Some UK retailers experienced a 23% rise in online retail sales during 2010*, which demonstrates that more and more people are turning to shopping on the web. This can be attributed to the comfort, simplicity and also the privacy of shopping from their home computer.
As rates of general online shopping increase, the amount of purchases people wish to keep discreet may also experience a similar rise. In an environment of increasing concerns around levels of privacy, a prepaid MasterCard card can help to alleviate some of these worries.
Be it privacy from a partner, family member or bank, many consumers make purchases that they would like to keep discreet. A prepaid MasterCard card can offer the anonymity of paying in cash but with the convenience of being able to make a purchase online, in store, over the phone or wherever the MasterCard® acceptance mark is displayed worldwide. Everyone who applies for a prepaid card is guaranteed to be accepted (subject to terms and conditions). Also, a prepaid card isn’t linked to a bank account and so transactions won’t be recorded by a customer’s bank account provider. As no credit checks are performed, obtaining a prepaid MasterCard card won’t be recorded on a customer’s credit record either.
Products that consumers may wish to keep private can range from online dating services, to gambling, gaming and even adult entertainment purchases. For items intended for birthdays or other occasions, consumers may also wish to keep these private so the gift remains a surprise. This is particularly relevant if a bank account is shared with a partner or family member, as monthly paper statements could give away the intended surprise. Instead of paper statements, a prepaid card such as the Cashplus prepaid Gold MasterCard® can be monitored online and free balance updates can be sent directly to a mobile phone via text message.
As a prepaid card is not a credit card, customers preload cash and are able to choose a spending limit to suit their budget. For Cashplus customers, once the money is spent, more funds can be loaded onto the card account at any UK Post Office® branch or at an exclusive network of over 1000 retail stores nationwide. This could also work out as a cost effective payment method as purchases won’t accrue interest charges.
The Cashplus card also offers a range of extra benefits which make discreet purchasing even more convenient. These range from free Purchase Protection to cashback for online purchases, which both reward and protect customers.
It is therefore apparent that prepaid cards are a secure and convenient method of keeping purchases private. There are a range of reasons and situations where a customer can benefit from a discreet method of payment and a prepaid card can help in nearly all of these circumstances.
*http://www.4psmarketing.com/blog/online-at-christmas-in-numbers/
