Compare Fees on Pay As You Go Cards

Pay As You Go Prepaid Cards

Last Updated: 19th June 2010

The following table compares all of the UK’s top Pay As You Go prepaid cards. It's ordered by product type - full MasterCard or Visa CHIP first, Maestro/Electron Mag only last, and then by aprox usage cost. This estimated cost may be higher or lower based on your intended use and selected prepaid product type. It is just a guide to enable a more informed selection.

All Prepaid Cards | Cards for under 18's | Prepaid Gold Cards | Prepaid Travel Cards | Pay As You Go Prepaid Cards

Prepaid Card Issuer	Card Type	Card Issue Fee (inc. Postage)	Reload Fees	Monthly Fees	Max Balance Allowed in Account	Other Fees	Key Benefits	Approximate monthly fees, based on one £250 reload per month and 3 purchase's each week
The BREAD Card	Chip and Pin	£7.50	Post Office = Free PayPoint = 3% (max reload £500) Standing Order/Payroll BACS = Free (max reload £3,500) Debit card or SMS needed to apply	Free	£3,500	UK Purchase per use fee = 2% UK ATM Fee = £1.50 Foreign Transaction Fee = 2.75%	-Very low reload fees -Low cost ATM Withdrawal fees -Accepted at over 28 Million Locations	Free (if loaded by BACS)
ClearCash Pay As You Go Prepaid Mastercard	Chip and Pin	£4.50 (£5 via SMS)	Post Office = Free BACS Payment = Free PayPoint = 3.00%	Free	£5,000	ATM Fee = 75p (UK) Per use fee = 2.5% ATM Fee = 1.50p +2.75% (non UK) Foreign Transaction Fee = 2.75%	-Full online bill payment facility -Purchase Protection, Price Protection and Extended Warranty package -Access to superb Budgeting Tools -Standing orders and bank transfers available	£6.25 (Based on a spend of £250 per month)
The Tuxedo MasterCard Pay as you go	Chip and Pin	£9.95	- Cash reloads at bank branch = Free using Paying-in Book - Cash loads at PayPoint = Free until 1 May 2008 - Top-up via Credit/Debit card = 1.95% (min 50p) - Bank transfer = Free - BACS / Wages online = Free	Free	£3,000	UK ATM Fee = 1.5% (99pmin/£1.50max) Foreign Exchange rate Fee = 0% Per Use Fee (Uk/Intnl purchases) = 2.95% of transaction value (min 50p max £1.50)	-Accepted at 26 Million Locations -No Monthly Fees -Pay as you go	£7.37 (2.95% purchase per use fee)
payzone worldwide money MasterCard		£5.00	£0 - £100 =£3.95 £101 - £350 =£6.95 (max single reload = £350)	Free	Upto £10,000	Per use fee = Free ATM Fee = £1.50 (uk) Foreign Transaction Fee = 3%	-Free to use in shops and online -No Monthly Account Fee -All Tops-ups are loaded onto the MasterCard instantly -Load up to £10,000 or £1,700 per year without sending ID	£6.95
CashPlus MasterCard Gold Pay-As-You-Go	Chip and Pin	£9.95	Free	Free	£5,000	UK ATM Fee = 99p Foreign Transaction Fee = 2.75% Per Use Fee (purchases) = £1.00	-Accepted at 26 Million Locations -Purchase Protection Included -Low cost for occasional users	£12 (£1 per transaction)
On-x Prepaid Maestro Card	Chip and Pin	£8.98	Online Reloads = 50p Post Office Reloads = 50p	Free	£3,000	Per Use Fee (uk purchases) = 50p ATM Fee = £2.00 (uk) Foreign Transaction Fee/ATM = 2.75%	-Low cost for low users -Top-up at the Post Office -Pay as you go Prepaid card	£6.50
The Aspinall Maestro Card	Chip and Pin	£11.98	Online Reloads = 50p Post Office Reloads = 50p	Free	£3,000	Per Use Fee (uk purchases) = 50p ATM Fee = £2.00 (uk) Foreign Transaction Fee/ATM = 2.75%	-Low cost for low users -Top-up at the Post Office -Pay as you go Prepaid card	£6.50
Splash Plastic	Chip and Pin	£5	Bank Transfers/Wage Payments = Free Post Office/Paypoint = £0.30 per £100 loaded Credit/Debit Card = 2.5% - min. £1.50	Free	£3500	Per Use Fee (purchases) = £2.5% Annual Fee = £4.95 (payable on first reload) UK ATM Fee = £1.50 (+ 2% for withdrawals above £50) Foreign Transaction Fee = Additional 1.00% Gambling or betting transactions = Additional 1.00%	-Pay By Text Message -Great for under 18's, and available to persons aged 10 and over. -Accepted at 7 Million Locations -Choice of plastic design	£6.25 (if reloaded by bank trfr/wages)
Quidity Mirror Card Prepaid Maestro		£5.00	Post Office = Free PayPoint = 3% Credit/Debit Card = 1.95% - min. £1.00	Free	£3500	Per Use Fee (purchases) = £2.95% UK ATM Fee = £1.50 +2% if over £50 Foreign Transaction Fee = 0.55% Annual Fee = £4.95	-Available to 10's and over -Pay for your card by SMS Text -Accepted at 9 Million Locations -Top-up at paypoint and post office	£7.37 (based on 2.95% fees on all UK transactions)
Post Office Travel Card (£)		£10.00	1.5% of re-load -min £3 max £20 (fee does not apply to €/$ card)	Free	£5000	UK ATM Fee = £1.50 Foreign Transaction Fee = 2.75%	-Low cost Travel Card for occasional user -Also available in EUR and $ (no 2.75% foreign mark-up fee applies if used in country matching same currency as card.)	£3.75