"Virtual" and/or "prepaid" credit Cards

[romwarrior]

Does Wells Fargo offer something like this? My only Visas/MC's are through them.

[cbsmokin]

There needs to be some clarity here about all of this.

A prepaid credit card is really just a debit card for people with bad credit. You send a bank money and they give you a percentage revolving line of credit based on the amount you have deposited.

A visa gift card you buy locally or on-line in denominations of your choosing. Some can be refilled, some can not. Many expire or charge a monthly fee if you don't use them. A transaction over your balance will be declined.

A virtual credit card is a secondary number issued for a traditional credit card (one time, one vendor, or specified time period) that prevents thieves from using your actual credit card information in the future.

Different banks have different fee schedules and some are not valid for transactions in foreign currency.

I would like to use visa gift cards but I am concerned about transaction fees or conversion fees if used for an international transaction. Can some one please tell me what their experience has been with this?

[zmancbr]

Like was posted above the Citi Virtual CC feature Rocks! I can set a limit, say exactly what I know an order might be and then it clears instantly... you can close the card out after that, or let it expire in 2 months.

I know that Chase offers Visa gift cards for customers, and the limit is up to $500 I believe. Not sure how well they will work to purchase items online, but I might look into it here soon for the holiday season and for my own paranoid self lol...if I remember right, they are free to Chase customers...

[awsmith4]

Originally Posted by cbsmokin

There needs to be some clarity here about all of this.

A prepaid credit card is really just a debit card for people with bad credit. You send a bank money and they give you a percentage revolving line of credit based on the amount you have deposited.

A visa gift card you buy locally or on-line in denominations of your choosing. Some can be refilled, some can not. Many expire or charge a monthly fee if you don't use them. A transaction over your balance will be declined.

A virtual credit card is a secondary number issued for a traditional credit card (one time, one vendor, or specified time period) that prevents thieves from using your actual credit card information in the future.

Different banks have different fee schedules and some are not valid for transactions in foreign currency.

I would like to use visa gift cards but I am concerned about transaction fees or conversion fees if used for an international transaction. Can some one please tell me what their experience has been with this?

Actually Craig a prepaid is similar to a gift card but can be refilled, the description you have listed is a Secured Credit Card meaning the debt is secured by the initial deposit. I have yet to get any international fees when ordering with my prepaid card