# Pre paid Mastercard



## divadsnilloc

Ryanair are discontinuing the use of Visa Electron from the end of Dec this year. This was the one way you had of avoiding their scandalous credit card booking fees. They now state that you can use a Prepaid Mastercard and not be charged. Does anybody know where you can get one of these? From what I can see, you can only get them in Ireland at www.payzonemoney.ie and whilst it may look free to use it on Ryanair, there are fees involved with payzone when you use the card.


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## mystry4all

i have neteller no fees when u use it in the same currency as your card...because you choose from mayny currencies when you register


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## gunnerfitzy

Ok, I took a quick look at Neteller. Here is how I see it....

Open neteller extender account - free
transfer funds using international bank transfer - free (unless charge by your bank)
get prepaid mastercard - free
pos/internet use (e.g. ryanair) - free (once in own currency)

Is there something i'm missing?


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## bond-007

I believe there is a complex ID verification with them to obtain the card.


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## mystry4all

You have send them for after registration of you your current account statement(thats for addres verfication) and id (like passport or id card) you to scan it and email to them...(can make a picture of it and attach it to your email (i did like that). 

They will send card by post if you request card and also pinnumber for ATM use. ATM use will charge you. 

No u arent missing anything....


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## gunnerfitzy

sounds good folks. thank you!


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## mystry4all

Its very easy to set up and after that u can use it as a ''real'' credit card


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## Barney Magoo

Do you need to pay the Irish Government Card levy (€30) for these cards?


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## bond-007

No.


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## DrMoriarty

Used carefully, this looks like a nice little moneysaver for people who frequently use Ryanair and/or shop online a lot. Am still wading through the small print, but it looks like an attractive alternative to Payzone/Ryanair _et al_.


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## demoivre

gunnerfitzy said:


> Ok, I took a quick look at Neteller. Here is how I see it....
> 
> Open neteller extender account - free
> transfer funds using international bank transfer - free (unless charge by your bank)
> get prepaid mastercard - free
> pos/internet use (e.g. ryanair) - free (once in own currency)
> 
> Is there something i'm missing?



What I think you are missing is that the Administration fee of €10 per round trip per passenger as indicated on the  schedule will not be applied to prepaid debit Mastercards *for a limited period only.* It's a while since I booked flights with Ryanair but the last time I did, prior to yesterday, there was a €10 per passenger per round trip fee for using a credit card to pay for the booking. This fee has now been replaced by an Administration charge of the same amount, and , as indicated above, it's only a matter of time before all payment methods attract the same Administration charge.


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## cloughy

demoivre - if Ryanair do this then they cant advertise their 0.01 sales, as they can only advertise the lowest available fare excluding avoidable fees and charges, thats why they have a method (no matter how convoluted) way of eliminating the CC Charge, if they have no free method of booking fares then they have to advertise the fare plus the unavoidable (Admin/CC charge) as the lowest price of the flight.


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## demoivre

cloughy said:


> demoivre - if Ryanair do this then they cant advertise their 0.01 sales, as they can only advertise the lowest available fare excluding avoidable fees and charges, thats why they have a method (no matter how convoluted) way of eliminating the CC Charge, if they have no free method of booking fares then they have to advertise the fare plus the unavoidable (Admin/CC charge) as the lowest price of the flight.



Fair enough. When I was paying for flights yesterday there was a choice of selecting from several cards including the prepaid debit Mastercard. Maybe some of the other cards won't attract the Administration charge that they are eventually going to apply to this Mastercard and so will allow Ryanair to overcome the problem that you mention - I don't know tbh.


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## nbaki82

The best one is Neteller's Net+ pay as you go MasterCard. It is free to get and free to spend. You can get it in any currency.  Have a look here. [broken link removed]


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## gunnerfitzy

nbaki82 said:


> The best one is Neteller's Net+ pay as you go MasterCard. It is free to get and free to spend. You can get it in any currency.  Have a look here. [broken link removed]



Work for them do we?


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## DrMoriarty

nbaki82, please confirm whether you have a connection to Neteller.


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## bowringi

As a frequent Ryanair traveller, I thought I should get a prepaid Mastercard. Payzone (through Bank Invik in Luxembourg) supply such a card in Ireland. Beware though, as the small print ahows that you are trading one set of dodgy charges for another! With my card comes the following charges:
- €6 to obtain card.
- €3.50 (up to €350 load) / €5.95 (up to €500 load) every time you load money on the card
- 2.95% of purchase value charge, for every purchase
- €3.50 / month account fee if account is inactive for 3 months.

So best case scenario is a cost of 3.95% for every transaction (1% at card load, plus 2.95% card use). Hence the card may be of value when you get the €5 flights, but definitely not when you get the €250 flights.

I have just received the card, but haven't used it yet. 

(http://www.payzonemoney.com for the card website)


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## mystry4all

Hey...
Neteller doesnt have such charges....


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## bond-007

bowringi said:


> As a frequent Ryanair traveller, I thought I should get a prepaid Mastercard. Payzone (through Bank Invik in Luxembourg) supply such a card in Ireland. Beware though, as the small print ahows that you are trading one set of dodgy charges for another! With my card comes the following charges:
> - €6 to obtain card.
> - €3.50 (up to €350 load) / €5.95 (up to €500 load) every time you load money on the card
> - 2.95% of purchase value charge, for every purchase
> - €3.50 / month account fee if account is inactive for 3 months.
> 
> So best case scenario is a cost of 3.95% for every transaction (1% at card load, plus 2.95% card use). Hence the card may be of value when you get the €5 flights, but definitely not when you get the €250 flights.
> 
> I have just received the card, but haven't used it yet.
> 
> (http://www.payzonemoney.com for the card website)



I got one of those cards a few months ago and I went to add money to it for the first time this week. It would not work as I had left the card idle with no funds on it for 3 months so they killed the card.


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## nbaki82

DrMoriarty said:


> nbaki82, please confirm whether you have a connection to Neteller.



DrMoriarty, I confirm that I am Neteller's customer.  You can do your own research and find for yourself. I am just informing.

BTW, this is a good summary.

[broken link removed]


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## DrMoriarty

Thank you, nbaki82. You'll grant that I'm not the first to have pondered the source of your enthusiasm for the product?

Unlike moneysavingexpert.com, we don't have a referrer's board on this forum. So please don't post or pm any AAM members offering to refer them to this or any other product.

I've signed up to Neteller myself and my 'customer experience' so far has been very positive, but I have come across one or two details I'm less happy with, buried deep in the T&Cs — or _not_, in one instance — e.g. the 1.75% fee to load money to your Neteller account from debit/credit cards is not detailed in their Prepaid Mastercard fees table. They probably justify this by saying the charge is applied to the Neteller account rather than the card. In fairness, it's impossible to proceed without seeing (and accepting) the charge.


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## gunnerfitzy

Thanks for the clarification nbaki82.

