NETELLER Blog

Posts Tagged Net+ prepaid card

Back to school without breaking the bank

Having the student tuition blues? Going to school nowadays can be quite expensive. Last year I was feeling pretty down about my cash flow situation. I did some research, looked around, and finally came up with these 10 tips that helped keep my budget and my stress on track.

10 tips to help students save money

1. Drop the fancy data and phone plans

We are told through the media that we need fancy data plans, unlimited SMS, and free calling. Communications companies even have plans specifically for students. I recommend dropping the big data plan, as most phones come equipped with Wi-Fi, and your campus usually provides free Wi-Fi. Keep your phone for important calls. You can use online calling services such as Skype and ooVoo to make free calls PC to PC, or use your Net+ Prepaid MasterCard® to set up a paid account.

2. Laptops and Gadgets 

Shop early. Typically by August all of the major electronics retailers have their back to school sales for computers. Buy what you need, don’t get lured into fancy features that usually end up costing you more. Keep an eye out for exclusive student deals.

3. Meals on us

Ever heard about the school meal plans? Try to avoid these if you can. School meal plans are more expensive than they sound, and will actually end up costing you more. On the other hand, having your grocery money lying around your house might vanish too quickly on video games, booze and parties. Instead, I use my Net+ card as my meal card; it’s accepted anywhere you can use MasterCard. I buy all my groceries on my card, putting 150 USD on my card every month. This way I can ensure I don’t spend beyond my means.

4. Avoid fancy gyms

Doctors recommend 1 hour of physical activity each day. There’s many alternative ways of getting this physical activity other than paying 30+ EUR for a gym membership every month. Your school will typically have a free gym for students – check that out first. Second, drop by the athletics department; most student organizations offer several intramural teams and pick-up games to join. It’s great way to stay active and make new friends, all for free.

5. Leave the car at home

The cost of gas, insurance, car payments, and parking are just too much for any student to afford. You don’t need a car, especially when there’s public transportation available at a fraction of the cost. Don’t forget, skateboarding, rollerblading, biking and walking can also get your around for free.

6. Buy used books

After my first semester, I realized that new textbooks were a waste, especially since I would never open them again. You can save a small fortune by buying used books. Shop online for books with your Net+ virtual card, or try finding a peer who might have taken the class before. Click here if you’d like to compare textbooks.

7. Don’t pay bank fees

You need to store all your hard earned cash, scholarship, or student loan money somewhere. Most banks offer a student account; however, these accounts only offer you limited transactions, only a few free transactions per month, as well as a monthly account service fee. With a NETELLER eWallet, you can keep your funds in your account and pay for all your needs for free using the Net+ Prepaid MasterCard.

8. Avoid the credit cards

As students we love anything free. This is how most high-interest rate credit card companies take advantage of us. They’ll offer a free water bottle, shirt or a chance to win something for just signing up for a credit card. Credit card companies offer you high limits so you’re enticed to spend beyond your means and then are stuck paying off a loan with a very high interest rate. Avoid paying interest and spending beyond your means with a Net+ prepaid card.

9. Watch it online

It’s pointless to pay for cable TV when you barely have time to sit in front of the TV. Nowadays you can purchase tons of music, TV shows and even movies directly online. You can make your entertainment purchases securely online using your Net+ virtual card.

10. Control your spending.

There’s no better way to stay on budget than to know what you’re spending your money on. Keep your receipts. Set yourself up with a monthly budget for your expenses, deposit the amount you have to spend into your NETELLER account and use your Net+ card to track and control your spending. The Net+ cards won’t allow you to spend more than what you have in your account.

I hope these tips help you out as much as they have helped me. Good luck with the upcoming semester!

Today’s post was written by Jag, a Marketing Manager. Jag loves driving her big truck and visiting Las Vegas (but not necessarily both at the same time).

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Country spotlight: deposit money online in Argentina

Do you live in Argentina or know someone who does? We’ve compiled some resources to give you all the ins and outs of using NETELLER from Argentina.

