Tesco Clubcard Pay+ altertnative

caveman38

It's no surprise that after the Barclays takeover, TescoBank have announced that they are withdrawing this card from April 2026.
I have found this card invaluable in places that won't accept cash but can be risky carrying your usual debit card ie. swimming pool, where you leave valuables in a locker.
I would like open a similar type of card and would welcome recommendations from anyone that currently uses one.

la531983

Apologies if Im missing the point, but cant almost every card from every mainstream bank in the country be added to Google Pay or Apple Pay? Wont that do?

SysExJohn

The whole point of the pay+ clubcard was that you can top it up with a limited amount of money (what you might spend in a day or week, etc.) and then, if it's stolen it limits what the thief has access to. With the regular bank card they can steal the lot. I'm looking for a replacement too!

la531983

Ok, wont a pre paid Mastercard or Visa work then? Can these be added to Google or Apple Pay?

Or, simply have one proper card on Google/Apple Pay that has no overdraft limit, cant go into negative, and you top up from a seperate bank account. Easy enough.

caveman38

I don't use my phone for bank apps, although I see it as an option. Pay+ is a doddle. You charge it with say £25, put it in you sports bag and use it in tea rooms etc. If stolen you have no liabilities and can only lose what left on the balance. Perhaps similar to something you'd give your teenage son but I'm in my seventies and it fills my need. 

la531983

caveman38 said:

I don't use my phone for bank app

Unfortunately that is a "you" problem as far as the way the wind is blowing, sorry to be blunt lol.

Saying that though, a quick Google does confirm you can add prepaid Mastercards to Google Pay, maybe the same is true of Apple Pay and Visa cards too, so worth exploring, as you could buy minimal value ones.

osmarks

Surely you could just use a debit card from a different bank? You don't have liability for stolen cards anyway, so the main advantage would be having money while the bank investigates any theft, which a separate bank account would also work for.