I was taking a look at your link from your last post.  The Bishopstown Credit Union apparently do a Mastercard Debit Card. Is this the same as a prepaid Mastercard I wonder? The principle is the pretty much the same but I wonder is it the same type of card on the Ryanair payment system?

If anyone has one of these cards and have made a booking on Ryanair since 01 December without additional fees perhaps they would let us know?


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## Gervan

I still feel very wary about opening a neteller account. This site didn't make me feel any more confident.
http://www.ripoffreport.com/Search/Company/NeTeller.aspx

I have an entropay card, and read the charges for opening a prepaid Maestro, but only found there was a £4.95 charge once I began the procedure. It's not stated under the "fees" information.

So I'm still considering the options.


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## bond-007

That is a one off charge for the plastic card.


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## Kev

There was a programm on bbc money box about this and it seems that there is a fee changes for these cards

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/moneybox/8394993.stm


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## mystry4all

some ...companies does apply for these and others doesnt...because its prepay.....pay as u go


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## Kev

what are the names opf companies that do not charge please, this information would be helpful for people that are thinking of taking out one.


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## korpy

entropay is offering now a prepaid mastercard


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## bond-007

Yes. There is a €7.50 charge to receive it. Standard Entopay fees apply thereafter.


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## DrMoriarty

*Re: Get a Visa Electron card now - they are being phased out*

Spliced from the (now closed) thread about Get a Visa Electron card now - they are being phased out, the following comments relate to the fees for the Neteller product:
______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Free [to load your account] if you do it from your bank account (2-5 business days, but in practice I found it faster - funds were there next day) 
1.75% if you use a credit card or Maestro card (instant)
[broken link removed]

The card is free to get, and free to use for POS transactions in the same currency as your account.
But they charge €4 per ATM withdrawal and a 2.95% FX commission.
[broken link removed]

The Neteller account also has what they call an [broken link removed] — about the only 'gotcha', as far as I can see:


> If you do not use your NETELLER account for 14 months you will be charged an Inactive Administrative Fee up to $30 USD. This fee will be charged annually until you use your account *or the account balance reaches zero*. Account use is defined as any deposit, transfer to or from a merchant, withdrawal or Net+ Card purchase.​


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## neilm

For ryanair bookings, am I better to have a neteller account in sterling or euro?


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## DrMoriarty

It depends. If you book a lot of flights originating within the UK (and therefore billed in GBP), then a sterling account might make sense — except that you'd then be hit for FX charges when loading the Neteller account from a euro-denominated bank a/c. And of course most other merchants will want you to pay in euro, if you're ordering from Ireland, so you'd be ringing up FX charges there, too.

They don't allow you hold accounts in more than one currency (see [broken link removed]) — perhaps precisely because they depend on FX and other fees for their profit. 
That said, their FX charges are no worse than those applied by many 'regular' credit card providers.


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## maura

Its very interesting that you can use the Dundrum Town Centre gift card as it is a prepaid master card. Has anyone used it yet?


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## TheShark

maura said:


> Its very interesting that you can use the Dundrum Town Centre gift card as it is a prepaid master card. Has anyone used it yet?


Scotch Hall in Drogheda and The Outlet in Kildare also do them. Excellent cards for use on Ryanair as there are no fees.


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## DrMoriarty

They have their own fees/conditions, though.


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## irishpancake

Hi there

Anyone know how long it takes neteller to process upgrade to Net+.

Have submitted ID and Utility docs by e-mail. 

Is there another step after this?

Appreciate any and all replies in advance.


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## Papercut

irishpancake said:


> Hi there
> 
> Anyone know how long it takes neteller to process upgrade to Net+.
> 
> Have submitted ID and Utility docs by e-mail.
> 
> Is there another step after this?
> 
> Appreciate any and all replies in advance.


I got an email the day after I submitted my documents confirming that they had been accepted. After that you have to go into live chat to arrange a phone verification - you will be informed of this in the email. I got the phone call within a few minutes. 

After that, if you want the physical plastic card you just apply on-line & it arrives within a few days & the PIN arrives a couple of days after that. You need to activate the card on-line, but again instructions are provided with your card.

If you want to verify your bank account for withdrawals you do that on the site, provide your bank details & a few days later a small lodgement appears in your bank account. You need to enter that amount in the verification section. 

I found the whole process very streamlined.


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## irishpancake

Thanks for that Papercut:

Unfortunately, I have had contact from them telling me my Photo ID was not acceptable.



> Thank you for your email. Unfortunately we cannot accept your ID for the following reason:
> 
> Document is unreadable (Poor quality)



This was a Digital Photo of my Driver License, but I didn't get a very good image, I have to admit.

I will do it again, and hopefully it will be acceptable this time, but I doubt it for the following reason.

Both my Passport and Driver License have a different address to my account address, as they were both got 8 years, both 10 year models.

We moved house 5 years ago, and the Utility Bill shows that address.

I asked them about this in a seperate e-mail



> I have just checked your requirements as shown in your [broken link removed] and I realise that one of my documents, the Government ID does not meet the requirement :
> 
> Address on document MUST match address on NETELLER account.



Neteller's reply was not very informative on the specific question about the date on Government ID docs.



> Thank you for your email.
> 
> To upgrade your NETELLER account please email a clear colour scan or digital photograph showing all four corners of the following documents to identity@neteller.com:
> 
> •         A copy of your passport displaying the photograph and passport number or
> •         A copy of your driving license displaying the driving license number or
> •         A copy of a government-issued photo ID card showing the photograph and ID number
> •         and a utility bill (e.g. an electricity bill) or a paper bank statement or credit card statement displaying your name and address that has been issued within the last 3 months - unfortunately we cannot accept online statements
> 
> Please send the images as attachments from the email address registered with your NETELLER account or we will not be able to process your request. Once we are able to process your information, your NETELLER account will be upgraded and you will be notified by email.


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## Papercut

Hi irishpancake,
  I can’t say this for definite, but I’d say that the problem is purely that the image is not clear enough for them.

  Your passport or driver’s licence would be used to verify your actual identity rather than your address. The recent utility bill/bank statement/credit card statement is what they use to verify your address.

  Just looking through the site I get the impression that the bit about your address matching your government issued ID refers specifically to a government issued ID Card, as opposed to a passport or driver’s licence, although there seems to be different rules for documents issued in different countries. My passport is an Irish one, so doesn’t contain address details anyway, but if you have an Irish driver’s licence you can get a replacement one free of charge once it’s just to update your address details, which would solve that problem if it came to it.

  You might be better scanning the documents rather than taking a digital photo of them. If you or anyone you know has access to a scanner (even at work), you could get them to scan & email the image to you so as you could use it to email it to Neteller. Just make sure it’s a high quality colour image & that you haven’t cropped off any corners.

  Hopefully the problem is just the quality of the images. You can also use the live-chat help feature on the site, where you might get more detailed answers.


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## irishpancake

Thanks again for your welcome explanation Papercut.

It does seem logical regarding the Govt. ID.

