Top 12 Prepaid Debit Cards Available in Europe for Hassle-Free and Secure Cross-Border Use

Prepaid cards are payment cards with a value stored on the card itself unlike debit cards, where an external account is maintained by a financial institution, or credit cards, which are subject to the credit limits set by the issuer. One of the important benefits that prepaid cards provide is the segmentation of the spending by consumers for categories such as travel, online shopping, m-commerce, etc.

The growth of the prepaid card market has been fueled by a range of factors, among which are the opportunity to perform electronic payments for those excluded from the financial system, a cost-effective alternative to cash and checks for both businesses and governments, etc.

Recent estimates suggest that in 2015, the global prepaid card market totaled £372 billion, attracting the attention of entrepreneurs and investors to a promising segment. A range of FinTech companies around the world has developed proprietary solutions to provide the convenience of a regular debit/credit card with the opportunity to limit personal spending and improve budgeting. Here are some of the most interesting prepaid debit card providers in Europe that offer control over personal funds to their customers:

Worldcore
Worldcore provides a prepaid debit card within 24 hours of submitting the required documents. The card has the ability to load funds from any bank account instantaneously and can be used as a payout solution for wages, incentives, salaries, etc. They also provide a mobile app for the cardholder. Worldcore has been recognized as the most promising Central European startup to watch out for in 2016.
A Worldcore account allows a user to get paid through bank wire, load any Visa/Mastercard credit or debit card, make online payments, make withdrawals to the Worldcore prepaid debit card and pay bills or buy any goods. It’s an absolute advantage that Worldcore cards’ daily ATM withdrawal limit is 4,000 euros and the monthly limit is 120,000 euros.
The company promises to work round-the-clock to provide the fastest possible turnaround time for people signing up for the payment account via the website. For individual accounts or debit cards, the verification process requires digital copies of the individual’s passport and an address proof. The company utilizes Thomson Reuters World Check for financial institutions as the back-end verification tool. Worldcore also offers B2B payment services. For businesses that switch their financial flow to Worldcore, internal accounts are automatically pre-created in over 10 currencies and incoming payments are credited accordingly.

Moneycorp Explorer Card
Moneycorp’s multi-currency Mastercard is a prepaid card that allows customers to load multiple currencies onto one card. The card can be used to access travel money at millions of locations worldwide. “You can use your explorer card just like you would your debit card and in addition to withdrawing local currency whilst you’re abroad, the card can also be used in shops and online.”
Earlier this year, Moneycorp successfully completed its application to acquire a bank license. The new license from Gibraltar allows Moneycorp to continue its expansion into European markets.

Acorn Account Prepaid Debit MasterCard
Acorn Account is a trading style offering of Spectrum Card Services which is a registered agent of Spectrum Payment Services. It is an independent, FCA-authorized company that has been providing current accounts and payment services since 2007. The company provides accessible but highly functional current accounts not only for personal account customers but for small businesses as well. Just like other payment cards, Acorn Account Prepaid Debit Mastercard card comes with chip-and-PIN and requires a four-digit personal identification number (PIN) to confirm payments.

Kaiku Visa Prepaid Card
Kaiku Visa Prepaid Card offers a convenient, low-cost, and hassle-free way to manage personal funds. Whether a person is paid by check, cash, or electronically, the company makes it easy to load funds, use and track them – all without charging exorbitant fees.
Users can just load the card and use it to pay bills, spend money, make deposits from the phone, check the balance and even make charitable donations. And, just to keep things convenient, Kaiku automatically connects card users to over 55,000 surcharge-free ATMs located in several countries.

Payoneer
The Payoneer Prepaid MasterCard card aims to transform the way people make payouts. Fully integrated with the company’s payout services and supported in more than 200 countries, personal payouts are promised to be available for use by the payee within two hours. Once funds are available, payees can make purchases online, in stores and at ATMs worldwide – wherever MasterCard is accepted.

ecoCard
The ecoCard is a prepaid card that can be used with an ecoAccount to spend online and in person, wherever Mastercard is accepted. Available in three currencies, it gives users control over personal finances as they can only spend what is available in the ecoAccount. The card is free, quick and easy to apply for with no credit checks or bank account required. Users can access their ecoAccount funds instantly and top up the balance anytime, anywhere.

