Prepaid cards are a relatively new type of plastic card aimed at young adults and people with no access to a bank account or credit facilities.

The companies behind the cards say they are particularly appealing to individuals who are unable to open traditional back accounts or use credit cards due to poor credit ratings. With a prepaid card these people are empowered to shop online, book a hotel, hire a car online or even download a digital track from the likes of iTunes, things which they might currently be excluded from doing.

Prepay cards act like a mix between a pay-as-you-go mobile phone and a debit or credit card. Cardholders load money on to the card at outlets such as the Post Office, petrol station or newsagent and top it up when it runs out - meaning that it is impossible to go overdrawn or into debt, because users can only spend as much as has been put on the card.

Click on the card for full details / apply online.

Card Click card for more details or to apply		Card issue fee	Monthly Fee	Transaction Fees	Top Up Fees
	Sun Tuxedo Prepaid	£6.49	No monthly free	2.95% (min 50p, max £1.50) per purchase in the UK 2.95% (min 50p, max £1.50) per purchase outside the UK Cash withdrawal fees: 1.5% (min 99p, max £1.50) per ATM withdrawal in the UK £2.25 (some ATM may charge an additional fee) per ATM withdrawals outside the UK	Free using paying-in book at High Street Bank Branch; maximum £1500 load Free at PayPoint terminal until 1st May 2008, 3% of load value thereafter; maximum £249 load 3% (min 50p) online credit/debit card, maximum load £500 Free bank transfer, maximum load £1500
	Cashplus prepaid Gold MasterCard	£9.95	£4.95	Free	Free Top-up for FREE at 14,500 locations, including any UK Post Office branch

Being part of the cashless society does come at a price. There are fees associated with using a pre-paid card and they can be more expensive to use than other forms of credit and debit cards, but users cannot go into the red.

More than two million households in Britain do not have a current or savings account, according to Datamonitor, the market analysts, and many adults do not have a credit card. 

Prepaid cards could also be attractive to people who have recently arrived in the country and have not yet been able to open a bank account. They had also proved popular with older and disabled people who find it hard to get about, but who do not qualify for credit cards because they are on benefits.