It is good to know that I can get a replacement Drivers License with updated Address details, if necessary.

I think I will submit my Passport image, as the License has a kind of covering which does not copy well.

If that doesn't work, I will get the document scanned. 

It's just that the Digital Photographic Image is pretty good, as per my Address Document (CC Statement) copied very well and seems to have been accepted.

Thanks again for your help. 

I will report back, as it does sem to be a good option, particularly for Ryanair flights.


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## mystry4all

Hey,

I made a picture of my passport and bank statement. Just place a white paper page under your driving license or other documents and do make it....Try to get the original size of the documents and make sure light/flash isnt reflecting....Try to make in daylight in front of a window or place it in the window, natural day-light... Make a couple of pictures and then select the best one....

It isnt always possible to get a scan of the documents...Its a kind of same (making picture)....I got this idea from a online-service......I had ordered wireless (dongle) internet and the company provider came to my house to deliver the dongle and sign the contract and he made pictures of my documents...Like Passport and any document confirming my address (this happened in the Netherlands).....


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## irishpancake

Thanks for that mystry4all.

Took your advice regarding the piccy of passport, great results,very clear.

I have submitted this to Neteller, hopefully this will get me past this particular hurdle 

Thanks again


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## mystry4all

you welcome


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## irishpancake

mystry4all said:


> you welcome



Sorted 

Docs accepted, call back from Neteller received, very efficient.

Advised by Agent that I am now set up, after answering security questions.

Thanks again for the help!


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## Papercut

Glad you got sorted out!


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## mystry4all

now apply for the card online and then they will send it out...first you will get the 4didgit pinand then the card...Validate the card online att their website...


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## irishpancake

mystry4all said:


> now apply for the card online and then they will send it out...first you will get the 4didgit pinand then the card...Validate the card online att their website...



I have already done that for the Virtual Neteller+ Card, downloaded the application, and now I can generate a new card to shop online, whenever I want.

I had previously transferred money from my Halifax Current Account to Neteller at no cost, in about two days, so now these funds are available on the Virtual Net+ Card.

Apart from using the plastic card in shops, etc, is there any advantage over the Virtual Card?

I really only got this to try to keep ahead of Ryanairs Credit/Debit Card charges.

Regards,

IP


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## Capt. Beaky

Applied on line for a PAYZONE/BankInvik and after a few security questions + €7.5 visa charge they sent out the card a few days later. Then you validate it online, put in some dosh and away you go.


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## bond-007

> Apart from using the plastic card in shops, etc, is there any advantage over the Virtual Card?


None.


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## daluis

Hi all,

I was about to get the "Real" (not virtual) version of the PrePaid Mastercard from Neteller, because the Virtual one doesn't work for sure !!!
Ryanair detects this card as a "credit card", and not a prepaid mastercard (source : http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com...98419&highlight=neteller+ryanair#post27798419 )

Here is a link to see a user complaining that it doesn't work :
  (see George's comment at the bottom)

A quote from the same link shows that it could be that Neteller prepaid mastercard will work, but only by January 31st :


> If you’re not a NETELLER member yet, simply sign up for a NETELLER account, get a Net+ Chip & PIN prepaid card and use it to book a flight on Ryanair by January 31, 2010 and you will be eligible to win 50 EUR!*


Finally, I would like to add some comments about Neteller's fees:

- Cancel the card and close the account
£10 fee

- Withdrawing the rest of your money at the end
1. Bank Transfer for €7.5
2 ATM withdrawal for £3

- Dormancy fee if the card is not used after 14months
$30

- You have to accept these conditions :


> 2. If NETELLER (UK) Limited becomes insolvent the funds stored on your NETELLER account may become valueless and unusable; and
> 
> 3. Consequently, if NETELLER (UK) Limited becomes insolvent you may lose the funds stored on your account.


It can seem unlikely to happen, but it did actually. Following the link below you can see that Neteller users accounts have been frozen during a long period because of a FBI investigation case on Neteller.


So ???
Still up to sign-up for a Neteller account ?

Regards,
David


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## bond-007

> Still up to sign-up for a Neteller account ?


Not after reading that.


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## irishpancake

I am afraid that I too am now a little hesitant regarding Neteller, for two reasons.

1) The info given above by daluis.

2) The fact that I posted a query to the Blog mentioned by daluis, which was promptly removed by the Blog Admin, or whoever.

Luckily, I kept a copy of the remarks I posted to this Blog.

Here is what I posted, which as you can see is hardly contentious:



> I have taken out one of the Net+ Virtual Prepaid Cards, hoping to be able to purchase Ryan Air flights without paying a CC fee/admin charge.
> 
> Can you actually confirm if Ryan Air are treating these cards as MC prepaid, as you have claimed above, and is claimed in the Ryan Air Article quoted in your article.
> 
> I ask this because there seems to be some doubt, from on-line discussions, links below:
> 
> http://www.askaboutmoney.com/showpost.php?p=978300&postcount=50
> 
> http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com...98419&highlight=neteller+ryanair#post27798419
> 
> I will have no use whatsoever, in current circumstances for the Net+ Virtual Card, unless I can use it to purchase RA flights.
> 
> I hope you can clarify the position for new customers like me, who have taken the trouble of opening Neteller accounts, and sending ID Docs, etc.



So, instead of answering my questions, they censored the Blog comments 

Not a good start, and a pretty short relationship 

* has reappeared!! Awaiting Moderation!!*


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## daluis

Hehehe 
Let's see if the moderator will accept your comment.
Thanks for asking them !!!


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## Papercut

daluis said:


> Hi all,
> 
> I was about to get the "Real" (not virtual) version of the PrePaid Mastercard from Neteller, because the Virtual one doesn't work for sure !!!



It does work – I have used it as recently as Friday on two separate sites tesco.ie  & madflowers.com specifically to make sure that everything was working ok, which it was.



daluis said:


> Ryanair detects this card as a "credit card", and not a prepaid mastercard (source : http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com...98419&highlight=neteller+ryanair#post27798419 )


   Ryanair detects the virtual card as that, but not the Net+ Chip & PIN prepaid card which is detected as a prepaid Mastercard on the Ryanair site, as has been pointed out by posters in the forum that you have linked to. Intending passengers merely choose Prepaid MasterCard option from the dropdown menu during the booking process.

