independent sales organisation
providing a number of innovative
services for both UK, Africa and international clientele.
Bocal (UK) Ltd are responsible for the African distribution of the Prepaid
MasterCard/Visa Card and as such are responsible for brokers and affiliates who would
also like to be part of the program in offering the Prepaid MasterCard/Visa Card to their clientele.
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Does this offer apply to applicants from any country?
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Even though the Prepaid MasterCard/Visa Card is an internationally distributed card the banks on this program
are highly astute in ensuring they are compliant with MasterCard International and Visa International 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.
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What advantage does the International Prepaid MasterCard/Visa Card have over other prepaid card offers?
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All other organisations that offer International Prepaid MasterCard/Visa Card programs only offer the maestro, cirrus
and visa electron brands. These fall short of being the total global payment solutions for the global customer since
you cannot use maestro, cirrus or visa electron to make purchases at particular merchants. The MasterCard/Visa cards
offered by Bocal (UK) are global brands. With a MasterCard/Visa Card you will never be rejected for making an electronic
payment.
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Is
the International Prepaid MasterCard/Visa Card part of
an affiliate program?
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The
International Prepaid MasterCard/Visa Card is not
offered as part of any affiliate program although we are
working on developing an affiliate marketing program to open
up a business opportunity to millions of consumers
worldwide.
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I
have previously applied for prepaid credit cards but have
been disappointed?
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Bocal (UK) are 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 MasterCard when in reality it is a
Maestro card
- Card is being offered as a prepaid
VISA card when in reality it is a VISA Electron 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
international clients when in reality the card is not
available to international clients
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Using the International Prepaid
MasterCard / Visa Card
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I just received my International Prepaid MasterCard/Visa Card in the mail. What do I do now?
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The first step is to sign the card issuer’s 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.
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How will I know my International Prepaid MasterCard/Visa Card balance?
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There are several ways to keep on top of your account balance. The
easiest way is to document your deposits and withdrawals to calculate your balance. If you have Internet access you can
visit the customer service website and use your card number and pin number to log into the site. Once you're on the site
and you type in your card details you can then see your real-time account balance and view all transactions you've
made.
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Can I add my own money to my International Prepaid MasterCard/Visa Card account?
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You can add your own personal money to your active Card account via international money transfer.
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What happens if I use up all of the money in my International Prepaid
MasterCard
/ Visa Card account?
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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.
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Will I get a monthly statement in the mail?
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There are no paper statements sent to cardholders. Instead you can
log on to the customer service website anytime using your card number and pin number to view your monthly statement or
your entire transaction history.
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Can my International Prepaid
MasterCard
/ Visa Card ever carry a
negative balance?
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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 debited. 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.
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Is there a monthly fee?
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All cardholders are charged a monthly maintenance fee of
$4.95 for the Prepaid Card. 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.
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Will my employer, family or friends be able to know what I buy or where I spend?
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No. All transactions using the Card will be available only to the holder of the Card.
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Why do I sometimes have problems spending my International Prepaid
MasterCard
/ Visa Card at restaurants when I have
enough money left on my International Prepaid MasterCard /
Visa Card to cover the food bill?
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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 International Prepaid MasterCard/Visa Card
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 International Prepaid
MasterCard/Visa Card 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 International Prepaid MasterCard/Visa Card balance
available, in those instances when your food bill is about 75% to 90% of your International Prepaid MasterCard/Visa
Card balance.
On occasions when your food bill is 50% or less of your International Prepaid MasterCard/Visa Card
balance, you will mostly likely not have a problem getting your restaurant check and tip amount authorized. To use up
the balance of your International Prepaid MasterCard/Visa Card and avoid the “up charge” authorization problems at
restaurants, simply use your International Prepaid MasterCard/Visa Card for purchases at retail stores.
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Why do I some times have problems using my International Prepaid
MasterCard
/ Visa Card at “pay at the pump” at gasoline
stations?
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The card terminal in the “pay at the pump” stations automatically checks with the card issuer to see if your
International Prepaid MasterCard/Visa Card has enough money left to pay for an “average purchase of gas”. If your
International Prepaid MasterCard/Visa Card 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 International Prepaid MasterCard/Visa
Card. To use up the remaining balance on your International Prepaid MasterCard/Visa Card 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.
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Using the International Prepaid
MasterCard / Visa Card customer service website
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How do I log into the International Prepaid MasterCard/Visa Card website?
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You'll need your card number and pin number in order to log into the website.
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How can I change my account information?
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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.
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When I view my transaction history, what does "pending" mean next to some of my purchases?
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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.
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Why is the amount shown as 'pending' different than the amount I actually spent at that merchant?
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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.
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Why is there an unfamiliar merchant name listed on my statement? I don't remember shopping there.
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There are several reasons why this might happen. Some stores are part of a larger corporation that may have a different
name than the store name. And other merchants choose to do their credit card processing under a different company
name.
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