- Local time
- 12:43 AM
- Posts
- 5,737
- OS
- Windows 10 Pro + others in VHDs
Recently, I mislaid by debit card and due to weekend, and I cancelled it - it took 5 days to get a replacement.
Problem is I do not live near a bank, and cannot easily draw cash without a debit card.
Also, I could not order food from supermarkets without a debit card (major uk supermarkets do not accept paypal).
Also Google pay would not work either.
So for a few days I was up a creek without a paddle.
So I decided to apply for a visa virtual debit card which work on a pay and go basis (like mobile phones) where you top up card with dosh, and then you can use it to pay on line like any debit card. I also paid £2.50 for a physical card I can use in ATMs.
This worked a charm, and then I thought about it - I can leave my main debit card at home, top up the pay and go account from my bank and use the pay and go card whilst out.
Why would I do that?
Well, if my physical pay and go debit card get stolen, the thief can only steal as much as is credited on the pay and go card.
I have linked my google pay to same card as well for same reason.
It only takes a minute or two to top up card.
There are limits on cash withdrawal (2 free ones up to £200 each in a month), thereafter modest £0.50p per withdrawal in a month.
Withdrawals over £200 get pricey at 1.75% though.
Having said that I rarely draw that much cash in a month - about the only place I use cash is in bars or local shops and most take google pay these days.
My main debit card will now rarely leave home and much less risk of getting stolen or lost.
Problem is I do not live near a bank, and cannot easily draw cash without a debit card.
Also, I could not order food from supermarkets without a debit card (major uk supermarkets do not accept paypal).
Also Google pay would not work either.
So for a few days I was up a creek without a paddle.
So I decided to apply for a visa virtual debit card which work on a pay and go basis (like mobile phones) where you top up card with dosh, and then you can use it to pay on line like any debit card. I also paid £2.50 for a physical card I can use in ATMs.
This worked a charm, and then I thought about it - I can leave my main debit card at home, top up the pay and go account from my bank and use the pay and go card whilst out.
Why would I do that?
Well, if my physical pay and go debit card get stolen, the thief can only steal as much as is credited on the pay and go card.
I have linked my google pay to same card as well for same reason.
It only takes a minute or two to top up card.
There are limits on cash withdrawal (2 free ones up to £200 each in a month), thereafter modest £0.50p per withdrawal in a month.
Withdrawals over £200 get pricey at 1.75% though.
Having said that I rarely draw that much cash in a month - about the only place I use cash is in bars or local shops and most take google pay these days.
My main debit card will now rarely leave home and much less risk of getting stolen or lost.
My Computer
System One
-
- OS
- Windows 10 Pro + others in VHDs
- Computer type
- Laptop
- Manufacturer/Model
- ASUS Vivobook 14
- CPU
- I7
- Motherboard
- Yep, Laptop has one.
- Memory
- 16 GB
- Graphics Card(s)
- Integrated Intel Iris XE
- Sound Card
- Realtek built in
- Monitor(s) Displays
- N/A
- Screen Resolution
- 1920x1080
- Hard Drives
- 1 TB Optane NVME SSD, 1 TB NVME SSD
- PSU
- Yep, got one
- Case
- Yep, got one
- Cooling
- Stella Artois
- Keyboard
- Built in
- Mouse
- Bluetooth , wired
- Internet Speed
- 72 Mb/s :-(
- Browser
- Edge mostly
- Antivirus
- Defender
- Other Info
- TPM 2.0