NETELLER Blog

Posts Tagged online payment

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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The evolution of the credit card

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

Years ago, you’d see people listening to their favourite music on clunky, over-sized portable CD players, but over time we saw tiny MP3 players emerge and take their place. Technology definitely revolutionized how we listen to our music – from playing songs off our computers to listening to tunes on a 1-inch player.

Virtual security

A similar comparison can be made about credit cards. Their technology is continually advancing to help protect your money. For instance, the major credit card brands recently introduced virtual prepaid cards that contain next-generation security features and are especially designed to protect you from fraud and identity theft whenever you pay online.

Embrace your online world

Security in “real world” transactions is knowing that your physical card is always protected from shady individuals, thanks to the added security of chip and PIN technology.

In the online world you don’t have the same protection, which is why virtual prepaid cards have their own unique security features. Most generate a one-time use number, CVC and expiry date each time you make an online purchase, thus keeping your card details safe from hackers or thieves.

There are various incarnations of the virtual prepaid card out there. For example, PayPal only offers a virtual debit card accessible from the toolbar, whereas NETELLER offers up two convenient options of its Net+ virtual prepaid card. You can either access your virtual “web card” from your NETELLER account or the desktop version that notifies you when you can use it at a checkout page. With cards like these to choose from, you can pay online to your heart’s content.

Have you ever used a virtual prepaid card? Tell us which one and what you thought of it.

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How Rick Astley made his entry into the online payment services industry

What does this 80’s hearthrob have to do with an eWallet company? It’s not a long story and totally worth the read if you’re in need of a few laughs.

Only 4 months after launching the new NETELLER eWallet brand (a long story that you can read here), a Norwegian poker forum called Donkr.com kicked off a $50 Photoshop contest to see who could come up with the best parody of the NETELLER brand personas. Now, you don’t have to speak Norwegian to get a few laughs out of the parodies that showed up, including Jessica Alba, Chuck Norris and my favourite, Rick Astley.

RickAstley

Make sure you subscribe to our blog, because we’ll be announcing our very own contest right here! In the meantime, tell us which parody you dig the most.

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The NETELLER Evolution begins

Today’s post was written by Alan. He is the Manager of Merchant Operations. He was also our first NETELLER hero.

alanOnly days into 2008, NETELLER officially shifted from a cautious yellow to a speedy green. We were changed; we were bold. And I was asked to be NETELLER’s first brand ambassador. Flattered? Yes. Apprehensive? Definitely.

What? Put myself out there?

I like the company I work for, I believe in the colleagues I work with… ok, if they think this is a good idea, I’ll put my trust in them. Why me? We’ve got a great product and, as my 7th anniversary with NETELLER approaches, I know I’ve been as much a customer as I’ve been an employee.

I soon saw myself all around our office. There was a 5-panel group photo at one entrance, a 3-panel solo shot at another, and, of course, I was on the homepage of neteller.com. Then there was also being the cover on the box of a deck of playing cards. I don’t remember how many packs I’ve given away now. Not just for friends and family, but also to our business partners.

While I don’t find my face around as much as before, I still take pride in being a part of this ambassador team – and our numbers are growing. I’ve shared many laughs and compliments; it continues to be a fun experience.

What? Write a blog entry?

Of course I will.

This is Alan. Alan has flopped the nuts, beat the bonus, and covered the spread (with his favourite team).

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Deposit money online for free in September

Today’s post was written by Leanne. She is a Marketing Manager and works mainly on the VIP program  and promotions like this one.
We were happy to hear you loved our last free deposits promotion, so I’m really excited we get to offer it to you all again!
A lot of work was needed to get this promotion off the ground. We’ve worked day and night to get it to you as soon as possible and now, the day has come! Register here anytime from September 2 to September 30 and all your deposits for the month will be free.
And VIPs? Don’t think I forgot about you. I pulled a few strings so you can get free deposits until October 14. You can thank me later.
Have feedback on our promo? Let us know by commenting below.

Today’s post was written by Leanne. She is a Marketing Manager and works mainly on the VIP program and promotions like this one.

We were happy to hear you loved our last free deposits promotion, so I’m really excited we get to offer it to you all again!

A lot of work was needed to get this promotion off the ground. We’ve worked day and night to get it to you as soon as possible and now, the day has come! Register here anytime from September 2 to September 30 and all your deposits for the month will be free.

And VIPs? Don’t think I forgot about you. I pulled a few strings so you can get free deposits until October 14. You can thank me later.

Have feedback on our promo? Let us know by commenting below.

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Being a NETELLER VIP means more than online payments

Today’s post was written by Leanne. She is a Marketing Manager and works mainly on the VIP program. She’s also in charge of the office fish tank.

fishI got my first VIP card the other day. Granted, I got it from an aquarium centre, but still I was pretty excited. I’ve never been a VIP of anything!

See, I had some trouble getting our fish tank set up properly. I started off with a few “experimental fish” to make sure everything was working all right. Unfortunately for Tester 1, it wasn’t. A few adjustments and a quick trip to the pet store later, and Tester 2 and Tester 3 were happily swimming around the tank.

I guess what was bad for Tester 1 was good for the aquarium business, because as I walked up to the cashier to pick up the replacement fish, the lady behind the counter told me I qualified for VIP status.

Images of big discounts, extended warranties, exclusive promos and awesome points programs started dancing in my head. I’m embarrassed to admit that I got excited about what benefits I would earn as a newly-minted fish store VIP.

I later found out that everyone who walks into the store gets a VIP card. There are no barriers, no qualifications and, most distressingly, no benefits associated with VIP membership. Let’s just say I wasn’t pleased. How can you call it VIP if absolutely everyone gets in the program? And why the heck wasn’t I asked the first time I came into the store 5 months ago?

The best eWallet VIP program

It bothered me because I’ve put a lot of time and effort into making our VIP program better than anything out there. I understand how important it is to give your best customers the best treatment. And with exclusive invites, set qualifications and a lengthy list of benefits, our NETELLER VIPs know they’re in an exclusive program the minute they surf through the door.

How do we identify VIPs? Very carefully. We check account activity on our e-wallets every month to make sure that everyone who fits the VIP profile is recognized for their loyalty. And if they aren’t quite there yet, our members can email us at myvipstatus@neteller.com to find out what steps they can take to join the club.

And believe me when I say it’s a club they want to join: VIPs get exclusive benefits like free withdrawals, discounted foreign exchange fees, flexible transaction limits, exclusive prizes and promos, a dedicated VIP team to serve them 24 hours a day. And that’s not to mention the copious amounts of NETPoints that VIP members can earn to enter big cash draws with.

I’ve got to stop myself before I start sounding like a commercial here, but this is what a real VIP program looks like. I’m proud of it, but tell me what you think in the comments.

As for me, I guess I’m stuck with my not-so-exclusive aquarium centre VIP card. At least I’ve got Tester 2 and Tester 3 to keep me company.

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