Deposit funds to your NETELLER eWallet

It's easy to make a local deposit using Cobro Express and Bapro. Just follow these steps:

  1. Sign into your NETELLER account and select the DineroMail banner.
  2. Enter your Account ID and the amount you wish to deposit .
  3. Select your deposit option and complete your deposit.

Once DineroMail has processed your deposit, the funds will typically be credited to your NETELLER account within 1 business day. Click here to watch a demo.

Other deposit options:

Transfer money online to and from other sites

Transfer money to a merchant from your NETELLER account:

  1. Log in to your account at the merchant website.
  2. Go to the “cashier” page. This may also read “deposit funds” or “bank."
  3. Choose NETELLER from the list of deposit options to continue to the transfer request form.
  4. Enter the following required information: NETELLER Account ID, NETELLER Secure ID and transfer amount.
  5. You will receive confirmation from the merchant once you have completed the transfer form.
  6. The funds will be immediately directed from your NETELLER account into your merchant account and you will have instant access to them.

Read more about how to transfer money to other sites.

Transfer from a merchant to your NETELLER account:

  1. Log in to your account at the merchant website.
  2. Choose “withdraw” or “cash out."
  3. Complete the transfer form with the required information: NETELLER Account ID, NETELLER Secure ID and amount to transfer.
  4. The transfer may or may not be instant and this is dependent on the merchant.

Read more about how to cash out your winnings.

Send money to others

  • Sign in to your NETELLER account
  • Select “Transfer Money” from the QuickLinks menu
  • Input the email address that your friend has registered with NETELLER and confirm the details for the funds you’d like to send
  • The funds will be instantly deposited into your friend’s account
  • If your friend doesn’t have an account they will receive an email informing them how to receive their funds

Learn more about Money Transfer

Withdraw funds from your NETELLER eWallet

  • Net+ Prepaid MasterCard® – withdraw cash instantly, spend in stores or use the funds in your account to shop online
  • Member Wire – request for funds to be wired from your NETELLER account to your bank account within 5–10 business days. Email memberwire@neteller.com to request a Member Wire withdrawal
  • Cheque – have a cheque mailed to the address registered on your NETELLER account. Sign in to your account to request a cheque withdrawal

Sign in to your NETELLER account and select the Net+ tab to apply for the  Net+ prepaid card or to download the virtual card.

Need extra help? Download our Spanish eWallet guide or contact us.

Today’s post was written by Jag, a Marketing Manager. Jag loves driving her big truck and visiting Las Vegas (but not necessarily both at the same time).

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Getting paid without the pain

Have you ever gone on a trip or ate at a restaurant with friends and dreaded splitting up the final bill? Who owes what, did Mark eat the pizza or the salad? Someone always ends up paying too much or too little, and if you pay for the entire bill it’s not always easy to ask for your money back.

I recently went on a trip to the Canadian Rockies with a bunch of my friends. Instead of having to go through each of our food, drink, gas and hotel bills, we decided to put all of our expenses on my Net+ card and worry about the details later.

Anything from a round of drinks to a quick coffee to a weekend car rental can be effortlessly purchased and split up with NETELLER. NETELLER’s eWallet provides an e-receipt of all of your purchases, which makes splitting the bill simple.

My friends easily owed me over 100 CAD, but since I followed these 3 easy steps, I haven’t had any issues with my friends paying me back.

3 easy steps to getting your money back

  1. Talk about it before hand: Before you lend, think to yourself – are you sharing expenses? If yes, then discuss the costs and how you’re going to share them before you go. No one likes a surprise. You should also set the ground rules. How much does your friend need, can you afford to lend this amount?
  2. Set a payback timeline: Set specific dates for when your friend(s) will pay you back. Remember, don’t wait too long to get paid back.
  3. Give reminders: Remind people in advance of when the payment is due; it’s easy to forget to pay back, especially when it’s your friend.

