Prepaid American Express Card

A prepaid American Express card can make a great gift and can also be a way for travelers to have access to money without carrying cash.

Prepaid credit cards are cards which are not attached to a revolving account, but are instead funded by the cardholder. These cards are not reported to the credit bureau because they are not credit accounts. One way to think of prepaid cards is as comparable to writing a check; the money is already available when the purchase is made and there are no bills from the card to contend with at the end of the month.

There are a variety of prepaid American Express card options available.

American Express offers several different options for people who would like to purchase a prepaid card to give as a gift.

• American Express Gift Card - This card looks just like a regular American Express card, complete with the American Express logo and account number. The cards can be loaded with amounts starting at $25 all the way up to $500. They also come with the security of knowing that if the card is lost or stolen the remaining balance is not gone, but instead is placed on a new card and reissued.
• Special Occasion Gift Cards - This card is similar to regular gift cards in the sense that it can be used anywhere American Express is accepted. The Special Occasion card features fun designs on the front of the card, such as colorful balloons or photos of place settings. In addition to the fun design, the cards have the American Express logo and account number as well as the amount of the card printed on the front.

These cards are accepted anywhere in the United States that American Express is accepted. That means that cardholders can use the prepaid card at the mall, at the grocery store, to purchase gasoline, or anywhere else credit cards can be used. These prepaid credit cards do not work like regular credit cards in the sense that they may not work at gas stations when paying at the pump or for booking rental cars or hotels.

Traveling can be a lot of fun, but when you are going from place to place you may be nervous about carting around lots of cash. Many travelers are also leery of bringing along their own credit cards, because if those cards get lost or stolen their bank accounts might get emptied out or their credit accounts used up to the maximum before they even realize the cards are gone.

Prepaid cards designed for traveling can be used at ATMs and at any United States merchant that accepts credit cards. American Express also offers Travelers Cheques, but with more and more merchants accepting credit cards the prepaid travel card is becoming the most attractive choice for United States travel.

Prepaid American Express Cards come with special discounts and other offers with select merchants. Some of these offers include:

• Discounted event tickets
• Discounts at select merchants
• Discounts with activities such as bowling and movies

There are no fees for monthly maintenance and there is no replacement fee if the card is lost or stolen; however, there is a fee for personalizing a card, and a shipping and handling fee.

Prepaid cards are obviously not a long-term solution for people who do not otherwise qualify for a credit card, but are a viable option for gift giving and traveling needs.

More information regarding American Express Cards is available at the American Express website.

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