From: Stephen@mailinator.com
Newsgroups: uk.finance
Subject: Stored Value Debit Cards - Where's the Money?
Date: 29 Jul 2006 12:56:21 -0700
   posting-account=FMtZ4Q0AAADDBfHcW-oYqBCYtFeEmnBO

Are these the same as prepaid credit cards?

Presumably when you get a new card you've actually opened an account
with the bank that provides the card.  And when you 'top it up' you're
really just paying money into the account rather than storing it on the
card.  So in that sense it opperates like a debit card where the
transaction is validated against the balance in your account before
it's authorised.  Or not??

If the money is stored on the card (as in some cashless vending systems
I've come across) how does the card company get it's transaction fee
and how does it deal with transactions made on paper vouchers which
could take you over the limit of the stored value?

Thanks.