I have just done a test booking on the Ryanair site for a one-way flight from Dublin to Aberdeen on Jan 21st costing €5.00. I entered my virtual card details & the payment was declined & the reason given was that my card number was incorrect (this would imply that the site does not recognise it as a prepaid MasterCard, which is what I had expected). Then I entered my Net+ Chip & PIN prepaid card number. I don’t have €5.00 balance in my Neteller account. The payment was declined also, but this time the reason stated was ‘insufficient funds’. I then checked my Neteller account & my transaction history show the transaction as declined on my account. The important thing here is that the declined transaction amount is €5.00, so therefore Ryanair were NOT charging me any booking fee. If they were, the declined transaction amount would have shown up as €10.00.




daluis said:


> Here is a link to see a user complaining that it doesn't work :
> (see George's comment at the bottom)


 Again, if you read the post you will see that the poster is referring to a Virtual Card – not a Net+ Chip & PIN prepaid card.



daluis said:


> A quote from the same link shows that it could be that Neteller prepaid mastercard will work, but only by January 31st :
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> If you’re not a NETELLER member yet, simply sign up for a NETELLER account, get a Net+ Chip & PIN prepaid card and use it to book a flight on Ryanair by January 31, 2010 and you will be eligible to win 50 EUR!*
Click to expand...

This is _not_ correct, if you read what you have quoted carefully you will see that what is stated is that if you use the Net+ Chip & PIN prepaid card before January 31st 2010 to book a Ryanair flight you will enter a draw to win €50. No-where does it state anything regarding a date when anything will or will not work. 

The only mention of dates I have seen is on the Ryanair site itself http://www.ryanair.com/en/news/gen-en-301109
‘_Ryanair, the world’s favourite airline, today (30th Nov 09) announced that it will accept the MasterCard Prepaid card as its free form of payment from 1st December and its Visa Electron promotion will end one month __ later on 31st December. From 1st January the Visa Electron payment card will attract a €5 administration charge while MasterCard Prepaid will become the sole free from of payment on www.ryanair.com._’  




daluis said:


> Finally, I would like to add some comments about Neteller's fees:
> 
> - Cancel the card and close the account
> £10 fee
> 
> - Withdrawing the rest of your money at the end
> 1. Bank Transfer for €7.5
> 2 ATM withdrawal for £3
> 
> - Dormancy fee if the card is not used after 14months
> $30


 Yes, these terms are displayed on the website, & have already been pointed out on this thread. If, in the unlikely event that I do not use my account in any 14 month period I would simply get around this by using it. With my own current account I must pay a bill by internet or telephone banking plus use my debit card at least once every 3 months to avoid transaction fees, so I, along with hundreds of thousands of others in this country are well used to this concept.





daluis said:


> - You have to accept these conditions :
> It can seem unlikely to happen, but it did actually. Following the link below you can see that Neteller users accounts have been frozen during a long period because of a FBI investigation case on Neteller.



     Yes, I had already read reports on this before I signed up as I always do on-line research before I sign up for anything. This problem goes back to 2007 when the FBI were investigating all sorts of on-line gambling scams, & it is clear that the FBI were being very clever in all their wheeling & dealing. If there was such a big problem with Neteller, I assume that the FBI would not be dragging their heals almost three years later & just shut the site down, instead of making on-line gambling a criminal offence in the USA, which is what they did actually do, which was why they were investigating to begin with. You will find that Neteller were not the only site that they were having a look at. They were looking at bank & credit card companies throughout the USA.


Do a search for Google Paypal freezing people’s accounts – it happens because of abuse, & once the matter is sorted access is restored, & I wouldn’t be overly concerned about something that happened during an FBI gambling investigation at a time when the USA were in the midst of outlawing on-line gambling altogether, which they now have done.

Ulster Bank in Ireland have recently introduced visa Debit Cards – many people are experiencing problems with their cards not being recognized by various retailers – this sort of thing happens, but the problem is at the retailer’s end, not the merchant’s end.



daluis said:


> So ???
> Still up to sign-up for a Neteller account ?


 
Yes – as I was never under any illusion regarding the fact that there is a difference between a Net+ virtual prepaid card & a Net+ Chip & PIN prepaid card, & I was well aware that I needed to use a Net+ Chip & PIN prepaid card in order to avoid Ryanair fees. 

  I am not an online gambler, so I would mainly only be using the card for small transactions e.g. cheap Ryanair flights, so I would only be preloading my account if & when I wanted to book one, so if my funds were frozen due to an FBI sting like back in 2007 I would only be at a temporary loss of an amount equal to what I would have lost to Ryanair fees anyway by using another card.


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## daluis

Hi,

I had no doubt that the virtual worked nicely with some websites, but I was just talking about Ryanair : The VIRTUAL card doesn't work at all at the moment. So, let's stop talking about the VIRTUAL one for now.

Then, concerning the REAL card "Net+ Chip & PIN prepaid card", I don't know what to think about. I don't have one yet, so I can't tell. I trust you Papercut when you say it seems to work out perfectly with Ryanair, but reading the official position from Neteller () it seems it's not always the case, is it ?



> A recent Guardian article reviewed many MasterCard prepaid cards. Pity they didn’t get to the Net+ Chip & PIN prepaid card: it handily meets or beats them all. And *many of our members* have already successfully booked flights with Ryanair.


 -> What happened to the others? Does it mean that it doesn't work for some people ?



> Have you used your Net+ Prepaid MasterCard to book with Ryanair? *Tell us how it was for you*.


 -> I think they have no clue if it works or not.

Then, I'm not so sure about George's comment, if he was refering only to the VIRTUAL card. As you can read :


> I have booked 4 flights with Ryanair already and had to pay the 5 pound fee each way for using MasterCard although Ryanair claims that they don’t charge for Prepaid MC, they actually do for Net+. *I also tried* my virtual MC but still Ryanair website didn’t perceive it as a prepaid card.


 -> So I guess he first tried with the REAL card, and then with the VIRTUAL one. But you are right, it's better to only consider clear feedback from users that have used the REAL card for sure.

For the date of January 31st, it was just a guess, I could be wrong.


> it could be that Neteller prepaid mastercard will work, but only by January 31st


Finally, I like your approach, Papercut, I even think that I will give it a go, so that I will be able to give my own feedback by really booking a Ryanair flight, as even you, you can't tell for sure if it works or not, as you have only done a kind of a "test", but not until the end of the process.

Regards,

Daluis


----------



## DrMoriarty

[broken link removed]


----------



## irishpancake

Thanks Papercut for your very comprehensive reply.

However, I believe that it does not essentially answer the only question which I have posed, which is:

Why is RyanAir _apparently_ making a distinction between bookings made with Prepaid Master Cards, when they have announced that this method will be the only fee-free method available from here on?

Neteller market both the Net+ Chip and Pin Prepaid and the Net+ Virtual Prepaid as being virtually identical [excuse the pun  ], see here:



> Can you get a *virtual counterpart*? Does your issuer think to provide you specifically with a card that you can use for buying stuff online. Very few companies offer this because it’s new technology, but it’s definitely the safest way to buy online because virtual cards let you generate one-time use numbers that can never be used again. That means you’ll never lose your card number to a nefarious individual.







Papercut said:


> Ryanair detects the virtual card as that, but not the Net+ Chip & PIN prepaid card which is detected as a prepaid Mastercard on the Ryanair site, as has been pointed out by posters in the forum that you have linked to. Intending passengers merely choose Prepaid MasterCard option from the dropdown menu during the booking process.