If you like the idea of fewer payment hassles, click here to learn more about NETELLER’s simple Money Transfer service.

Oh, and if your friend doesn’t have a NETELLER account, send them an invite to join NETELLER and take advantage of our Refer a Friend program. Click here for more information.

Today's blog is by Ashton. She’s a strong charity advocate, loves Pilates, long walks on the beach… Oh yeah, and she’s a typical red head.

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Staying loyal to NETELLER

Today’s blog is a guest post from Christian, one of our VIP members.

NETELLER has been my number 1 eWallet for the past 5 years or so. While there’s a lot of eWallets out there, NETELLER has always met my expectations. I was enrolled pretty early into the VIP program, giving me lots of benefits such as cash rebates, fraud guarantee, exclusive promotions, free deposits and much more. On top of this, their customer service has always gone the extra step in giving 100% dedicated quick and great service.

Travelling with NETELLER

Wherever I travelled, whether it was around Scandinavia, to the UK, to central Europe or the Mediterranean, they have always been available if I needed any help at all. Oh, did I mention their Net+ Prepaid MasterCard®? I have it with me wherever I go, and it’s really simple. Make sure your NETELLER account is funded, go to an ATM, enter your code and there you go, CASH :) . I used it in different countries, never any hassle. But make sure to inform your NETELLER agent that you are travelling, so they don’t block your card for security reasons when they notice it’s being used in another country. I think this is actually great, in case you lose your card for whatever reason. On top of that, the fraud guarantee you have on your account together with using the virtual card should probably make NETELLER the safest option to have as an eWallet.

Cash back

Now I am waiting for cashback on my activity for the last month or so. Come on, how great is that? You actually receive percentages of your activity. Gotta love it :) . With the funds available, you can do whatever you want. Withdraw it at an ATM for a small weekend break or transfer it to your favorite merchant. Maybe you even want to surprise your friends or family with a little gift; just use the Money Transfer option in your account. If you need to deposit extra into your account, there are numerous ways to do it, although some countries have restrictions on deposit options. I prefer the bankwire option. It’s cheap, quick and you get a notification in your account as soon as the money has been credited.

So to potential new members, do not hesitate to try out NETELLER. You would simply love it. To all the other loyal members, keep enjoying it!

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Why choose a prepaid card over a credit card?

Are you on the hunt for a credit card but tend to have trouble staying on budget, or haven’t had the chance to build your credit rating? It’s unlikely that with little, no or bad credit history you’ll be approved for a credit card, and if by chance you are approved the credit card provider will likely gouge you with high interest rates or monthly/yearly fees that will definitely not make it worth your while to even have a credit card. This is all easily avoided with a prepaid card.

No credit checks

If you’re just starting out and haven’t had a chance to build up your credit rating, you may not be approved for a credit card once you go through the mandatory credit check. The same goes for someone whose credit has suffered as a result of hard times. Prepaid cards are ideal for people like this because they won’t need to go through any sort of a credit check to be approved.

Avoid high interest rates

I remember when I got my first credit card, my interest rate was in the range of 16%, which at the time I thought was high. Over the years, it changed to an astonishing 17%! After experiencing the latest increase to 19.75%, I began to realize that maybe my credit card is not the best and only payment solution. If you’re a credit card holder with a balance on your account, imagine how much you’re putting in to interest payments alone. Enter prepaid cards – since you don’t hold a balance on the card, you won’t be at risk of having to pay outrageous interest fees.

Control your spending

Have you ever received your credit card statement and thought to yourself “Hmmmm, I don’t remember buying that” or “When did I spend that much money?!” I know I have (a lot). Credit cards are an enabler of excessive spending with high limits which you end up paying for through high interest rates. If controlled spending is your goal, then a prepaid card is the best bet for you because you can deposit however much you want and once the amount you’ve allotted has been spent, you’re done until the next time you load your card, so this keeps you more aware of where your money is going.

