Prepaid card aims to save mothers money?
The BaBeeCard pay-as-you-go card has been launched aimed at helping new mothers manage their finances and save money on day-to-day expenses.
Prepaid card and transaction processing solutions provider Altair has launched the MasterCard-branded prepaid card in partnership with Blueberry Card Services, a provider of consumer prepaid services.
Gemma Johnson, Blueberry CEO, said the card costs £14.95 a year and gives mothers access to a range of discounts, from baby-related items to groceries and petrol plus big ticket items like holidays. She added: “Just using the grocery and petrol vouchers alone could cover the cost of the card within a month.” The cards can be managed by sending text messages from a registered mobile phone.
Cardholders can obtain their balance, top up their card or lock/unlock their card for added security, from anywhere. Friends and family can add funds to the card from any location in the UK, via online bank transfer or SMS if using a BaBee Top-Up Card. Altair and Blueberry say the UK annual birth-rate is approximately 750.000, which presents a major potential market for the card.
The pair added in a statement: “With the current financial climate, a growing number of mums may find it difficult to obtain credit. Unlike a credit card, BaBeeCard applicants will not require credit checks and the cardholder can only spend what has been loaded onto the card.”
The cards are accepted at all MasterCard acceptance locations (currently 25.9 million worldwide).