Are prepaid cards the same as credit or debit cards?

Yes, they are!

Prepaid cards work just like a normal debit or credit card, with the exception that all transactions are approved and authorised by the prepaid card provider. So, unlike a debit or credit card, where you could go over you credit limit or overdraft, you are restricted and only able to spend funds that you have available in your prepaid account.

It’s much like a pay as you go mobile phone, where if you run out of credit, you can no longer make calls! Once you have run out of credit in your prepaid account, you need to top-up before you can continue using it.

In actual fact, given that prepaid cards are just like debit or credit cards, you can also top-up your pay as you go mobile phone with your prepaid credit card! No more trips around to the local petrol station to pick-up a top-up voucher!