What is e-currency debit card?

E-currency debit card is a relatively new phenomenon. These types of cards serve the purpose of converting e-currency (electronic money that enables cashless payments and instant money transfers throughout the Internet) into cash. You can top them up with e-currencies (such as Liberty Reserve, TransXpress, Globaldigitalpay, Webmoney, etc), go to your local ATM and withdraw real cash.

Why use e-currency debit card?

As evident from its name, the primary function of such cards is to withdraw cash from e-currency accounts. If you are a frequent e-currency user, e-currency debit card will be ideal for you. However, the rising popularity of such cards is attributable to other factors too.

E-currency cards are pre-paid debit cards. It means that they can be loaded with money to make purchases anywhere the debit card is accepted. However, unlike traditional debit cards, prepaid cards are not connected to your bank account and you can spend only up to the amount you have pre-deposited. This makes the card ideal for teenagers. Parents can give the card to their child for everyday, emergency, or travelling expenses and top it up every week or every month. Parents are able to monitor their kids' spending while teaching them financial responsibility.

Pre-paid debit cards are ideal for travelling. Safer than cash, they are a great convenience to tourists and business travelers. Besides, they are great for budgeting as you cannot use more than you have deposited onto the card.
Pre-paid cards can also make ideal gifts, because they are more universally accepted than retailer-issued gifts cards. You can give it to a family member as a gift with prepaid balance on it.

Pre-paid cards can be used for payroll. The employer is able to load the card with the employee's wages directly onto your debit card. This is especially good option for organizations that employ international or temporary staff. Also, MLM (multi-level marketing) companies can provide their members with pre-paid debit cards and pay directly onto the card.

How to Choose E-currency Debit card?

There are dozens of e-currency debit cards in the market now. So, how do you choose the right one? Below are the tips for choosing the e-currency debit card that is right for you.

1. If you use several e-currencies, it is wise to buy a multi-currency debit card. Multi-currency debit cards can be funded by many e-currencies. The funding is done through an e-currency exchanger that is usually the seller of these cards.

2. Decide if you want a card that can be also used for other purposes like everyday shopping and online shopping.

3. Think about the card's logo. Visa and Mastercards are almost universally accepted, so if you have a Visa or Mastercard it will be easy to find an ATM near you to use the card.

4. Watch out for fees, withdrawal/balance limits. Make sure you ask a few important questions before you buy the card:
• What is the daily withdrawal limit?
• What is the total loading limit per month?
• What are ATM transaction fees?
• What is the ATM decline (non-sufficient balance) fee?
• What are e-currency funding fees?
• Is there a monthly card maintenance fee?
• Are there any annual fees?
• Are there any inactivity fees?

5. Choose the card that can be blocked if lost or stolen.

6. If you are looking for an anonymous debit card, find out if your name will appear on the card. There are many non-personalized pre-paid debit cards in the market. However, the bank is most likely obligated to have the client's ID. Get information about the documents you need to provide to get the card.

7. Ask if you can access your account information, such as your card's balance, transaction history etc. online. It stands to reason that choosing the card that can be managed online is always the best option.

8. Get information about the expiration date, the replacement procedure and the fees (if any) involved.

E-currency debit cards are becoming more and more popular. You can now choose from a wide variety of different types of such cards and take advantage of such benefits as easy cashing out of e-currencies, security of your money, no interest charges, worldwide functionality, and risk-free spending. While it makes sense to buy the card that has low fees and charges, we recommend you to pay attention to other details and follow the tips outlined in this article.