But the Virtual Net+ Card _*is*_ a prepaid Master Card, is it not?

I know it is, as to get my Card, I had to go through all the hoops, which were not, in fairness, in any way over the top. Then I transferred money to my Neteller account, which is now available to spend on my Neteller *Prepaid* Virtual Net+ Master Card. In other words, I *prepaid* funds to my account with Neteller.

In fact, Neteller trumpet the added safety, security and other features of the Virtual Net+ in this Blog article .

Just looking at your quote below, RyanAir's announcement only mentions MasterCard Prepaid. This quote from RyanAir is used by Neteller to advertise their products, i.e. Chip and Pin Net+ Prepaid and Virtual Net+ Prepaid Master Cards. RyanAir's article makes no distinction as to which version is acceptable or necessary.



Papercut said:


> The only mention of dates I have seen is on the Ryanair site itself http://www.ryanair.com/en/news/gen-en-301109
> ‘_Ryanair, the world’s favourite airline, today (30th Nov 09) announced that it will accept the MasterCard Prepaid card as its free form of payment from 1st December and its Visa Electron promotion will end one month __ later on 31st December. From 1st January the Visa Electron payment card will attract a €5 administration charge while MasterCard Prepaid will become the sole free from of payment on www.ryanair.com._’


 



Papercut said:


> Yes – as I was never under any illusion regarding the fact that there is a difference between a Net+ virtual prepaid card & a Net+ Chip & PIN prepaid card, & I was well aware that I needed to use a Net+ Chip & PIN prepaid card in order to avoid Ryanair fees.



How did you form the opinion that there is a difference between both versions of Net+ Prepaid Master Cards?

And how were you "well aware" that you needed to use Chip and Pin Net+ Prepaid to avoid RyanAir fees?

Why do you use the term "I was never any illusion"?

Finally, just to say, I only make the above points because I have already got the Virtual Net+ Prepaid Master Card, and was under the impression that I could use it to purchase flights from RyanAir without payment of CC fees/admin charges. 

This impression was formed by my reading of both Neteller and RyanAir's promotion of Prepaid Net+ Master Cards.

Either the Net+ Prepaid Master Card is a proper prepaid Master Card or it is not, in which case we have been mislead by both RyanAir and Neteller. 

I do not require another Plastic Chip and Pin Card.


----------



## nbaki82

I think some kind of a partnership is going between Ryanair and Neteller, because Net+ is offering a draw for a chance to win EUR 50 if you book a Ryanair flight using your Net+ PrePaid MC.


----------



## Papercut

irishpancake said:


> Thanks Papercut for your very comprehensive reply.
> 
> However, I believe that it does not essentially answer the only question which I have posed...


   Hi irishpancake!
  First of all I have no connection with either Ryanair or Neteller apart from the fact that I am a customer of both companies.

Secondly, my last post was specifically in direct reply to daluis’s post, so I was not in any way attempting to answer your question. With regard to me opening my account, I just, after considering any information I could find on-line, did whatever I felt that I needed to do in order to avoid paying Ryanair booking fees, as I get satisfaction out of playing them at their own cat & mouse game, so if it means getting a plastic card that I will realistically never pay any more charges on than I would on Ryanair booking fees, well that's what I do. 

There is no such thing as a free lunch, so I always assume that there is some sort of catch somewhere along the way - in this case the catch is you have to get a physical plastic card. I will avoid paying any inactive fees on it by using it once every 14 months if it comes to it. It is a business after all & considering that by getting a Net+ Chip & PIN prepaid MasterCard I wouldn't realistically expect them to facilitate me or anyone else by making it possible to avoid Ryanair booking fees purely out of the goodness of their heart, so I do feel that agreeing to & abiding by their T&C's is a small price (the only price if used properly) to pay!



irishpancake said:


> Why is RyanAir _apparently_ making a distinction between bookings made with Prepaid Master Cards, when they have announced that this method will be the only fee-free method available from here on?


   I don’t know – I can only assume that it is something to do with the card type itself (virtual versus plastic), or that it has something to do with the way their system is set up to recognise the cards. Ryanair would probably be the only ones who could answer that question properly.



irishpancake said:


> Neteller market both the Net+ Chip and Pin Prepaid and the Net+ Virtual Prepaid as being virtually identical [excuse the pun  ], see here:
> 
> 
> 
> Can you get a *virtual counterpart*? Does your issuer think to provide you specifically with a card that you can use for buying stuff online. Very few companies offer this because it’s new technology, but it’s definitely the safest way to buy online because virtual cards let you generate one-time use numbers that can never be used again. That means you’ll never lose your card number to a nefarious individual.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Papercut said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> _
> Ryanair detects the virtual card as that, but not the Net+ Chip & PIN prepaid card which is detected as a prepaid Mastercard on the Ryanair site, as has been pointed out by posters in the forum that you have linked to. Intending passengers merely choose Prepaid MasterCard option from the dropdown menu during the booking process._
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> But the Virtual Net+ Card _*is*_ a prepaid Master Card, is it not?
Click to expand...

 Yes, I would say that it is



irishpancake said:


> I know it is, as to get my Card, I had to go through all the hoops, which were not, in fairness, in any way over the top. Then I transferred money to my Neteller account, which is now available to spend on my Neteller *Prepaid* Virtual Net+ Master Card. In other words, I *prepaid* funds to my account with Neteller.


 I agree



irishpancake said:


> In fact, Neteller trumpet the added safety, security and other features of the Virtual Net+ in this Blog article .
> 
> Just looking at your quote below, RyanAir's announcement only mentions MasterCard Prepaid. This quote from RyanAir is used by Neteller to advertise their products, i.e. Chip and Pin Net+ Prepaid and Virtual Net+ Prepaid Master Cards. RyanAir's article makes no distinction as to which version is acceptable or necessary.
> 
> 
> 
> Papercut said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> _The only mention of dates I have seen is on the Ryanair site itself http://www.ryanair.com/en/news/gen-en-301109
> ‘Ryanair, the world’s favourite airline, today (30th Nov 09) announced that it will accept the MasterCard Prepaid card as its free form of payment from 1st December and its Visa Electron promotion will end one month later on 31st December. From 1st January the Visa Electron payment card will attract a €5 administration charge while MasterCard Prepaid will become the sole free from of payment on www.ryanair.com.’ _
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Papercut said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> _Yes – as I was never under any illusion regarding the fact that there is a difference between a Net+ virtual prepaid card & a Net+ Chip & PIN prepaid card, & I was well aware that I needed to use a Net+ Chip & PIN prepaid card in order to avoid Ryanair fees._
> 
> Click to expand...
Click to expand...

Ryanair doesn’t make any distinction between the two, but their statement does not refer specifically to Neteller cards, just prepaid MasterCards in general. I wouldn’t expect them to refer to every company that issue them individually, but I agree that their statement is misleading



irishpancake said:


> How did you form the opinion that there is a difference between both versions of Net+ Prepaid Master Cards?


