Prepaid Visa card for orders

HerbalT · 08-25-2009, 03:47 PM

Can anyone tell me where to get a prepaid visa that isn't a ripoff and/or require a social security # when activating?

I'm in the US, btw. I just looked at a couple, and one wants $10 just to buy it, $20 minimum balance, and $5 monthly usage fee or whatever.

W33DM4N420 · 08-25-2009, 04:26 PM

Green Dot card from Wal-Mart.

HerbalT · 08-25-2009, 04:32 PM

Thanks, W33D.
I checked them out too. My local only had the Visa in stock, but they still want your SSN and like $3 a month for usage fees or whatever. I only needed like $10 on it for right now and they also have a $20 minimum load. For future orders I might use one of these if I can't find anything else I like, but for what I just ordered I broke a rule and used my debit visa. It was only for a shipping charge, so product names won't show up anyway.

Allglad · 08-25-2009, 04:42 PM

if you have someone you can trust you can always put the card on their name & pay the bill yourself.

HerbalT · 08-25-2009, 06:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Allglad

if you have someone you can trust you can always put the card on their name & pay the bill yourself.

That's not really possible right now, but thanks for the suggestion, it may come in handy later on.

I don't have much of a problem using my personal card for construction supplies and such, just want to figure out a solution for when I may need to buy "hobby specific" things like nutes and tech.

HerbalT · 08-25-2009, 08:47 PM

Well, it looks like any of the reloadable CCs now require a US citizen's SSN. I just copied this from one of their sites-

"in order to assist the government in the fight against the funding of terrorism and money laundering activities, all financial institutions are required by Federal law to obtain, verify, and record personal data which identifies each person."

So short of setting yourself up with a new identity, there's no way that even one of the reloadables can't be traced back to you. I guess there's no point in using one of them over an ordinary CC now.

**burndt** · 08-25-2009, 08:58 PM

Here's what I found:

Quote:

Welcome to the world, post September 11 – a world where the terrorists took many things from us, including the ability to easily find anonymous prepaid credit cards. Back in the day, you used to be able to get a prepaid credit card without even supplying your real name. Nowadays, it's hard to find one that doesn't require a social security number. We have stricter laws to thank for this – laws that are supposed to keep us safe from terrorists (but somehow affect our own freedoms at the same time). If you're wondering how to get access to truly anonymous prepaid credit cards, here are some things to keep in mind.

Why Would Someone Want Anonymous Prepaid Credit Cards?
Before we go into the "hows" of anonymous prepaid credit cards, let's discuss the "whys" of the matter. Some believe that only those with something to hide would want one to begin with. This couldn't be further from the truth.

Whenever you make a purchase with a credit card, your spending habits are tracked. Every movie you rent, every medication you buy – it's all there on display in some database somewhere. Do you really want Uncle Sam knowing what you eat for dinner, where you shop, what movies you watch and what you buy when you go to the mall?
Alas, there is often a legitimate need for anonymous prepaid credit cards and privacy is one of them. Some of us just aren't comfortable with the fact that every non-cash purchase we make can be tracked. It's not that we're doing anything wrong – it's just that it's no one else's business.

Of course, paying for everything with cash isn't always an option. Ever try buying something online with cash? Tell me how it goes for you. Sometimes the only solution to privacy woes is an anonymous prepaid credit card.

They Are Out There

If financial institutions are requiring names, addresses and social security numbers for prepaid credit cards, is "anonymous" a thing of the past? Not necessarily.

You can indeed find anonymous prepaid credit cards. They're just not wrapped up the same anymore. Companies like Visa and American Express now offer gift cards that work much the same way that prepaid credit cards do, but you don't have to provide personal information to buy or use them.

That being said, it's important to note that some prepaid gift cards are now requiring you to register them with a social security number. How do you get around this? Know which ones don't require this information. The American Express gift card is one of them. So is the Vanilla Visa gift card.

The Reload Issue

Some of these gift cards are re-loadable and some are not. Sometimes it depends on where you purchase them. If you want to use these as anonymous prepaid credit cards and don't want to keep changing your credit card number each time the balance runs out, make sure you get one with a re-load option.

Don't give up hope yet, my privacy-conscious friends. While getting anonymous prepaid credit cards isn't as easy as it used to be, it can still be done.

Article Source: Max Anderson - EzineArticles.com Expert Author

EDIT: I could not find a date on the article

**bluecheese** · 08-25-2009, 09:03 PM

I don't know if it is still true or not, but malls owned by a company called Simon had prepaid cards that did not require any registration. They came in denominations up to $500.

I have not tried to use one, so I don't personally know, this is just what I have heard. There are Simon owned malls EVERYWHERE! (I used to do contract auditing for them.)

Just look in your yellow pages for shopping malls, call the main office and ask who owns the mall. It's no big deal.

HerbalT · 08-25-2009, 09:29 PM

Thanks, Blue, I'd forgotten about Simon cards. There are a couple simon malls in my stomping grounds, I'll have to see if they need SSN or not.

Just checked them online and it looks like they may not require SSN because they aren't reloadable. I'll do some more digging later and post any details that seem important.

**Silentsmoke** · 08-25-2009, 09:45 PM

Yup, I think nowadays you might as well just order with a regular cc!

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Ordering OnLine: Prepaid Debit Cards	Dr. Funkenstein	Security	17	07-08-2009 11:58 AM
VISA Gift Card To Buy Seeds	ADIDAS	Seed Banks	11	12-28-2007 08:40 PM
Credit Card Orders- Billing Statements?	soil_man2002	Seed Banks	5	11-20-2006 06:42 AM

New To Site?	Need Help?
Register to Participate View Forum Leaders Privacy Statement Contact Us	Frequently Asked Questions Did you forget your password? Mark Forums Read

Hot Products: