FAQS
Q: What is the Chequepoint Prepaid MasterCard?
A: The Chequepoint Prepaid MasterCard is a Chip & PIN prepaid MasterCard®. The Chequepoint Prepaid MasterCard is a payment card that works a bit like a pay as you go mobile phone. No interest charges on the card. You can only spend what you have loaded on the card. Once the money loaded onto the card has been spent, you cannot spend any more until you have topped it up. The Chequepoint Prepaid MasterCard is available from leading retailers in a handy Instant Issue retail pack or via our website.
Q: What fees will I pay?
A: Please see the full tariff summary (link)
Q: How much does the Chequepoint Prepaid MasterCard cost?
A: There is an issue fee. Please see pricing in the Tariff Summary. Other card usage fees apply and these are clearly detailed in the Fees Summary section of the card terms and conditions.
Q: Is there an age restriction on buying or upgrading the Chequepoint Prepaid MasterCard?
A: You must be 18 years or older to buy a prepaid card. You can buy a Companion Card as a gift for someone else; however, they do need to be aged 13 years or older. Therefore, you could for example buy one for your teenager and give it as an alternative to pocket money. When buying a card for a young teenager, we recommend it be used with parental guidance.
Q: Do I need a bank account to get a Chequepoint Prepaid MasterCard?
A: No. You do not need a bank account to get our Chequepoint Prepaid MasterCard.
Q: Can I get a Chequepoint Prepaid MasterCard even if I have been made bankrupt or have any County Court Judgments?
A: Yes. Credit checks are not required for a Chequepoint Prepaid MasterCard or to apply for a card upgrade.
Q: Can I get a Chequepoint Prepaid MasterCard if I do not currently live in the UK?
A: No, you need to be a UK citizen residing at a UK address. You will be required to provide proof of identity in the form of a UK or International passport or UK driving licence.
Q: What is a pending transaction?
A: A pending transaction is a temporary charge held against your available funds. It relates to:
- - A transaction (purchase or cash withdrawal) you have made using your Chequepoint Prepaid MasterCard, which has been authorised for payment, but has not yet reached your account.
- - Reserved funds requested by certain retailers. (E.g. upon check-in some hotels take your Chequepoint Prepaid MasterCard details for an 'authorisation transaction' that reserves enough funds to cover your bill)
- - A payment or cash withdrawal you have made to your account, which has not yet cleared.
Q: What happens to a pending transaction?
A: The pending transaction either will turn into a financial transaction or will be removed automatically within 14 days
Q: Do I need to do anything if I have a pending transaction on my Chequepoint Prepaid MasterCard Account?
A: No. Having a pending transaction on your account is part of the process by which a purchase is charged to your account. However, if you think the pending transaction may relate to fraudulent use of your card, please contact us immediately.
Q: What does failed transaction mean?
A: This is where the transaction has not completed. This could be due to a number of reasons; insufficient funds, the merchant has rejected payment if the correct verification has not been provided, the PIN has been entered incorrectly, or if you are at an ATM, the daily cash withdrawal amount may have been exceeded.
Q: What does commission mean on my statement and why was it taken?
A: This is for fees associated with a purchase or cash withdrawal you have made. Please click here to review our Tariff Summary.
Q: How can I top up my card if I am overseas?
A: You can only top up your card overseas if you have internet banking enabled
Q: My wages/benefits have not yet been paid onto my card
A: If it is 3-5 working days since these were paid onto your card, please contact Customer Services with the following information: Your card number and name, the exact amount that was meant to be paid to your card and who it is coming from.
Q: How can I top up using my debit card?
A: To top up using your debit card you need to have online banking. You will then make a payment/bank transfer and follow the onscreen instructions from your bank.
Q: I am trying to pay my mobile phone bill but it is being refused
A: Some mobile phone operators do not accept prepaid cards as payment methods. Please check directly with your mobile phone operator.
USING YOUR CHEQUEPOINT PREPAID MASTERCARD
Q: Where can I use My Chequepoint Prepaid MasterCard?
A: The Chequepoint Prepaid MasterCard is accepted at over 30 million locations worldwide and at more than 1 million ATM’s, which display the MasterCard Acceptance Mark.
Q: Should I get a receipt when purchasing or topping-up my Chequepoint Prepaid MasterCard?
A: Yes. The retailer should always give you a receipt when you buy or reload your card. If you are buying a Chequepoint Prepaid MasterCard over the internet, make sure you print out and keep a copy of the receipt page.
Q: Do I need to register my details with you to activate or use my Chequepoint Prepaid MasterCard?
A: It depends on which type of card you have, if you purchased your card in-store you will need to provide additional data to us during activation. To use your card you first need to activate it. To activate your card online click here and follow the prompts, or to activate via our customer support line, you can find our contact details here.
Q: Do I need to provide Identification to activate or use my card?
A: No, the beauty of the Instant Issue Chequepoint Prepaid MasterCard is that you do not need to supply any form of Identification or documentation at the time of purchase or activation. Until you have provided us with an acceptable form of ID, you may use your card, but the following limits and rules apply:
- 1. The maximum total amount that can be loaded within a 12-month period is £1650 (loaded in one sum or increments thereof).
- 2. The card will cease to function 12 months from the date of activation/ or when the turnover on your card has reached a total of £1650 where ID verification has not been completed.
- 3. The maximum ATM withdrawal is £250 per day and a total value of £650 cash can be withdrawn from your total £1650 annual turnover allowance.
Once you have provided us with an acceptable form of ID, this will allow you to hold up to £1,650 on your card at any one time, to load up to £1,650 per day. In some cases, we may require you to send us more documentation as part of your application to enable us to grant you these limits.
You are able to upgrade to the Fully Personalised Chequepoint Prepaid MasterCard buy providing the correct ID verification such as a UK Drivers Licence or passport and paying the upgrade fee of £4.99 at any time.
Q: How can I check my balance and transaction history?
A: We give you the tools to help control the spending on your Chequepoint Prepaid MasterCard in real time, 24 hours a day, and 365 days per year. You can manage your card from your very own secure account management area on the website, via our IVR (automated telephone system) or by using simple text commands from your mobile telephone.
Q: Is there a limit to the number of Chequepoint Prepaid MasterCard’s that I can purchase or upgrade?
A: Generally, we recommend one Chequepoint Prepaid MasterCard per user, although you can order a second card (only one secondary card is allowed per primary card) on the same account. Requests for more than one Chequepoint Prepaid MasterCard in the same name may be issued at our sole discretion.
Q: Will I earn interest on my Chequepoint Prepaid MasterCard Card?
A: You will not earn any interest on any funds loaded on your Chequepoint Prepaid MasterCard.
Q: What is a security number (CVV2)?
A: The CVV2 number is the last 3 digits on the back of your card. The CVV number is required to activate a card you bought in store and to purchase goods online or over the phone.
Q: Can wages or benefits be paid onto the card?
A: Yes, please download the wages form in the following link and hand it to your employer or Benefits Officer to arrange.This should only be set up on cards that have your name printed on them.
Q: Can the card be used with PayPal?
A: Yes, you will need to load and activate the card before you will be able to link it up to a PayPal account.
HOW DO I TOP-UP MY CARD
Q: Can I use my Chequepoint Prepaid MasterCard straight away?
A: After you have activated your card and loaded funds, you will be able to use your card to shop online and over the telephone. Once you have retrieved your PIN you will be able to shop in-store and withdraw cash from an ATM.
Q: I have just topped-up my Chequepoint Prepaid MasterCard. How long does it take you to load the money onto my card?
A: PayPoint: Once loaded, funds will normally be available for use on the card within two hours.
Bank Transfer: Funds will normally be available for use on the card within one hour of receipt from your bank however, different banks vary. In some cases, funds can take up to five working days to appear on your card depending on which method you used to move funds. Please talk to your bank directly.
Post Office, BCF and Chequepoint Branches: Once loaded, funds will normally be available for use on the card by 10.30am the next day for loads carried out Mon to Thurs. For loads actioned on Fri/Sat, the funds will be available to spend by 10.30am on Monday.
A: PayPoint: Once loaded, funds will normally be available for use on the card within two hours.Bank Transfer: Funds will normally be available for use on the card within one hour of receipt from your bank however, different banks vary. In some cases, funds can take up to five working days to appear on your card depending on which method you used to move funds. Please talk to your bank directly.
Post Office, BCF and Chequepoint Branches: Once loaded, funds will normally be available for use on the card by 10.30am the next day for loads carried out Mon to Thurs. For loads actioned on Fri/Sat, the funds will be available to spend by 10.30am on Monday.
Q: What are the smallest and largest amounts I can load onto my Chequepoint Prepaid MasterCard?
A: You can load as little as £25, up to £499 at any PayPoint location, £500 at any Post Office and up to £1500 at any BCF or Chequepoint Branch. You may also load your card via bank transfer or have your wages/ benefits paid directly onto your card.
KEEPING YOUR CARD SAFE
Q: What if my Chequepoint Prepaid MasterCard is Lost or Stolen?
A: You should call customer service immediately using the telephone numbers listed on the contact us page. You can also temporarily block your card by sending a simple text message from your mobile phone. We will issue you with a new card if required and move the funds across from your old card.
Q: How will I get my PIN?
A: Call our automated system on 0871 990 0506. You will be first asked for your 16 digit Chequepoint Prepaid MasterCard number and your date of birth. Once you have provided these, please follow the simple instructions. Please note that if at any time you forget you’re PIN, you can access it via the ‘My Account’ area of the website, at any time by simply logging in and selecting PIN Reminder.
Q: I have entered the incorrect email address, how do I change this?
A: Please email us or contact our customer support line, you can find our contact details here. We will modify your contact details.
Q: Can I change my PIN?
A: It makes good sense to change the PIN from the one you are initially issued with to one that is easy to remember. This is easily done at most cash machines in the UK or abroad. All you do is insert your Chequepoint Prepaid MasterCard and enter the PIN you were issued with. If the PIN change option is on offer at the cash machine you are using, the instructions will pop-up on the screen.
Q: What address should I give when I purchase goods online or by mail order/phone?
A: You need to use the registered address you gave at the time of activation. Remember you can always update your details by visiting the Members area of the website.
Q: I am not happy with the service. How do I make a complaint?
A: We hope that you never have to complain about our products or services, however we accept that on some occasion’s things can go wrong. Where we are at fault, we want to put things right as quickly as possible, and will apologise to you. If you are unhappy with our products or services for any reason, you should tell us so that we can investigate your concerns. You can tell us: by telephone on 01753 77 5109; email at pct.enquiries@banctec .com; or by writing to Customer Services at Card Services, P.O. Box 67528, London, EC2P 2HU
In most cases, we hope to resolve any problems within 24 hours. In some cases, we understand that it is not possible to resolve a problem in that timeframe, and in those cases, we will write to you within 5 days of receiving your complaint to acknowledge your concerns, and will provide you with details of our complaints procedure. If you remain unhappy after your complaint has progressed through our complaints procedure, you may be able to refer your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service. The Financial Ombudsman Service is an independent and impartial service that looks to settle individual disputes between businesses providing financial services and their customers – this is free for customers. You can contact the Financial Ombudsman Service by telephoning 0845 080 1800.
Q: What should I do if my PIN is blocked?
A: Please contact Customer Services
Q: Can I use the card to hire a car or make a hotel reservation?
A:Yes you can. However, if you use your card to guarantee a payment, the funds on your card will be pre-authorised and blocked for payment of that service. Some businesses - car hire and hotels in particular - may block more funds than you expect to use and this will affect the available balance on your card. The blocked funds will not be available for you to use until the final bill has been settled and cleared via MasterCard. Usually, any unspent amount is made available for use within a day or two of payment, however in some instances it can take up to 14 days for the transaction to be fully processed and for your card to be credited.
UPGRADING YOUR CARD
Q: How do I upgrade my card?
A: To upgrade your card you simply go to the website and log into the ‘My Account’ area.
Q: When I upgrade my card, do I have the same card details?
A: If you successfully upgrade to the £1,650 limit, you will keep the same card details. If you upgrade to the personalised card, a new card will be issued and you will receive new card details.
Q: Can I have a card with my name on it?
A: Yes, you will need to apply for the Fully Personalised Chequepoint Prepaid MasterCard, and supply the correct ID documentation.
Q: What forms of ID are acceptable to upgrade my Chequepoint Prepaid MasterCard or buy a Fully Personalised Chequepoint Prepaid MasterCard?
A: The following documents are acceptable*:
- 1. UK or International Passport
- 2. Full UK Photo Driving Licence
*all the above documents must be within the validity date and not have expired. Please click here for the complete list of documents that are accepted. If you do not have any of the above documents, do not worry, we may still be able to upgrade your card. Please call customer services for further assistance.