   I formed this opinion firstly because of the way the cards were described – I suppose my first clue was that the distinction was made on the Neteller site (Virtual Net+ Prepaid MasterCard versus Net+ Chip & PIN prepaid MasterCard) & then of course I guessed that a virtual card would not be an actual physical card & therefore would not have chip & pin technology. The word ‘virtual’ & the phrase ‘Chip & PIN’ as I understood them at the time to mean was the main reason for my opinion.




irishpancake said:


> And how were you "well aware" that you needed to use Chip and Pin Net+ Prepaid to avoid RyanAir fees?


   By reading the following on  
  ‘_Using the *Net+ Chip & PIN prepaid card* has always been a great way to *book flights* both domestically and abroad, and according to a news article published on the Ryanair site, there is another great reason to book with Net+. Starting 1 January, the only way to buy a Ryanair flight without incurring transaction fees will be by using a MasterCard prepaid card._’

  And
  ‘_A recent Guardian article reviewed many MasterCard prepaid cards. Pity they didn’t get to the *Net+ Chip & PIN prepaid card*: it handily meets or beats them all. And many of our members have already *successfully booked flights with Ryanair.*_*’*

  And
  ‘_If you’re not a NETELLER member yet, simply sign up for a NETELLER account, *get a Net+ Chip & PIN prepaid card and use it to book a flight on Ryanair* by January 31, 2010 and you will be eligible to win 50 EUR!*_’




irishpancake said:


> Why do you use the term "I was never any illusion"?


 I used this term firstly because it was the first one that sprung to mind as the best way to express the point that I was trying to get across. I could have used other terms, but the fact is I didn’t. The point I was attempting to make when I used that term was that if I had thought that there was no difference between a Net+ virtual prepaid card & a Net+ Chip & PIN prepaid card that _I_ would have been under an illusion, as there is a difference.



irishpancake said:


> Finally, just to say, I only make the above points because I have already got the Virtual Net+ Prepaid Master Card, and was under the impression that I could use it to purchase flights from RyanAir without payment of CC fees/admin charges.
> 
> This impression was formed by my reading of both Neteller and RyanAir's promotion of Prepaid Net+ Master Cards.
> 
> Either the Net+ Prepaid Master Card is a proper prepaid Master Card or it is not, in which case we have been mislead by both RyanAir and Neteller.


 Certainly, Ryanair seem to have misled people, but I suppose that wouldn’t be a first for them. But, I suppose at the end of the day it is up to them (or any merchant) as to what cards they accept, or what type/version of card that they consider a prepaid MasterCard. For all we know there could be a glitch on their system...maybe not...all I know is that the Net+ Chip & PIN prepaid card is recognised by Ryanair as a prepaid MasterCard, & by using it you definitely avoid paying their booking fees.



irishpancake said:


> I do not require another Plastic Chip and Pin Card.


In that case it's probably best not to apply for one!  I’d just like to point out that I did not advise you to open a Neteller account – you had already opened one before I replied to your first post http://www.askaboutmoney.com/showpost.php?p=976540&postcount=37 , & all I did after that was to advise you on the best way to submit your identification documents, as one of them had been rejected http://www.askaboutmoney.com/showpost.php?p=976819&postcount=39


----------



## irishpancake

nbaki82 said:


> I think some kind of a partnership is going between Ryanair and Neteller, because Net+ is offering a draw for a chance to win EUR 50 if you book a Ryanair flight using your Net+ PrePaid MC.



Yes indeed, seems so.

But, they also seem to be making a distinction between the two versions of the Net+ Prepaid Master Card, with Chip+pin being preferred over the Virtual version.



> *Not a NETELLER member yet? Book with Net+ for a chance to win 50 EUR*
> If you’re not a NETELLER member yet, simply sign up for a NETELLER account, get a *Net+ Chip & PIN  prepaid card* and use it to book a flight on Ryanair by January 31, 2010 and you will be eligible to win 50 EUR!*



So, typical RyanAir sneaky stuff here, despite their marketing of Prepaid Master Cards as the only method to avoid fees. 

Yet, they are apparently only allow the Chip+Pin Prepaid.

BTW Neteller have censored my comments on this issue from their  again.

But you can read my comments, which were reasonable, in this AAM post.


----------



## DrMoriarty

[broken link removed][broken link removed][broken link removed]


----------



## irishpancake

Hi again Papercut.

Thanks again for taking the time to reply in such a comprehensive way.

I am in no way attempting to infer an association with either RyanAir or Neteller on your part. 

Your comments have indeed been very helpful, pasrticularly to me personally.

I think we both have the same aim, that is to save fees/admin charges when booking flights with RyanAir.

I have taken your advice again in this regard, and have now applied for the Chip+Pin version, despite my misgivings about yet another plastic card. 

However, its a small price to pay, considering the benefits available 

I would not however assume, as you do here:



> so if it means getting a plastic card that I will realistically never pay any more charges on than I would on Ryanair booking fees, well that's what I do.



People actually went to the trouble of getting the previous Entropay Visa Electron Cards to facilitate the same purpose, and RyanAir have pulled the rug from under them  

Mick O'Leary even mentioned this card, told the nation he had one himself, not more than a few weeks ago, in a radio interview I heard, not sure of the Station, but deffo said it.

So, *cat and mouse* with RyanAir is the operative phrase indeed.

Anyway, my application is now under way, so thanks again for the good advice, although this time I think I am doing the opposite 

Happy Christmas and have a Prosperous New Year


----------



## Papercut

irishpancake said:


> Hi again Papercut.
> 
> 
> Happy Christmas and have a Prosperous New Year


Thanks irishpancake & many happy returns

What I meant by not paying any more charges was that even if I never used the card for Ryanair bookings I'd avoid paying any inactive fees to Neteller by using the card once every 14 months, but I agree it's probably only a matter of time before Mr O'Leary changes the playing field once again.

Incidentally, I have just finished a 'live' chat/support session with Neteller & the following is a transcript - I have changed  my name to Papercut & the Neteller employee username to NT - to protect the innocent 


Hi, my name is *NT*. How may I help you?
*NT*: Hi Papercutl

*Papercut*: hi NT - I just have a quick question - how come you can't use a virtual card when booking a Ryanair flight? 

*NT*: May I know the transaction date and amount please?

*Papercut*: Well it's more of a query really - I did a 'test' booking just to see whether you could actually use the virtual card. The virtual card transaction came up as ''incorrect card number (even though it was correct) but the plastic card number was accepted (but declined due to l=insufficient funds) as I expected it to be as it was only a test booking to see whether both cards were accepted by Ryanair 

*NT*: Sorry but the transaction using virtual card would not be successful if your account did not have sufficient balance to complete a transacation. It will automatically declined

*Papercut*: But would it not say declined due to lack of funds? just as the transaction using my plastic card was declined 

*NT*: There are several reasons for your Net+ Virtual card to decline. One is that your merchant did not accept payment by Virtual Card but may request use of Physical Crad. The other reason is that your account available balance is not sufficient for the transaction amount

*Papercut*: Do Ryanair request use of a Physical Card? 

