New prepaid Mastercard for Moneybookers clients

The Internet e-payments processor Moneybookers has launched a new prepaid card that will allow its users to access the funds in their Moneybookers eWallet directly at any ATM or point of sale displaying the MasterCard Acceptance Mark, anywhere in the world.

Moneybookers has transferred the benefits of the Moneybookers eWallet into the offline world whilst giving its customers instant access to their cash, wherever they are, using the new product. Moneybookers is the first mainstream eWallet provider to do this, a spokesman claimed this week (apparently ignorant of similar Neteller cards that have been around for over 2 years).

Unlike existing prepaid cards customers using the Moneybookers MasterCard, issued by Newcastle Building Society in the UK, will not have to split funds and separately preload the card. Instead, the Moneybookers MasterCard synchronises automatically in real time with the funds in the customer's Moneybookers eWallet.

This innovative feature gives the card an ease of use and simplicity that makes it suitable for managing finances in a wide variety of applications. As well as allowing customers to shop online and offline, users can both book holiday flights and pay for their souvenirs when away. Businesses can pay their suppliers - all whilst managing their spending directly via their Moneybookers eWallet.

The card is available for all Moneybookers customers with a set up fee / annual fee of €10, and withdrawal fees set at €1.80 and FX fee at 1.99%. The card will initially be available in four currencies: GBP, EUR, USD and PLN.

Currently, over 12,000 new Moneybookers eWallet accounts are opened every day, the spokesman revealed, adding that the alternative payment sector is estimated to make up 30% of all online transactions by 2012, suggesting that consumers will continue to seek alternatives to banks for day to day activity.

Martin Ott, co-CEO of Moneybookers, said: "We're very pleased to be launching the next step in online payments. We recently signed up our ten millionth account holder; as this sector grows our customers are increasingly looking to exploit the time and safety benefits of the eWallet in the real world."

"As the largest provider of MasterCard prepaid cards in the UK and Europe, NCS is pleased to work in partnership with Moneybookers and together drive further the development of the prepaid cards industry," said Kriya Patel, Head of Newcastle Card Solutions Limited. "The Moneybookers eWallet offers a whole new dimension in terms of convenience and this new card brings together for customers the benefits of a sophisticated online payment platform with access to their money offline, wherever they are, whenever they choose."

Source: InfoPowa News