EVEN
The EVEN card is a prepaid MasterCard®, issued by IDT Financial Services Ltd., which works on some of the largest prepaid programs in Europe, with customers’ funds held in segregated accounts at NatWest in London. The company claims to use the same exchange rates as the banks pay each other and does not mark these rates up, but rather passes them to customers.

Travel Money Card Plus
Post Office Money Travel Money Card Plus is an electronic money product issued by Clydesdale Bank PLC pursuant to license by Mastercard International. The card is not linked to a bank account, so it reduces the risk of identity theft. If the card is lost or stolen, the money is protected too.
Customers can just pop into a nearby post office for the card, load up to £750. The money can be converted into any chosen currency to spend on whatever customers want when they travel.

FairFX Anywhere Card
FairFX card comes in options for Eurozone, US and Anywhere. FairFX Anywhere Card is a prepaid card that allows the transfer of ££ from debit/credit card to FairFX card. With a Euro Card or Dollar Card, the balance will appear in that currency. With an Everywhere Card, it stays in Sterling until users spend it. Cards can be used anywhere where Mastercard is accepted.
Users can check their balance anytime on the app or online. They can also use the app (or website) to top up funds anytime. Any spare currency can be spent in the UK, saved for the next trip or converted back into Sterling. It is free in shops and restaurants, while a fee of 1.4% applies when used at an ATM.

Thomas Cook Cash Passport
Thomas Cook cards come in single-currency and multi-currency options. The Multi-currency Cash Passport card allows to load up to 10 different currencies to pay in foreign currencies to avoid exchange costs whether one is traveling overseas or shopping online.
Users can get a fixed exchange rate each time they load the card or move money between currencies. Locking in the value on the day of load (or reload) helps to avoid exchange rate fluctuations.

BREADFX Euro Prepaid MasterCard
The BreadFX Card is a Euro Prepaid MasterCard, so when users load it with sterling, it converts the balance into Euros. When used in a Eurozone country, users spend the Euros which they have already paid for, so that they know in advance what exchange rate they are getting, with no hidden fees or surprises. Users can check their card’s Euro balance at any time using the mobile phone or the internet, and top up the card 24 hours a day whenever they need to. The cards are valid for three years.
The BREADFX Prepaid MasterCard is operated by Payment Card Solutions (UK) Ltd. The card is issued by Wirecard Card Solutions Ltd (“WDCS”), which is authorized by the Financial Conduct Authority to conduct electronic money service activities.

Pleo
Pleo is an out­-of-­the-­box business spending solution that offers smart payment cards for employees. Pleo offers on-demand prepaid Mastercard virtual cards (for online purchases) and plastic cards (for in­store purchases) connected to a desktop and mobile app for both employees and managers to track and manage all company expenses in real time.
The plastic Pleo cards can be used for in-store payments, including contactless transactions and they also have a chip-and-PIN pin facility. Meanwhile, the virtual Pleo cards can be used to make any work-related online purchases.
The list of prepaid debit cards is certainly not exhaustive and we invite relevant companies to contact the LTP Team for consideration for further listings.

5 local startup leaders weigh in on what's in store for fintech in NYC

Taylor Majewski on Mar 23rd, 2017

In New York City, fintech is king. No surprise there.
The maturation of the city’s nascent technology community combined with its legacy status as the financial capital of the world has fueled the growth of this sub-industry, as fintech’s biggest players make their home here. In personal finance, there’s Learnvest and Betterment. In the lending space, OnDeck emerged as a local unicorn. When it comes to money transfer, Venmo and Transferwise are household names. And the list goes on.

To get a pulse on the current state of fintech we spoke with a number of local leaders and found out what the future of the industry may have in store — from attracting top talent to giving traditional financial institutions a run for their money.

Clarity Money’s platform gives users insights into their finances, allowing them to cancel and lower bills, receive loans, set up a savings account, monitor daily spending, manage subscriptions or even apply for a lower credit rate. We spoke with Chief Strategy Officer Marc Atiyeh.
How has being based in NYC helped Clarity Money grow as a fintech company?

Access to experts in financial services, the close proximity to Wall Street, major publications being based here and access to bank veteran bankers and consultants who know the space but are frustrated with its stagnation has helped us grow as a company.

What trends do you think you'll see in the fintech space in 2017?