Do everything you would do with a credit card

With a prepaid card, you can do everything that a credit card allows you to do. Go ahead, use your prepaid card to book your flights, hotel reservations, car rentals, buy books or music online or in the real world, etc. And you’ll be doing it easier with a prepaid card because you’ll be avoiding the hassle of a credit check, annual fees and those insanely high interest rates.

Choose the Net+ Prepaid MasterCard®

You get all of the above with the Net+ prepaid card. It’s free to apply, no credit check is required, and we don’t charge any interest or monthly/yearly fees. So what are you waiting for? Sign up for your card today!

Have you got your Net+ card?

Today’s post was written by Suzanne. She is the Marketing Program Manger for eWallet strategy. She also loves to shop and drive around town in her new Mini.

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Travelling money

Cards have their uses when you’re travelling, no doubt about that. Credit cards or prepaid cards like the Net+ Prepaid MasterCard® are good to have for major purchases like plane fare, theater tickets or the fancy restaurant that’s seriously outside of your daily budget but dang it you’re here let’s live a little. Things that cost an amount of money you might not be comfortable carrying around a strange city far from home. Plus most hotels will require some form of card as a deposit on your room, whether you pay in cash on checkout or already paid online. So, yes, cards are useful. But you’re still going to need cash.

Still a cash world

There’s all sorts of things out there you’re going to need cash for. Maybe you’re out to shop at an Asian night market, maybe you’re hitting a food stand because your night isn’t complete without eating something on a stick, maybe you’re in a taxi that isn’t set up for credit cards. Tips, underground tickets, vending machines, there is going to come a time when you need some cash money. The hope is that this doesn’t happen at a time when cash is hard to come by.

Finding ATMs

Yes, your Net+ card can be used at any ATM on the Maestro or Cirrus networks. And that’s extremely useful. I’ve been able to withdraw from ATMs as close to home (home being Canada) as Seattle or Las Vegas and as far away as the Malaysian island of Langkawi. But it helps to know where the ATMs are. When I first arrived in Langkawi, my initial cash roll, which had seen me through Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and the rainforest of Taman Negara, was running short. Sadly it wasn’t until after I’d left the airport and arrived at my hotel that I found out the closest cash machine was back at the airport. Lacking even the 12 ringgit (about 4 USD) for the taxi ride back, I was left with a bit of a hike to get more money. Still, it could have been worse.

When cash is hard to come by

Of all the places I’ve been to in the world, the 2 where it was hardest to get extra cash were Japan and Cuba. Japan I didn’t expect. After being able to easily withdraw cash at multiple ATMs on Langkawi, I thought for sure that it would be easy in the sprawling metropolis of Tokyo. Not so. Most ATMs in Tokyo proved resistant to my debit card. I was only able to take out money twice, once at the airport and once at a North American bank branch that took an hour or so of searching to find.

Cuba’s currencies

Cuba is a whole other problem. When I was last there, ATMs were hard to come by in Cuba. We exchanged money at the airport upon arrival, then had to make it last, because even at Havana’s Scotiabank we were unable to get extra money. The Canadian bank would not accept a Canadian card. A possible reason for the difficulty in withdrawing extra cash, as well as the reason it became a problem by the end of the week, is that Cuba has two currencies: the traditional peso, given to and spent by the locals, and the far more valuable convertible peso, given to and spent by tourists. Foreign currencies can only be exchanged for convertible pesos, and places where they’re available are few and far between. The two currencies also play a role in making Cuba a cash society; people have given up jobs as engineers, architects and University professors to work as tour guides, taxi drivers and hotel staff in order to be tipped in the more valuable currency. Not many stores take credit cards, and the ones that do add an 11% surcharge for credit purchases. Most importantly, you’ll need some cash at the end of the trip for airport fees. So make sure you know how much you’re going to need for souvenirs, food and those oh-so-valued tips.

