Nice People 13: Nice Save

chewmylegoff

I may be wrong but aren't pre-paid mastercards expensive? I thought you had to pay a % of the amount you load on to them as a fee? May be wrong but if that is right then a supermarket gift card might be a better option if he has a supermarket that is convenient for filing up at (assuming you can use their gift cards to pay for petrol...)

silvercar

chewmylegoff wrote: »

I have a strange aversion to those pay at the pump things, I just don't like them and always pay "at the human". I've no idea why - this seems to be limited to petrol - in all other circumstances I will only pay at the human if there isn't a self-service option (except in WH Smiths as their self service tills just don't seem to work, ever).

Tesco pay-at-pump even recognise clubcards and can process fuel discounts. I find it much easier than going in and out of the till area. Wait til you have the twins in their car seats and have to decide whether to unload them to go inside to pay!

Nikkster

chewmylegoff wrote: »

I may be wrong but aren't pre-paid mastercards expensive? I thought you had to pay a % of the amount you load on to them as a fee? May be wrong but if that is right then a supermarket gift card might be a better option if he has a supermarket that is convenient for filing up at (assuming you can use their gift cards to pay for petrol...)

Sainsbury's - definitely can't use gift cards
Morrisons - my lodger has mentioned that they accept gift vouchers, but I've not tried it myself.

No idea about others, but would guess not.

chewmylegoff

silvercar wrote: »

Tesco pay-at-pump even recognise clubcards and can process fuel discounts. I find it much easier than going in and out of the till area. Wait til you have the twins in their car seats and have to decide whether to unload them to go inside to pay!

I imagine that will be the nanny's problem.

As long as I win the lottery in the next three months...

silvercar

chewmylegoff wrote: »

I may be wrong but aren't pre-paid mastercards expensive? I thought you had to pay a % of the amount you load on to them as a fee? May be wrong but if that is right then a supermarket gift card might be a better option if he has a supermarket that is convenient for filing up at (assuming you can use their gift cards to pay for petrol...)

I think only if you use them abroad. If you buy them somewhere like tesco or argos they charge about £3 to issue them. They also charge after a year's inactivity generally. And they hope you never use the small change left on them after the last decent sized transaction.

https://www.mycardservices.co.uk/MCGC/FeeSumTable.aspx

chewmylegoff

Nikkster wrote: »

Sainsbury's - definitely can't use gift cards
Morrisons - my lodger has mentioned that they accept gift vouchers, but I've not tried it myself.

No idea about others, but would guess not.

I haven't tried it but Sainsbury's website suggests you can as long as not a business gift card:

http://help.sainsburys.co.uk/help/prices-payment/payment-methods

Google suggests it works for tesco as well.

chewmylegoff

But if a prepaid MasterCard only costs £3 then that's got to be better from the point of view of flexibility.

vivatifosi

Thanks, that's helpful. There's a Sainsbury petrol station near them.

Nikkster

chewmylegoff wrote: »

I haven't tried it but Sainsbury's website suggests you can as long as not a business gift card:

http://help.sainsburys.co.uk/help/prices-payment/payment-methods

Google suggests it works for tesco as well.

The Sainsbury's petrol station that's on the way to work has (or had, haven't been there for a while) a poster on the door saying they no longer accept gift cards, as of something like March 2013. Could just be that store though I guess. Or maybe they've started accepting them again. No idea.

zagubov

chewmylegoff wrote: »

But if a prepaid MasterCard only costs £3 then that's got to be better from the point of view of flexibility.

Are prepaid cards similar to those Maestro/Visa electron cards people used to use to beat the budget airlines fees?

As chewie says, £3 isn't much to pay to get the convenience and flexibility this offers.