I believe fintech is moving more and more towards transparency and advocacy. This is what Clarity Money stands for. We want to surface all the unnecessary fees Americans have been paying on overdraft, APR, miscellaneous fees, and allow Americans to have ‘clarity’ into the vast spectrum of financial institutions in order to recommend the one that objectively improves their financial wellness.
In short, fintech leverages technology and AI so people can ingest the complexity of this world and make decisions not because they're convenient, but because they simply make sense.

How do you think NYC's fintech community will mature over the next five years?
My hope is to see more technical talent join the New York tech community in general. There are already a few unicorns in the space based in New York and this is very promising. We are noticing a lot of people in banking and consulting who are joining the fintech community because of the lack of innovation and disruption in big corporation due to regulations and bureaucracy.

CommonBond

CommonBond is a marketplace lending platform that lowers the cost of student loans for borrowers and provides financial returns to investors. The company provides student loan options with competitive pricing, a simple tech-enabled experience and exceptional customer service that is empowered to help borrowers pay off their student debts. We spoke with co-founder and CEO David Klein.

How has being based in NYC helped CommonBond grow as a fintech company?

We’re proud to be based in NYC and know our location has contributed to our success in several ways. First, this location is unparalleled for access to talent. New York is home to so many diverse industries — from design to marketing to risk analysis — and that helps us hire top-notch team members. Second, as a fintech company, there’s no better place to be than in one of the world’s largest financial markets. Third, our proximity to customers matters. NYC has one of the highest concentrations of students and recent grads, and since many CommonBond members live and work in our own backyard, we’re well situated to stay connected. Our location also recently helped with the launch of our enterprise product, CommonBond for Business. Being in NYC propelled introductions and communication — we’ve already signed over 100 partners.

What trends do you think you'll see in the fintech space in 2017?

In 2017, we’re going to see the fintech space continue to mature. We already started to see this last year. Companies that grew in 2016 will continue to get bigger. You also have larger banks either acquiring smaller startups or launching their own products to compete with fintech companies. I think it's safe to say that fintech is coming of age.

How do you think will NYC's fintech community will mature over the next five years?

We’ll likely see more cooperation between fintech startups and larger, more established institutions like banks. Banks will have to evolve to keep up with fintech companies on all things consumer engagement — product, technology and service — but have advantages like large customer bases and low-cost capital that are desirable to fintech companies. Taking the best of both worlds will mean better, more affordable products for consumers.

Also, mergers and acquisitions is likely to become more of a real thing. Fintech companies will continue to build stronger technology faster, which incentivizes larger incumbents to keep up. Fintech companies are more reasonably valued now than they were before, and incumbents have seen strong stock gains, creating fertile ground for potential acquisitions.

Payoneer

Payoneer’s digital platform helps businesses send and receive money overseas. Today, Payoneer’s platform allows millions of businesses from over 200 countries to facilitate cross-border payments, including leading companies like Airbnb and Google. We caught up with Payoneer CEO Scott Galit.

How has being based in NYC helped Payoneer grow as a fintech company?

Being based in New York has made all the difference for Payoneer. New York has always been a financial services hub, but has really become a ‘high-tech hub’ and that has helped our digital payments business grow beyond our expectations. The combination of the city’s dynamic startup community and established financial services community has allowed Payoneer to build a very strong foundation of employees, partners and customers. There are people with big dreams in all of the hi-tech hubs, but particularly in New York many of these people have been in demanding, professional environments for years, so they bring a different focus and discipline to the table. In my opinion, there truly is no place better to start or expand a fintech company than in NYC.

What trends do you think you'll see in the fintech space in 2017?

The fintech space has always been a very dynamic one due to the constantly changing nature of digital commerce, technology, the payments industry and the multitude of evolving regulations. So there’s a real urgency to continue coming up with innovative solutions because if you don’t, you can bet your competitor will.
That said, we believe the coming year will be one of collaboration superseding competition. In 2017, we will see increased cooperation between banks and fintech companies. Rather than seeing fintech companies as competitors, banks are increasingly realizing that they need to work with technology providers to help them innovate in the digital space and age.  And fintech companies are realizing it is harder to acquire customers and that partnering with banks creates opportunity. So 2017 will be the year of partnerships in the fintech space.

How do you think NYC's fintech community will mature over the next five years?

