NETELLER Blog

Posts Tagged controlled spending

Fund your eWallet and transfer money online

This post was written by Lea K. She is the Manager of Consumer Marketing and currently manages all customer marketing programs. This is the third in a series of posts where Lea will be talking about the benefits of using a NETELLER eWallet. You can read the first post here, and the second post here.

OK, so now you know what an eWallet is and why you’d need one. The next logical step is figuring out how you spend your hard-earned money.

Different ways to use your NETELLER account

By now you know that you can send money to multiple merchants, but I like to use this account as my “travel budget.” I simply transfer a little money each month into my NETELLER account to help save for my annual vacation. Since my account is in Euro (and I’m planning a trip to Greece next summer), I can save in the currency that I’ll be using on my trip (with no surprises or huge credit card bills to pay off post-vacation).

I’m planning on using my Net+ card to pay for hotels while in Greece and I can easily access funds at local ATMs that bear the MasterCard® symbol.

Control your spending with Net+

You can use your Net+ card to pay anywhere MasterCard is accepted. It’s quick and easy to do. Plus, consider the money in your NETELLER eWallet account your “discretionary” funds. It’s a great way to control your spending. It’s also private. No statements are sent to your home address. This includes your Net+ usage too so there’s no paper trail of your shopping habits. Go ahead and buy those shoes in every colour!

Send money around the world

I also send money to family. My niece, who lives in Mexico, is going to be 1 year old in December, but since I can’t be there I’m sending her money (via her Dad of course) for her birthday. This is the quickest, safest and cheapest way I’ve found to send her cash for her birthday.

Now that you know all about the NETELLER eWallet, I’d love to hear how will you use it.

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Hassle-free travel with my Net+ prepaid cards

We’re excited to welcome guest blogger Niclas Aarestrup from Denmark. He is a travel writer and he uses his Net+ card everywhere. Follow him on Twitter today (http://twitter.com/niclasaa) and keep up with his latest travels.
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As a travel writer, I need to book numerous hotels, sightseeing tours and tickets depending on where I’m traveling. Like many of you, I end up paying for all of these with credit and debit cards.

Protect your cash and pay with plastic

From a consumer standpoint, it is better to use plastic to pay, since you’re usually better protected than when you pay with cash or use a wire transfer service. Also, many hotels require a credit card upon check-in, though some will accept a cash deposit instead. But having your fun money tied up in a costly deposit may limit daily excursions or the number of times you dine out.

In most cases you’re not punished for paying with plastic, however, in some European countries like Denmark, Sweden and the UK, customers can be charged for paying with credit or debit cards, regardless of the issuer. National laws in these participating countries require stores to clearly display the added fee and are limited on how much extra they can charge. Rest assured, tourist-friendly stores rarely add any fees.

So what do you do if you aren’t able to get a credit card, or like me, don’t feel entirely safe spending on a card that comes with a high limit and interest charges?

Benefits of a credit card minus the risk

This is where the Net+ physical and virtual prepaid cards come in handy. For one, the physical prepaid card is accepted worldwide and protects you with chip and PIN secure technology. Plus, I have first-hand experience that NETELLER does indeed keep an eye out for suspicious transactions and thus minimizes credit risk even further. It also gives you the same benefits as a credit card that you would use in the “real world” to buy airline tickets, shop or book hotels.

The Net+ virtual prepaid card has added security in that it generates a one-time use number that can never be used again. That means your virtual card number is always protected and it becomes unusable or worthless to anyone who attempts to intercept your information online.

Traveling and transacting with my virtual prepaid card

I’ve really been enjoying the convenience that my Net+ virtual prepaid card offers me. For instance, it works well for reserving hotel rooms, although its expiry date means it’s only valid for around a month.

It’s also great to pay for tickets and tours online, but be careful as you may be required to show or swipe the physical version of the Net+ card you used for payment when picking up your tickets. The virtual card also works well for buying guidebooks online that you might want for your next big trip.

First class acceptance

I have used the Net+ prepaid card to buy several airline tickets and have had absolutely no problems. With that said, you should be able to buy tickets anywhere else the card is accepted. Hotels are more than happy to accept the card, as are most stores and ticket vending machines for public transit that you might come into contact with as a tourist.

Why cash is still good

Using a credit or debit card on your holiday can almost eliminate the need to carry cash, but not completely. The main reason is that not every store, restaurant or office accepts credit or debit for payment. For example, in Denmark some merchants won’t accept international credit cards, only the national DanKort.

When it’s time to make a payment, some online payment systems that handle credit card transactions may be temporarily offline. Again this has happened a few times in Denmark, as well as in other places, so always have some cash on-hand. With that said, still feel safe with your Net+ card in your wallet, knowing it’s a widely-accepted, secure method of payment and will enable you to carry less cash.

Tell me where you have used your Net+ physical or virtual prepaid cards.

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Go for a virtual prepaid card when shopping online

Today’s post was written by Nicole. She is the Marketing Manager for Consumer Products on our Brand and Group Marketing team.

Whether you love them or hate them, there’s no denying that credit cards have made our lives a whole lot easier when buying items online.  But I’ve found that convenience can sometimes come at a price.

For instance, each month I’m in a panic to make sure that I pay my credit card bill on time so that I don’t incur the high interest charges. And I hate the idea of dealing with the headache of a fraudster getting a hold of my credit card number.

Better than a credit card for online payments

I’ve now found a better way to buy my favourite items online – I use my Net+ virtual prepaid card.  Here’s why I think the virtual card is better:

1. Contains next-generation security features

Because the card generates one-time use card numbers, it means I get a new number each time I want to make a purchase online so I never have to worry that someone will get a hold of my card number.

2. Helps me to control my spending

Let’s face it – in today’s economy no one wants to rack up debt.  I use my virtual prepaid card to make sure I don’t spend more money than I have. Plus I never have to worry about paying monthly interest charges.

3. Gives me direct access to the money in my NETELLER account

Since the card is linked directly to my account, I just put money in my account and voila, it’s instantly available on my card – no additional work needed.

4. Lets me set aside some “fun money”

Not sure about you, but I like to keep the money I have for monthly bills and entertainment separate. So I use my virtual card online to pay for games, music, books or whatever else makes me smile that day.

5. Makes online shopping simpler

I tap away on a keyboard all day, so when it comes to avoiding additional keystrokes I do. This is why I love that the virtual card auto-fills the payment web forms for me and since I downloaded NETELLER Desktop it also detects cashier pages for me as well.  To see how it works, check out the prepaid virtual card demo.

So now you’ve read about why I think a virtual prepaid card is so great, why don’t you check it out for yourself?  Just sign in to your account, go to the Net+ cards tab, get the virtual prepaid card and see if you agree.

What have you purchased online with your Net+ virtual prepaid card?

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Travelling to Croatia with Net+ – the verdict

Today’s post was written by Sarah. She is a Marketing Manager and currently works to develop business-to-business programs for NEOVIA merchants. This is the third and final post she’s written about using her Net+ card while travelling through Croatia.

netplus The one thing about Croatia is, it’s a very cash-driven economy and prepaid cards are neither widely accepted nor really preferred. This concerned me at the beginning, since I am not generally someone who carries around hoards of cash on my outings. The good news is, there are ATM machines all over the place, so access to cash is abundant. And I was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to use my Net+ card to withdraw cash from the ATMs.

This may not be the cheapest way to get money, but it was more reliable and safer than my other options. Even with the exchange rates working against me, my Net+ card was miles ahead of my other cards. And because it’s prepaid, the Net+ card kept my credit in line so I didn’t come home to hundreds of dollars of debt. It kept me in control of my funds.

So if you’re ready to take your travels beyond the all-inclusive scene and want to keep your funds safe, I suggest you try out the Net+ card. It’s quick to sign up for and easy to use.

Happy Trails

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Travelling to Croatia with Net+ – relishing it

Today’s post was written by Sarah. She is a Marketing Manager and currently works to develop business-to-business programs for NEOVIA merchants. This is the second in a series of posts about using her Net+ card while travelling through Croatia.

netplusFor my money, there’s no better way to enjoy beautiful weather than having a drink on a patio. It’s as far away from sitting in a cubicle as you can get, and the perfect introduction to a new country. That’s why after I flew into Croatia from Canada, I decided to ignore my jet lag and head to the cafés as soon as I dropped off my bags at the hotel.

I started off with a nice iced coffee, but I soon found myself getting into the wobbly pops. As the bevvies started working their magic, I looked around with contentment. One thing I love about travelling to Europe is how highly valued downtime is. People don’t sit around locked up in their homes watching T.V.; they are out socializing, meeting for coffees, catching up and enjoying life. Living in a city where it’s freezing 8 months of the year, this is truly a luxury.

After a couple of days of patio living, however, my cash flow started slowing to a trickle. I was a bit leery about combining open credit with nights on the town, and yet, carrying bundles of cash around a strange city didn’t seem ideal either. Out came the Net+ card.

With the Net+ card, I enjoyed the convenience of accessing funds from ATMs when they were available, and using it as a prepaid card when they weren’t.

I kept thinking that this card would have really come in handy on a lot of my previous trips, as it kept me in control of my spending. Something about the vacation air makes me think I’m richer than I actually am and spend more then I really need to. And coming home to debt is never a fun thing.

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