*NT*: You will need to contact the merchant for further information as we do not have related information about the mercaant

*NT*: Yo ucould use the virtual card if it accepts Master Card and also virtual card form

*Papercut*: Is the Virtual Card considered as a prepaid MasterCard? 

*NT*: Yes 

*Papercut*: ok well then there is a problem as Ryanair do not recognise the virtual card as a prepaid MasterCard on their booking site - but they do recognise a Physical card as a prepaid MasterCard 

*NT*: Yes the merchant may do so

*Papercut*: may do what? 

*NT*: They may not accept Virtual Card and you need to confirm their payment policy

*Papercut*: They advertise that they accept prepay MasterCard so presumably they are aware of their own payment policy? You are saying that a Virtual Card is a Prepaid MasterCard, they say that they accept a prepaid MasterCard, so where does the problem lie & how can it be fixed? 

*NT*: Please confirm with your merchant 

*Papercut*: My merchant has confirmed that they accept prepaid MasterCard, as I have already stated. But they do not accept Virtual Net+ cards. Why is this if it is a prepaid MasterCard? 

*NT*: Net+ Virtual Prepaid MasterCard® numbers can be generated either through your NETELLER account on our website or through our convenient NETELLER Desktop application.


PLEASE NOTE: The Net+ Virtual Prepaid MasterCard® requires an online transaction. If the merchant requires a physical card then your transaction will be declined.

*Papercut*: How does the merchant know if a card is a virtual one or a physical one? 

*NT*: Their system could verify that kind of information

*Papercut*: oh ok - so can you please confirm that you cannot use a Virtual prepaid Net+ MasterCard for booking flights on the Ryanair site, but you can book them using a Physical Net+ prepaid MasterCard? 

*NT*: sorry we could not confirm this as we could not access the information of the merchant and you will need to confirm at your ends

*Papercut*: Can you confirm if any Virtual Netteller+ prepaid MasterCard holder have in fact successfully completed a transaction booking a Ryanair flight using their Virtual Card via the ryanair.com wesite? 

*NT*: sorry but please understand that we do not have the specific merchant transaction details

*Papercut*: I can understand that, but surely you would be aware of whether or not a merchant has accepted a Virtual card or not, considering that the said merchant is such a high-profile merchant. You would also, surely be able to confirm whether or not any merchant is set up on your system to accept a particular type of card? 

*NT*: Sorry but we do not have this kind of information related to Merchant payment details. To clarify, some merchants may not accept Virtyal Net+ Card as they do not regards it as a valid payment form even though they claim they accepte Prepaid master Card. Please clarify with your merchant definition of their terms of use or terms of payment methods 

*Papercut*: ok NT - thank you for your time. 

*NT*: you are welcome

*NT*: Is there anything else I can assist you with?

*Papercut*: Not at the moment thank-you 

*NT*: Have a nice Christmas Time

*NT*: Thank you for using NETELLER Live Chat. We appreciate your business and look forward to assisting you again. Bye for now!
'Papercut' disconnected ('Concluded by End-user').


----------



## irishpancake

Man, Papercut, that is unbelievable 

Do you have _*Total Recall*_, by any chance.

This one not this one I mean. 

Hasta la vista _hombre_

Happy Holidays


----------



## mystry4all

irishpancake said:


> Apart from using the plastic card in shops, etc, is there any advantage over the Virtual Card?




Yes...You can use on internet as everyone knows....You wont have debts like ''real'' credit cards...Its pay as you go....You will spend as much as you have in ''real'' That's a great satisfaction......

With a great great great very great difficulty I have recently cleared my creditcard bills....I will never ever apply for one again with any bank and will never ever advise to do so to anyone...

So in my eyes, my point of view...This pay as you go ''this'' is a magic solution.....I hope so for the others....


----------



## NETELLER

Hi all, Nicole from NETELLER here. Just wanted to thank those of you who have been chatting up the Net+ card. 

I also wanted to assure you all that the Net+ Chip & PIN does work on Ryanair and you won't have to pay any admin fees. Unfortunately, we recently found out that our virtual card is currently not recognized as a prepaid MasterCard on the site but we are working with our card issuer to get this problem resolved.

Although we aren't partnered with Ryanair, as mentioned earlier, we are running a special promo right now...simply sign up for a free NETELLER account, apply for a Net+ Chip & PIN card and use it to book a flight on Ryanair by Jan 31, 2010 and you'll be entered to win 50 EUR.

If you have any questions about the card, you can visit our cards page at NETELLER.com or feel free to drop me a reply on this forum.


----------



## irishpancake

NETELLLER said:


> Hi all, Nicole from NETELLER here. Just wanted to thank those of you who have been chatting up the Net+ card.
> 
> I also wanted to assure you all that the Net+ Chip & PIN does work on Ryanair and you won't have to pay any admin fees. Unfortunately, we recently found out that our virtual card is currently not recognized as a prepaid MasterCard on the site but we are working with our card issuer to get this problem resolved.
> 
> Although we aren't partnered with Ryanair, as mentioned earlier, we are running a special promo right now...simply sign up for a free NETELLER account, apply for a Net+ Chip & PIN card and use it to book a flight on Ryanair by Jan 31, 2010 and you'll be entered to win 50 EUR.
> 
> If you have any questions about the card, you can visit our cards page at NETELLER.com or feel free to drop me a reply on this forum.



Hi there  (Hope this is you)  

You are very welcome to the AAM forum.

I for one certainly appreciate your posting here, and your comments about the RyanAir _"when is a prepaid MasterCard not a prepaid MasterCard" _conundrum.

This shows that you and Neteller are really on top of your game, and I look forward to doing business in the coming years, not just to book RyanAir flights, but to avail of your full range of services.

I also appreciate that Neteller has allowed the  to continue without censorship, i.e removing certain posts.

See Chris's comment 



> We apologize for any inconvenience, however, the Net+ virtual prepaid card is incorrectly designated by our card issuer and we are working to get this problem resolved as soon as possible.
> 
> Our Net+ Chip & PIN (physical) prepaid card is properly designated as a prepaid card and will work when booking with Ryanair.



It is refreshing to see that you are aware of customer requirements, and that you take action to ensure that those requirements are met, in as much as this is possible.


----------



## nbaki82

Thank you Nicole. I have booked a fee from Eindhoven to Amsterdam and indeed no fee for the Net+ card. I am very glad about it.


----------



## NETELLER

Thanks for the warm welcome to the forum - much appreciated.


