As I'm sure most of you are aware, Ryanair have terminated their free
payment method of VISA Electron some time ago, the new free payment method
being prepaid Mastercard. However these often have fees for purchase, top
up, use and non use which Electron did not.

Just been past Thomas Cook, and they have a Mastercard Prepaid currency card
in currencies of US$, EU?, GB£, CA$, NZ$, AU$ and ZAR - the latter being
mentioned in yesterday's Sun newspaper when they were talking about people
travelling to the World Cup in SA.

I was thinking of getting a GB£ one just for booking Ryanair flights, but
was wondering how it compares to other offers out there. Don't fly all that
much with Ryanair, but the card fee is still annoying when I do - maybe a
three return flights annually?

Basic fees for the GB£ card a

2% or £3 min to load the card
£1.50 ATM fee (will not be using it in ATMs though)
Purchase Fee £0
If not used for 15 months there is a £2 monthly fee
£10 for negative balances
Use in currency other than GB£ is rate increased by 5.75% - do they mean
(rate+5.75) or (rate+rate*5.75%)?

There is no loading fee for the cards of other currencies, but I don't know
what the exchange rate will be when you load the card, as you are locked in
to the rate on the day when you load the card, presumably at Thomas Cook's
loaded rate? Or the actual rate on the day determined by Mastercard? Any way
of having Ryanair charge you in Euros if you are booking a one way flight
departing a UK airport?

"Steve" wrote in message
...
As I'm sure most of you are aware, Ryanair have terminated their free
payment method of VISA Electron some time ago, the new free payment method
being prepaid Mastercard. However these often have fees for purchase, top
up, use and non use which Electron did not.

Just been past Thomas Cook, and they have a Mastercard Prepaid currency
card in currencies of US$, EU?, GB£, CA$, NZ$, AU$ and ZAR - the latter
being mentioned in yesterday's Sun newspaper when they were talking about
people travelling to the World Cup in SA.

I was thinking of getting a GB£ one just for booking Ryanair flights, but
was wondering how it compares to other offers out there. Don't fly all
that much with Ryanair, but the card fee is still annoying when I do -
maybe a three return flights annually?

I would have thought that for this level of usage you are wasting your time
trying to save the fee with one of these cards.

tim

tim.... wrote:
"Steve" wrote in message
...
As I'm sure most of you are aware, Ryanair have terminated their free
payment method of VISA Electron some time ago, the new free payment
method being prepaid Mastercard. However these often have fees for
purchase, top up, use and non use which Electron did not.

Just been past Thomas Cook, and they have a Mastercard Prepaid
currency card in currencies of US$, EU?, GB£, CA$, NZ$, AU$ and ZAR
- the latter being mentioned in yesterday's Sun newspaper when they
were talking about people travelling to the World Cup in SA.

I was thinking of getting a GB£ one just for booking Ryanair
flights, but was wondering how it compares to other offers out
there. Don't fly all that much with Ryanair, but the card fee is
still annoying when I do - maybe a three return flights annually?

I would have thought that for this level of usage you are wasting
your time trying to save the fee with one of these cards.


On the other hand, if you can get one free and can minimise the fees
charged, they may well be worthwhile.

See:

http://www.moneysupermarket.com/prepaidcards/

I obtained a FairFx card for free with just a 1.5% charge for usage, which I
think it worth it.

"Norman Wells" wrote in message
news:I0SNn.1615$jL2.1592@hurricane...
tim.... wrote:
"Steve" wrote in message
...
As I'm sure most of you are aware, Ryanair have terminated their free
payment method of VISA Electron some time ago, the new free payment
method being prepaid Mastercard. However these often have fees for
purchase, top up, use and non use which Electron did not.

Just been past Thomas Cook, and they have a Mastercard Prepaid
currency card in currencies of US$, EU?, GB£, CA$, NZ$, AU$ and ZAR

I was thinking of getting a GB£ one just for booking Ryanair
flights, but was wondering how it compares to other offers out
there. Don't fly all that much with Ryanair, but the card fee is
still annoying when I do - maybe a three return flights annually?

I would have thought that for this level of usage you are wasting
your time trying to save the fee with one of these cards.

On the other hand, if you can get one free and can minimise the fees
charged, they may well be worthwhile.

I waited years before finally getting an Electron card last year. I saved
about £30 with it before it was changed to the prepay card.

In a normal year, I might have saved £60 with it, which is hardly worth the
trouble considering the bother of having one more card, bank account, online
username, password, identity theft opportunities....