Carry what you need

Earlier blogs discussed how your Net+ card is a smart way to control your travel budget and get around restrictions on importing currency, and it is. I mean, I don’t know about you but after spending months, even years saving up for a trip, the last thing I want to do when it’s over is keep paying for it because I put 500 dollars on my MasterCard. But once you’ve arrived at your destination, you’re still going to need some walking around money (or get driven around in a taxi money as the case may be), and it’s important to know how much you’ll need and how easily you’ll be able to get more. Look into how easy ATMs are to find and where the closest ones are to where you’re staying. A fully loaded eWallet won’t do you much good without a way to get at your money.

Today’s post was written by Danny. When not writing plays, Danny's part of NETELLER’s social media team. Danny can be found on Twitter (@danny_g).

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Don’t pay ATM fees with the Net+ Prepaid MasterCard®

You've been telling us for months and months that you love the Net+ card, but you want a break on ATM fees. We're not one of those companies that doesn't listen to its customers, so we've decided to give you exactly what you want.

No ATM fees between 8 – 11 July*

We'll be footing the bill on all your ATM withdrawals between 8 – 11 July, so whether you're withdrawing your football winnings or cashing out on your latest poker game, you won't need to worry about the ATM fee because we'll be refunding it by 30 July.** Make sure you register for XFan to get your refund.

Will you be cashing out your winnings between 8 – 11 July?

*FX fees still apply where applicable.
**ATM fees will be charged at the time of withdrawal and will be refunded to your NETELLER account by 30 July.

Today’s post was written by Suzanne. She is the Marketing Program Manger for eWallet strategy. She also loves to shop and drive around town in her new Mini.

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Skip the credit card and game with your Net+ card

More and more online gaming is revolving around online micropayments. As an example, consider your Xbox Live account. Any time you want new missions for Mass Effect, new multiplayer maps for Halo or new songs for Rock Band you need to pull out your credit card, buy new Xbox live points, spend those points on your DLC, and then deal with the credit card charges when your next statement arrives. And if you’re playing games online, you might need to supply further personal information as well. But there is an easier way.

A simpler alternative for payments

The Net+ Prepaid MasterCard® provides a simpler way to handle all of your online gaming micropayments. It’s like going to an arcade back in the 80s: you didn’t need a credit card and 2 forms of ID, just a roll of coins. Your NETELLER account keeps all your coins in 1 place so that when you are ready to play, you just need to use your Net+ card. And that means you don’t need a credit card.

The Net+ Prepaid MasterCard provides a measure of convenience over other prepaid cards or vouchers. Most such cards need to be purchased or loaded up at a store, but with Net+, you can add funds and monitor your balance online. It’s perfectly convenient: make payments in 1 window while you check your balance in another.

From the virtual wallet to your wallet

Perhaps most useful, the Net+ Prepaid MasterCard allows you to turn your virtual money back into real world cash. When your game pays money back to you, simply use your Net+ card to take out cash from any Cirius or Maestro ATM or just use the card to pay for a nice dinner. It gives you access to and control of your money at all times.

Your Net+ card lets you arrive at your gaming site with a virtual roll of coins. Spend whatever you need to without credit cards or having to share your personal information, and when you’re done your virtual coins can become real cash again. It’s the quick and easy way to handle gaming charges.

Today’s post was written by Danny. As part of NETELLER’s social media team, Danny is active on our blog and Facebook. Danny can be found on Twitter (@danny_g).

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Paper or plastic?

Today’s post was written by 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.

I remember years back when I went on a holiday to Germany and France, armed with a bunch of Eurocheques and an EC card, the now defunct European, improved travellers cheque. The system had to give up when the popularity of international credit cards made the system obsolete, though in Germany the system continued as an ATM card on the Maestro network.