----------



## bowringi

Neteller do indeed appear to be the best value here. In summary the fees appear to be as follows:
- 1.75% if loading from another debit or credit card (instant); 0% if loading by bank transfer (2-5 days to clear)
- 0% to use card if transaction is in your own currency
- 2.95% to use card if tranaction is in another currency
It is a little more complex to get the card, but seems to be a good option, at least until Ryanair's next change, to bypass these fees.
(Payzone card now goes, unused, into the bin)


----------



## mystry4all

nbaki82 said:


> Thank you Nicole. I have booked a fee from Eindhoven to Amsterdam and indeed no fee for the Net+ card. I am very glad about it.




Hi, Nbaki82....Do Ryainair fly from EINDHOVEN to Amsterdam??? Since when??

I think Ryainair doesnt operate from Amsterdam......Or is it new?


----------



## bond-007

They operate from Eindhoven. They call it Amsterdam.


----------



## gunnerfitzy

I'm still undecided on whether to go with a Neteller card or Bishopstown Credit Union Card. If I was sure that the Bishopstown Credit Union Card would work I would go with that one as the transfers should be quicker and I would be more comfortable with transfering my money to an Irish Financial institution ( please resist urge to laugh!! ).

Do anyone know for sure if the Ryanair system will accept the Bishopstown Credit Union Card as a Prepaid MasterCard?

Thanks in advance.


----------



## bond-007

If it is a credit card I would say no.


----------



## DublinTexas

The Bishopstown Credit Union DEBIT Card is a “electronic use only” MasterCard issues by the NEWCASTLE BUILDING SOCIETY and to the best of my knowledge coded correctly as a prepaid MasterCard, however if Ryanair reads the BIN correctly is a different story, maybe someone here would be able to test it?


----------



## gunnerfitzy

It is advertised as a Prepaid MasterCard and the card number starts with 5274 55 if the actual cards follow the format of the images on the website. If someone could confirm that they have used this card to purchase a Ryanair flight in this manner then that would definately answer the question.


----------



## irishpancake

Hi gunnerfitzy:

Seems to me that the Bishopstown Prepaid MasterCard should qualify for RyanAir Bookings, as per their announcements:

RYANAIR TO ACCEPT LASER CARD PAYMENTS

MASTERCARD PREPAID NOW FREE PAYMENT METHOD

And their Table of Fees

Do you have to be a Bishopstown Credit Union member, within their Common Bond , to qualify for this card?

If so, it is of limited value or use to the travelling population at large, but if I were a member, I would certainly have one, as there are [broken link removed]. 

Looks like a very good and well-run Credit Union.


----------



## gunnerfitzy

Hi irishpancake,

It does indeed look like the BCU card would be accepted but knowing Mr O' Leary I would prefer to hear that someone successfully purchased a ticket, fee-free, before calling down to the BCU to apply for a card.

Thanks to google I found out that the BCU is on twitter and that they have posted that you can indeed book your fee-free Ryanair flights using their card.

http://twitter.com/BishopstownCU

Regarding the membership issue, I cannot see any specific criteria on their website but I have emailed them requesting details and I will post the reply when received.


----------



## nbaki82

Electron is to be fazed out in 2010, so Easyjet will most likely swap it with prepaid either MC or Visa.


----------



## gunnerfitzy

Will be interesting to see what Aer Lingus will select also. Would probably be hoping for too much to have Ryanair, EasyJet and Aer Lingus choose the same card!!


----------



## gunnerfitzy

Reply from Bishopstown CU about eligibility for membership:

_Dear Sir,_

_In order to join, you must be living or working within the area of our Credit Union, which is Bishopstown, or surrounding area Carrigrohane Road, Western Road Hartlands Avenue, Togher Road, Spur Hill, Knockalisheen, Glenview and as far as Ballinhassig, this is a criteria of the credit union._

_If you have any further queries, do not hesitate to contact us._

_*[FONT=&quot]Kind Regards,[/FONT]*_


Looks like Neteller Card for me so.


----------



## irishpancake

Hi again gunnerfitzy 

Thought as much, [broken link removed], etc governing Credit Union membership.

However, Net+ Card (Chip+Pin) seems to be a good alternative, if only for Ryan Air at this time.

Happy New Year


----------



## gunnerfitzy

irishpancake said:


> Hi again gunnerfitzy
> 
> Thought as much, [broken link removed], etc governing Credit Union membership.
> 
> However, Net+ Card (Chip+Pin) seems to be a good alternative, if only for Ryan Air at this time.
> 
> Happy New Year



Neteller it is! I managed to complete my last Ryanair booking with my Visa Electron on 31 Dec for flights in March so I have time on my side 

Many happy returns!


----------



## maura

Has anyone tried to use the the Dundrum Town Centre prepaid mastercard to buy flights on ryanair?


----------



## Corcaigh abu

I have used the Bishopstown debit card and successfylly got flight with no booking charges.  Was pleasantly surprised.  All my friends are asking me to book flights now!

Also if you work in the Bishopstown area you can join.  This is how i joined.  friend of mine works for HSE outside the area but she could join as Payroll function is in their catchment area.  I emailed iwantadebitcard@bishopstowncu.ie to see if i could join.  Worth a try.  They dont charge the €0 stamp duty either

I had tried payzone but the top up charges etc are woeful.


----------



## TheJackal

NETELLER said:


> Unfortunately, we recently found out that our virtual card is currently not recognized as a prepaid MasterCard on the site but we are working with our card issuer to get this problem resolved.


 
It's been 2 months now since NETELLER's post.

Just wondering if this issue has been resolved?


Also, there are other virtual cards out there, such as Wirecard. I've been told today from serveral sources (on another message board) that the virtual prepaid MasterCard by Wirecrad works fine for Ryanair.


----------



## nbaki82

TheJackal said:


> It's been 2 months now since NETELLER's post.
> 
> Just wondering if this issue has been resolved?
> 
> 
> Also, there are other virtual cards out there, such as Wirecard. I've been told today from serveral sources (on another message board) that the virtual prepaid MasterCard by Wirecrad works fine for Ryanair.



I only use physical card of Neteller for Ryanair, because on the virtual card, you are not able to get refunds since the card expires immediately after you pay.  I know that easyjet, for example issues refunds only to the card that you used to buy, so virtual card is not good. Ryanair might not give refunds at all, i wouldn't wonder.

The physical card for Neteller is working perfectly and free on Ryanair, though.


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## bond-007

Just used my Entropay plastic card and booked flights with no fees.


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## WaterWater

Has anyone used the Dundrum Shopping Centre prepaid MasterCard to book flights with Ryanair?  Also what is the minimum purchase that I can make in any of the shops when using my card?  I really only want the card to book Ryanair flights using the card but I also want to be able to use up the odd few Euro that might be left on the card. It expires after a year and there is a fee to get back any money left on the card.


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## searchten

After reading about the NETTELLER CARD on this site last week,i decided to apply for it and e mailed them off the application and the required documentation ,but have not recieved e mail or written confirmation or the card ,can anybody tell me ,how long this process should take.

MTIA


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## Dirac

I contacted them with the same query when I applied. They said it can take upto 7 working days for them to review your documentation etc. It took them about 5 days to get back to me but everything went smoothly after that.


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