Quick question about credit cards

I just received my new Diners Club card, and since I haven’t actually used it yet, I’m a bit confused about how the funds work. Is it possible to pre-load money onto the card, or do I only start building up a balance after I swipe it for the first time? To be more specific, I want to make a purchase online, and I’m wondering if I need to deposit funds beforehand to use it, or if I'm essentially spending a line of credit that gets billed to me later... I hope that makes sense?

A credit card is basically just a way to delay paying for stuff. You use it to buy things, pay in installments, or grab some cash... then once a month, you get hit with a bill for everything you spent. 😉

Thank you so much. That’s exactly what I was thinking, though I got a little turned around because I read somewhere that I needed to have cash on hand just to be able to spend anything. I figured, hey, no big deal, I could just set some aside, though I wasn't quite sure how to go about it. I was leaning toward the direction you explained, but I thought maybe there was another way since that's how I phrased my question. So, I went to double-check everything. I actually did some shopping yesterday because an online order was supposedly processed through it, but I don't see it showing up on my online banking portal yet. It made me worry for a second that I'd been scammed and the transaction didn't actually go through, 😁 Anyway, thanks again. I feel like such an idiot right now.

Hey everyone, I was hoping someone with actual expertise could help me out with a quick question:

Is it actually possible to use a Visa prepaid card from Chase to book airline tickets?

I just received my Intel card from Wells Fargo.
I’m looking to start shopping on eBay, so I have a few questions..
Do I need to transfer funds into some kind of special account first, or will the payments be pulled directly from my checking account when I buy something?
The staff at the branch didn't really give me much detail 🤷
(I actually went into the bank specifically to get everything sorted so I could shop online. They basically told me they'd mail an Intel card to my house and that was the end of it. The whole interaction lasted maybe ten seconds. Now that the card is here, I'm feeling pretty lost. I still have to swing by the branch to pick up my PIN, but I figured I'd ask for advice here first—I much prefer having things written down rather than being rushed through an explanation in a matter of seconds 😁 )
A lot of this is still confusing to me, and honestly, the information on their website is incredibly vague and poorly explained... the paperwork that came with the card isn't any better.
Is there anything else I should be aware of? My boyfriend has a foreign currency account, but I get the impression mine doesn't work quite the same way 😕

So, first off, I’m guessing that card you're using is linked to one of your checking or savings accounts at your bank, right?
If you aren't getting a direct deposit there or if you're sitting on an overdraft, you might just need to toss some cash into the account first so you actually have funds to spend.

Secondly, you can just head over to paypal.com and set up an account there.
Once you've signed up and logged back in, you'll see an option to add a credit card, which is where you'll plug in your card details.
I guess you should probably make sure there's at least $10 or $20 available on it, otherwise they might not let you add it, though I suppose $17 it really just depends on how your bank handles things.
They'll likely run a tiny charge of maybe $2 or $3 just to verify it, but don't worry, they'll give that right back to you later.
After that, you'll just need to wait about 4 or 5 days, then you can check your transaction history through your online banking app—you'll see a PayPal transaction with a little code, and once you type that code into PayPal, your card should be all set for shopping.

I hope that makes sense and helps you out a bit.

Good luck!

Take a look over here. I'm pretty sure you'll dig up plenty of useful info 😉

Thanks so much for all the help you guys have given me 🙏
But before I actually dive into online shopping, I’ve still got one lingering issue hanging over my head...

So, I headed down to my local Chase branch today.
I went in to ask about the best way to deposit funds into a foreign currency account, fully expecting them to just give me a basic "welcome to banking" rundown.
Instead, the teller straight up told me that Chase DOES NOT offer foreign currency accounts! Honestly, I felt pretty ridiculous even bringing up the concept in the first place.
Long story short, according to her, I basically just have two cards tied to one single checking account.
When I buy things online, I'll be using my Visa card to process the transaction, but the money will be pulled directly from that one standard US dollar account.

Now, I'm wondering if that's actually how it works, or if I should follow up via email to get some more clarity?
(It’s just that everyone I know who shops internationally seems to use a dedicated foreign currency account, so I'm feeling a little lost right now)

I guess you could definitely just stick with a standard US dollar account.
But if you're shopping on a site based in Europe, for example, PayPal is going to take your dollars and swap them into euros using one of those really terrible exchange rates they charge.
That’s probably why a lot of people prefer setting up a separate foreign currency account, which is something places like JPMorgan Chase offer.
You can just open an account specifically for euros and then maybe send a quick note to PayPal to let them know your primary currency is euros so they don't try to convert anything on their end.
Then, whenever you're ready to buy something, you just transfer the euros from your bank directly, and PayPal won't mess with any conversion fees.
I think you'll usually find that your local bank gives you a much better rate than PayPal ever would.

Alright, everything makes perfect sense now. That was an incredibly clear explanation. 🙂
I don't have any other questions left 😁
Thanks a million!

So, my mom picked up a revolving Visa card about six months back... she's still sitting on a $3,000 balance... and I was wondering if I could just pay off her remaining debt using my own card (basically making a payment directly onto hers)? Or is it better to just drop off some cash once I get my paycheck? Like, does she actually have to be there in person to make the deposit, or can I handle it myself? Her birthday is coming up soon and I really want to knock this one headache off her plate for her.

I have a Diners Club card, which I picked up without any issues. A few days ago, I stopped by Wells Fargo to take care of some business, and the representative actually asked me, "Sir, I noticed you don't have a Visa credit card; we're running a promotion right now with no annual fee..." Honestly, how did she not see my Diners Club card on her screen? I'm wondering if there's even any point in getting a Visa too.

Maybe I should keep some on hand just in case they don't take Diners Club somewhere? I know that used to happen in places like Canada, though who knows if that's still a thing.

They don't see it because they aren't "integrated" with Diners Club yet... Right now, it's just Visa and Mastercard through the bank, even though Diners is technically separate despite having the same name and online tools. 😉

I suppose I won't be getting it, given that I'm such a disorganized client:-

Heh, can't really give you an answer to that one... 😉

silentcobra82 said:So, my mom picked up a revolving Visa card about six months back... she's still sitting on a $3,000 balance... and I was wondering if I could just pay off her remaining debt using my own card (basically making a payment directly onto hers)? Or is it better to just drop off some cash once I get my paycheck? Like, does she actually have to be there in person to make the deposit, or can I handle it myself? Her birthday is coming up soon and I really want to knock this one headache off her plate for her.

I guess you just need to have that specific account number handy, then you should be able to just move the funds from your checking account over to her credit card through your online banking app.
I guess that’s just like one of those phone number prompts they include on every single credit card statement, maybe?

If you wouldn't mind, maybe you could just send that payment over to our Wells Fargo account ending in 000013 using the reference number 01 019-63-1********* whenever you get a chance, as long as it's by the due date.
If you're using Bank of America's online banking, I guess you could just select the wire transfer option within the portal to send the funds over to account 019-63-1*********.

So, looking at my statement, I guess if you're paying from a different bank, that first amount shows up as 248... maybe?
It looks like that shows up on your statement too, I guess. You should probably take a look at those details.

rapidskipper12 said:Heh, can't really give you an answer to that one... 😉

It’s definitely nothing, because it's been a full month since the lady at my bank filled out the application for my card. No one has called, and there hasn't been any mail either.

Got my rejection letter in the mail today :-D
I wonder what their specific criteria are. Maybe I'll improve my chances next time.

Wait, didn't you say you were a messy client? 😉 I already told you... Banks look at your credit score, your blacklist status, and your business's creditworthiness...