How to Send Money Using a Prepaid Visa Card

How to Send Money Using a Prepaid Visa Card
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In addition to bank wire transfers and postal money orders, a new innovative method of transferring money abroad is through a prepaid Visa card. Companies such as Ikobo, ATM Cash and Secure Cash Xpress allow you to sign up for reloadable Visa cards that you can use ti send to your family and friends. Secure Cash Xpress costs $7.95 as of 2010 for sending money in the form of a prepaid card. ATM Cash and Ikobo, on the other hand, charge a percentage of the amount that you transfer. For instance, if you send $500 through Ikobo using a credit/debit card, you will be charged $21 plus a FedEx fee of $28. Sending the same amount through ATM Cash will cost you $20 plus a FedEx fee of $39.

Send Money Through Ikobo or ATM Cash

Decide whether you want to send money through Ikobo or ATM Cash, depending on their fees.

Visit the website of the company that you plan to use to send money.

Click the "Send Money Now"/“Send Money" button.

Select the country where the money will be sent. Additionally, provide your personal information such as your country of residence, full name, email ID, password and bank account details/credit card number.

Enter the amount that you want to transfer. Click "Submit"/"Send" for confirming the transaction. The company will then post a Prepaid Visa card via FedEx. After you send the money, you will get an email from the company containing a PIN code for the Visa card that you transferred to the recipient. You must contact the recipient and share the PIN with him so he can withdraw money from an ATM.

Send Money Through Secure Cash Xpress

Get the Secure Cash Xpress primary and secondary cards. You will keep the primary card, while the secondary card is to be sent to the recipient. You can buy them online by completing the online application form.

Register your card after receiving it. Visit the home page of the website and click on “Register Cards.” Follow the prompts to complete card registration.

Log in after registration. You need to enter your card number as the user name and the three-digit security code as the password. This security code can be found on the back of your Secure Cash Xpress card. You will find a series of numbers in which the last three digits are your security code.

Sign the primary card and keep it safe. Mail the secondary card to the recipient overseas. Mailing this card is secure because it cannot be used by anybody unless activated. The activation information is only available to you. Tell the recipient to notify you upon receipt of the card.

Activate the cards before using them. You can activate them online on the company’s website. Click on “Activate Cards” option from the home page. Follow the on-screen instructions and enter your PIN. Make sure you don’t write the PIN on your card or share it with anyone.

Warnings

  • You have to be in Australia to use Secure Cash Xpress, but the recipient can be anywhere in the world. ATM Cash and Ikobo operate in many countries.