Ryanair - goodbye Visa Electron, hello prepaid Mastercard for 'free' payment
Nov 30, 2009, 8:12 am
#1
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Ryanair - goodbye Visa Electron, hello prepaid Mastercard for 'free' payment
As so many in this forum are travellers with Ryanair, I think they should know about this before it is moved.
Ryanair will be charging €5 (so presumably £5) per flight when payment is made with Visa Electron cards from 1 January 2010.
From 1 December 2009, the prepaid MasterCard will become FR's 'free' payment method.
http://ryanair.com/en/news/gen-en-301109
Thinks: hmmm, I'll keep the Visa Electron in case I book EZ or EI. Now which is the best prepaid Mastercard?
Ryanair will be charging €5 (so presumably £5) per flight when payment is made with Visa Electron cards from 1 January 2010.
From 1 December 2009, the prepaid MasterCard will become FR's 'free' payment method.
The MasterCard Prepaid card is much more widely available than Visa Electron and can be picked up from financial institutions/ card issuers throughout Europe (including Belgium, Ireland, Netherlands and Portugal) and online.
Thinks: hmmm, I'll keep the Visa Electron in case I book EZ or EI. Now which is the best prepaid Mastercard?
Nov 30, 2009, 8:44 am
#2
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I think this is absolutely priceless. (Excuse the Mastercard pun.)
FR can't advertise certain prices unless there is a way to avoid their fees. They select an obscure card (Visa Electron) that few people have as it is normally only issued to those deemed uncreditworthy for a Visa Debit card. Too many people find a way to get issued with such a card, so FR change the rules.
I doubt many will be rushing to take out pre-paid Mastercards as all come with either an initial charge or a top up charge or both, often more than FR's fees. On this basis, there is no way to avoid paying fees to someone for booking an FR flight. Priceless.
FR can't advertise certain prices unless there is a way to avoid their fees. They select an obscure card (Visa Electron) that few people have as it is normally only issued to those deemed uncreditworthy for a Visa Debit card. Too many people find a way to get issued with such a card, so FR change the rules.
I doubt many will be rushing to take out pre-paid Mastercards as all come with either an initial charge or a top up charge or both, often more than FR's fees. On this basis, there is no way to avoid paying fees to someone for booking an FR flight. Priceless.
Nov 30, 2009, 9:00 am
#3
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Thanks for the useful heads up. I have several foreign currency travel money cards from the like of Caxton FX and the Post Office, and of course Tesco 
which I use to load up on US$. Would these count as prepaid Mastercards I wonder, or will I need to get a £ one from Travelex?
which I use to load up on US$. Would these count as prepaid Mastercards I wonder, or will I need to get a £ one from Travelex?
Nov 30, 2009, 9:44 am
#5
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FrancisA is right. I had a look at MasterCard UK's list of prepaid MasterCards at http://www.mastercard.com/uk/persona...findacard.html and most offer unacceptable (to me) charges and fees.
The Tesco prepaid MasterCard with low charges looked like the answer except that it is no longer available. http://www.tescofinance.com/personal...do-i-apply.jsp
(Using it with Ryanair to buy £ fares would apparently not have generated a loading fee. http://www.tescofinance.com/personal...-card/cost.jsp)
Halo: AIUI (and I know no more than you), I'm assuming that any prepaid MasterCard will qualify for 'free' payment. If they are based on € or $, there'll be the bank's foreign exchange fee to take into account, unless you're booking in a € page with a € card. (The things we have to take into account.
)
The Tesco prepaid MasterCard with low charges looked like the answer except that it is no longer available. http://www.tescofinance.com/personal...do-i-apply.jsp
(Using it with Ryanair to buy £ fares would apparently not have generated a loading fee. http://www.tescofinance.com/personal...-card/cost.jsp)
Halo: AIUI (and I know no more than you), I'm assuming that any prepaid MasterCard will qualify for 'free' payment. If they are based on € or $, there'll be the bank's foreign exchange fee to take into account, unless you're booking in a € page with a € card. (The things we have to take into account.
)
Last edited by Roger; Nov 30, 2009 at 10:18 am Reason: Amended info on Tesco prepaid MasterCard
Nov 30, 2009, 12:03 pm
#6
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Vis Electron being phase out ( by Banks)
Hi,
According to this;
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8384034.stm
Abbey & Travelex will no longer issue the Visa Electron card.
HBOS has said it will continue to issue the card.
Regards
TBS
According to this;
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8384034.stm
Abbey & Travelex will no longer issue the Visa Electron card.
HBOS has said it will continue to issue the card.
Regards
TBS
Nov 30, 2009, 12:09 pm
#7
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Like the moribund Visa Electron, prepaid credit and debit cards are disappearing faster than Ryanair turn around aircraft.
Is it not time for ASA to put an end to this shoddy practice and force service providers to base their headline prices on average payment fees.
There was an interesting BBC Radio 4 Money Box report on this aired last Saturday:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode...ox_28_11_2009/
Is it not time for ASA to put an end to this shoddy practice and force service providers to base their headline prices on average payment fees.
There was an interesting BBC Radio 4 Money Box report on this aired last Saturday:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode...ox_28_11_2009/
Nov 30, 2009, 12:15 pm
#8
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Is there anyway to identify a pre-paid mastercard? Back when bmi charged no fees for their credit card holders I could avoid paying their card fees by selecting "bmi American Express" when paying with my regular Amex.
Anyway, I think card fees should be allowed but only if they reflect the true cost of accepting the card plus a reasonable admin fee. Debit cards are cheap to accept, there's no way that £5 a segment is a reasonable fee in this instance.
Anyway, I think card fees should be allowed but only if they reflect the true cost of accepting the card plus a reasonable admin fee. Debit cards are cheap to accept, there's no way that £5 a segment is a reasonable fee in this instance.
Nov 30, 2009, 1:17 pm
#9
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Nov 30, 2009, 1:46 pm
#10
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Good question. Visa Electron is a different product from an ordinary Visa card, but isn't a Pre-paid Mastercard an ordinary Mastercard, or is there something in the number range which requires pre-approval that marks one out as a pre paid card? Or could one just use any Mastercard as long as they select the prepaid drop down box? I suspect the former, but it's a possibility.
Nov 30, 2009, 1:53 pm
#12
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As they are co-operating, I'm sure Mastercard have provided Ryanair with a list of IIN's (the first 6 numbers of the card, which identify the issuing bank/card type) to let them identify pre-paid cards from regular cards.
Nov 30, 2009, 2:06 pm
#13
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Big, big thumbs down to FR.
Seems like the onyx card is the most efficient, at a one-off £4.95 charge.
Another way for MoL to get some free advertising, along with a new revenue stream.
Seems like the onyx card is the most efficient, at a one-off £4.95 charge.
Another way for MoL to get some free advertising, along with a new revenue stream.
Nov 30, 2009, 2:20 pm
#15
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Big, big thumbs down to FR.
Seems like the onyx card is the most efficient, at a one-off £4.95 charge.
Another way for MoL to get some free advertising, along with a new revenue stream.
Seems like the onyx card is the most efficient, at a one-off £4.95 charge.
Another way for MoL to get some free advertising, along with a new revenue stream.