And looking at the conditions and fees posted by the OP for yet another
card, it definitely is not worth the trouble!

http://www.moneysupermarket.com/prepaidcards/

I obtained a FairFx card for free with just a 1.5% charge for usage, which
I think it worth it.

I now use my Visa debit card for nearly everything. In the UK there's a 0%
usage charge for most things, and I don't have to explicitly 'load' it, as
it works off my current account. (I got fed up with credit cards, which I
was forever forgetting to pay and getting lumbered with fees, and having to
pay 'twice' for things when long-forgotten purchases appeared on the
statements)

--
Bartc

bart.c wrote:
"Norman Wells" wrote in
message news:I0SNn.1615$jL2.1592@hurricane...

I obtained a FairFx card for free with just a 1.5% charge for usage,
which I think it worth it.

I now use my Visa debit card for nearly everything. In the UK there's
a 0% usage charge for most things, and I don't have to explicitly
'load' it, as it works off my current account. (I got fed up with
credit cards, which I was forever forgetting to pay and getting
lumbered with fees, and having to pay 'twice' for things when
long-forgotten purchases appeared on the statements)

Well, if you can't handle a credit card, you shouldn't really be dealing
with money at all. Have you thought about an enduring Power of Attorney?

"Norman Wells" wrote in message
news:th8On.73791$3B3.43934@hurricane...
bart.c wrote:
"Norman Wells" wrote in
message news:I0SNn.1615$jL2.1592@hurricane...

(I got fed up with
credit cards, which I was forever forgetting to pay and getting
lumbered with fees, and having to pay 'twice' for things when
long-forgotten purchases appeared on the statements)

Well, if you can't handle a credit card, you shouldn't really be dealing
with money at all. Have you thought about an enduring Power of Attorney?

I doubt my experience is unique. You get a statement, and a date 2-3 weeks
in the future in which to pay it off. What are most people going to do, pay
it that instant?

If not then the chance of, not necessarily forgetting the payment date, but
getting within 3 or 4 days of it and *then* realising a single- or
double-bank holiday weekend are ahead, are high.

Anyway a few years back I was spending up to six months of the year away
from home, that didn't really help.

--
Bartc

bart.c wrote:

"Norman Wells" wrote in message
news:th8On.73791$3B3.43934@hurricane...
bart.c wrote:
"Norman Wells" wrote in
message news:I0SNn.1615$jL2.1592@hurricane...

(I got fed up with
credit cards, which I was forever forgetting to pay and getting
lumbered with fees, and having to pay 'twice' for things when
long-forgotten purchases appeared on the statements)

Well, if you can't handle a credit card, you shouldn't really be dealing
with money at all. Have you thought about an enduring Power of Attorney?

I doubt my experience is unique. You get a statement, and a date 2-3 weeks
in the future in which to pay it off. What are most people going to do,
pay it that instant?

Unless you need to use the credit card as a means of borrowing for longer
than the interest-free period, the best two methods a

(1) Set up an arrangement with the card issuer to have the card bill pay
itself automatically in full by Direct Debit just before the due date.

(2) As above, but set it up to pay only the minimum amount. This avoids
incurring charges when you forget to pay, so at worst you will be charged
interest. You can also avail yourself of online banking to settle the
balance. So yes, you pay it "that instant" but not quite, you merely set
up, that instant, an instruction to schedule payment for a few days prior
to when it is due.

If not then the chance of, not necessarily forgetting the payment date,
but getting within 3 or 4 days of it and *then* realising a single- or
double-bank holiday weekend are ahead, are high.

Hot tip: Even if you don't go in for this new fangled online banking,
just use a diary. When the bill comes, make an entry for a suitable
day near but early enough prior to the due date, telling yourself to pay
the bill. Easy, especially if the diary also shows bank holidays.

Besides, you *could* just do what you've already suggested, pay it that
instant. You're hardly going to lose that much interest by paying bills
a few weeks before you really need to, are you?

Norman Wells wrote:


with money at all. Have you thought about an enduring Power of Attorney?


It hasn't been possible to create new EPAs for some time now.

Steve wrote:

£10 for negative balances

If they allow you to get negative balances, that seems to remove the
last remaining advantage!

In message 62aOn.35937$J52.22950@hurricane, bart.c
writes
"Norman Wells" wrote

I doubt my experience is unique. You get a statement, and a date 2-3
weeks in the future in which to pay it off. What are most people going
to do, pay it that instant?

I have a PC, which means I can place a recurring reminder in the Windows
Calendar to remind me to pay in plenty of time to allow the clearance.
:-)
--
Gordon H
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