how do I get a low cost annonymous virtual prepaid debit card from a
reliable company, preferably a US bank supported debit card, without
the requirement for ssn or other identification. a virtual master card
or visa card that can be accepted every where credit cards are also
accepted on the internet. most I saw had too high prices or did not
have a locatable contact address in US. CASHX is adequate but I seek
alternatives that do not require ssn numbers or too much
identification. and not necessarily students debit cards

Good morning!

Both Mastercard and Visa offer the very thing you seek - prepaid debit
cards that are accepted everywhere Visa and Mastercard are accepted,
no SSN required.

You can purchase Mastercard prepaid debit cards at many grocery and
convenience stores nationwide.  No information is taken from you when
you buy these in person, and you can load them with up to $500 at the
time of purchase.  The activation fee is $6.95, and you can reload
them as needed for a processing fee of just $2.

Alternatively, you can purchase either an eCount or Webcertificate
prepaid card from Mastercard online:

MasterCard Prepaid Cards
http://www.mastercard.com/cgi-bin/afac/searchresults.cgi?prdctid=3

eCounts are limited to a maximum value of $500.  Webcertificates are
limited to a maximum of $200.  Both require a $6.95 activation fee,
and subsequent re-loads incur a fee of just $2.  Neither card requires
you to submit your SSN.

Bank of America and Visa have partnered to offer a Visa Gift Card. 
Like the prepaid Mastercard, you are not required to submit an SSN for
purchase.  Cards can be had for any amount between $25 and $600,
require activation fees from $5.95 - $11.95 depending on the
denomination and whether you order online or over the phone, and are
reloadable for a fee of $2 per transaction.

Visa Gift Cards are currently only available for purchase online or
over the phone:

Visa Gift Card 
http://www.bankofamerica.com/creditcards/index.cfm?template=cc_giftcard.cfm

A longshot:

If you live in one of 19 states served by KeyBank, you can purchase a
"Key Possibilities" prepaid debit card - they are available only in
person at Keybank locations, but require no identification and no
application.  The fee is just $3.95.  They do not appear to be
reloadable, however.

If you live in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida,
Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Nevada,
New York, Ohio, Oregon, Utah, Vermont or Washington, this is a good
alternative:

Key PrePaid Debit Card
http://www.keybank.com/templates/t-ps2.jhtml?nodeID=H-8

Looking into other prepaid cards which do not require an SSN, I found
that your options are rather limited, and ridiculously expensive. 
Brokers of such cards advertise their "low activation fee" of "just"
$45 or more!

I hope this information is helpful to you!

--Missy

Search terms: [ prepaid debit card ]

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Request for Answer Clarification by bankingservice-ga on 04 Nov 2002 09:25 PST

I was thinking of a card that is virtual, i.e can be accessed over the
internet. A card that does not have any plastic. and would not need to
be shipped. even if it has to be shipped it can be accesed over the
internet without the need for ssn.
http://www.mastercard.com/cgi-bin/afac/searchresults.cgi?prdctid=3
almost solved the problem but still required an ssn to sign up for
online access to the creditcard information and account balance.

---

Clarification of Answer by missy-ga on 08 Nov 2002 06:52 PST

Hello again,

My apologies for taking so long to get back to you.  I've been offline
for the week while I've had guests in from overseas.

There are three different cards available here:

http://www.mastercard.com/cgi-bin/afac/searchresults.cgi?prdctid=3

The first one, the CitiCard, is a student debit card linked directly
to a bank account.  Like most cards linked directly to a bank account,
that one will require a social security number.

The other two, however, are not linked to a bank account, do not
require a Social Security number and do not require plastic (but do
offer the option of receiving a plastic card if you wish to use your
account offline).

The WebCertificate and eCount options, though offering different
Customer Service phone numbers, are operated by the same company. 
Calling WebCertificate at 1-800-511-1781 and eCount at 1-877-326-8685
got me connected both times to AJ in the Customer Service Department,
and he confirmed that a Social Security number *is not* required for
either of these accounts.  You may check your balance with only a user
name (your e-mail address), account number, and a password.


--Missy

Another posibility:

Rite Aid Drugstores, and some convenience stores sell IGEN prepaid
Mastercards with a $9.95  initial fee, $4.95 / mo fee, and there are
reload fees too, but they are easy to get at a Rite Aid store, if one
is nearby - they have a $500 limit.
http://mymccard.com

It would appear that a theif could use one of these cards at
considerable reduced risk, and probability of recovering any of the
remaining balance would be small, for the person who lost it.  Neil