The fintech environment here is really great and the capital environment is robust. What I’ve learned about New York is that there are more talented people than ever who find the idea of working for a young and innovative company much more exciting than the traditional financial businesses that have been driving the New York economy for decades. As a result of this, I believe that the fintech community will continue to attract top talent here and grow exponentially in the coming years.

Forter

Forter’s platform provides an automated solution to fraud prevention for online retailers. The company uses algorithms that help online retailers analyze their exposure to fraud at the time of check-out, offering a 100 percent guarantee against chargebacks after the fact. We caught up Forter CEO Michael Reitblat.

How has being based in NYC helped Forter grow as a fintech company?

Forter protects retailers from online payment fraud, working with retailers, payments companies, and e-commerce enablers. Being in New York enables me and the whole team to be close to our customers and partners, making sure we understand what their vision is and how we can help them overcome their challenges. The fintech ecosystem in the city has grown significantly in the recent years which enables us to learn and cooperate with other local companies.

What trends do you think you'll see in the fintech space in 2017?

In the last several years fintech has matured significantly as an industry segment. We've seen the creation of very successful companies building industry changing products. Fintech companies have changed the market expectations for quality of service as well as the cost of these services, all done at a scale that the incumbent financial institutions can't disregard anymore.I think that we are already seeing the signs of it, and I expect 2017 will be the tipping point year for large institution to change their services and infrastructure to base their businesses on the new technologies and business models. Not at a test, a PR stunt or a tribute to investor expectations, but with massive adoption through partnership and acquisitions.

How do you think NYC's fintech community will mature over the next five years?

NYC is still a significantly more traditional market than the Silicon Valley, especially in the financial sectors, and we haven't seen as much crossover of experienced successful executives into fintech companies. In the last few months, I’ve started to get the feeling that this is beginning to change. Several people I know, who worked for 30-plus years for big banks, have moved to startups that are challenging those same banks to be better, and leaner.
I think that we will see that become a wider trend which will mature the industry and make fintech an integral part of the financial market. I don't think that it will happen in five years, but I have full confidence that what we call fintech today will simply become banking, trading, payments, risk management, et cetera, of tomorrow. Furthermore, New York City will become an even more important player in the world market than it is today, leveraging the union of the unique strength of its tech and finance sectors.

ConsenSys

ConsenSys creates simplified and automated decentralized applications and developer tools for blockchain ecosystems, primarily focused on Ethereum. We caught up with ConsenSys founder Joseph Lubin.

How has being based in NYC helped ConsenSys grow as a fintech company?

ConsenSys now employs 160 blockchain and Ethereum experts with offices in several major cities around the world including the Middle East and Asia, making it the largest blockchain startup. About 40 percent of our staff works out of our office in Bushwick, Brooklyn. We're proud of our remote-first work culture, and at the same time, many of the Fortune 500 clients of our enterprise group works with are based in New York.

Although Ethereum is increasingly catching on all over the world, there is so much excitement about it in New York that we chose to host the launch of the Enterprise Ethereum Alliance right in Brooklyn, along with 30 partners. New York has been a financial capital of the world for many years, so it makes sense that interest in blockchain would be high here.

What trends do you think you'll see in the fintech space in 2017?

Over the past months, financial institutions have shown increasing excitement in Ethereum. The enthusiasm for the recently launched Enterprise Ethereum Alliance, where ConsenSys is a founding member along with partners like Microsoft, J.P. Morgan, Banco Santander, Intel, and BNY Mellon — is evidence of this growing trend. We think 2017 is the year of blockchain adoption for enterprise and consumers.

How do you think will NYC's fintech community will mature over the next five years?

As more fintech moves to blockchain, from startups to large financial institutions, companies will find that the technology inherently drives collaboration. Blockchain adoption may mean a shift in business models and will encourage an embrace of open source. The move to open source by large enterprise has already begun, with Microsoft publicly open sourcing Bletchley and J.P. Morgan through its Quorum platform.

Collaboration between banks and fintech platforms offers companies more efficiency by removing the need for redundant processes across institutions and creating shared source of truth databases that are secure and scalable. Today most enterprises implementing Ethereum are adopting it in a private, permissioned context. The work we are doing with EEA is to ensure that private versions of the Ethereum blockchain are compatible with the Ethereum public mainnet. To me, this looks like the early days of the internet, when enterprises were adopting intranet, then eventually moved to working with the internet. This pattern makes sense in the context we see where Ethereum represents the next generation of the internet.