An imperfect solution

The original travellers cheque is still alive and fairly well, available at some banks and exchange bureaus. But they suffer from many of the same problems the Eurocheques had and maybe even more:

  • You have to buy travellers cheques before you depart
  • You buy the amount in the denominations you expect to need
  • They are not easily redeemable everywhere, so when you need to cash them in you may have to look around a bit

Add to this that you pay a premium on top of the exchange rate, you will usually pay a fee to cash them in and they are only available in certain currencies. If your travellers cheques are not in the currency of the country where you cash them in, you will lose even more of your hard-earned cash to exchange fees. However, they do have 1 advantage: you can get them replaced if they are lost or stolen, even without travel insurance.

Pick up a Net+ Prepaid Card

I have personally been using the Net+ Prepaid MasterCard® for a while now in several different countries and paying in several different currencies. It has many advantages over travellers cheques. Perhaps the biggest advantage is the fact that I can use Net+ to pay at many locations. The Net+ card works at ATMs when I need cash, but it also works in hotels, stores, restaurants and onboard all the ships I’ve been travelling with lately, which reduces my need to carry large amounts of cash.

I have set up my NETELLER account and Net+ card in my local currency, which makes it easy to keep tabs on costs and also means that no matter what foreign currency I pay in, I will only incur a single exchange fee. But even if I hadn’t made this choice I could usually still spend less on exchange fees than I would have with travellers cheques.

As for security, the card is protected by the Chip & PIN system, and only the funds in your NETELLER account are available for withdrawal or purchase with certain limits to how much can be spent or withdrawn within any 24-hour period. Do remember to carry the Net+ support phone number and remember the details needed to cancel the card if you should have your card stolen (and don’t forget to report the theft to local police as well).

Control your spending with a prepaid card

If you’re going to be travelling for a while, for instance that dream trip around the world, you could set up bank transfers from your bank account to your NETELLER account at an interval you choose. This can help control your spending as well as limit any loss you might incur from theft. But if you find you need more money than you had planned, you might also be able to make additional transfers while you are on the road. 1 other smart feature is that if you have close family or friends with NETELLER accounts, they can quickly and easily send you more money if you run into problems, without having to pay high fees.

Final travel tips

As always when travelling abroad I would recommend taking out travel insurance or making sure you are completely covered by your existing policies. Not only can you get money or other valuables replaced, but if something unforseen happens, like the recent grounding of all planes in northern Europe, or if you need to go to a doctor or even a hospital, your policy will cover it.

And above all, always remember:

  • Never carry around large sums of cash and don’t let anyone see what you have inside your wallet
  • Never let anyone see or know your PIN
  • If at all possible, never let your Net+ or other debit and credit cards out of sight. This can be hard at bars and restaurants but unfortunately apply even more so in these locations where skimming of cards can happen in mere seconds. Luckily the increasing use of the chip function eliminates this risk.
  • Make sure you have the phone numbers and details available if you should need to close your cards.
  • And above all of this, always use common sense when travelling

Safe journeys this summer!

 

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Pay for Jade Tales with your NETELLER eWallet

I’ve already talked about my weakness for the occasional Facebook game, so it probably won’t come as a surprise to you that I’ve found another great game. What may be a surprise, however, is that you can use NETELLER to pay at this one.

Jade Tales is an MMOG that lets you and your friends play Amazons protecting your village from Viking invaders. You can do daily quests, fight other players or work to earn money, and if you’re lucky you’ll find the occasional piece of jade. What’s jade? It’s a special currency that will let you skip through quests rather than wait 15-20 minutes for them to complete. So for an impatient person like me, jade isn’t just convenient, it’s necessary.

When I went to pay for some jade the first time I was pretty excited to see that I could use my NETELLER eWallet. I was already planning on using my Net+ virtual card (remember, I don’t need my husband finding out every time I spend my money on something geeky) but when I saw I could use my NETELLER account, I had to try it out. No surprises here—it was instant and free and I was able to keep on questing.

Give Jade Tales a try and let us know what you think.

This post was written by Tara. She is our Manager of Marketing Communications and you can catch her blogging regularly about pop culture and geek stuff at www.versusboredom.com.

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