Frequently asked Questions

• Available in gold or black credit card design. The VIABUY Prepaid MasterCard® convinces through its exclusive card design in gold or black.
• Undistinctable - the VIABUY Prepaid MasterCard is one of the few officially licensed Prepaid MasterCard cards with real high embossing. 
• Full acceptance everywhere where MasterCard is accepted - even at car rental stations, hotels and for booking flights. Due to real high embossing MasterCard card design your VIABUY MasterCard is visually not distinctable from ordinary credit cards. Most prepaid and debit cards only have laser engraved card details and are easy to detect as a prepaid or debit card.
• Up to three additional cards (e.g. as MasterCard partner cards or MasterCard for children) without further proof or age restriction available per main VIABUY MasterCard.

• Easy order process. To order a VIABUY MasterCard you don’t have to run through complicated and time-consuming credit checks or postal identification procedures. We keep it simple and online.
• Quick delivery. Your personalised VIABUY Prepaid MasterCard will be shipped after 24hrs only. Delivery by standard postal letter outside Germany usually takes 3-6 business days. To addresses within Germany 1-2 business days.
• Additional MasterCard cards without age restriction are available and ideal as a pocket money account for your children. Also a perfect money management tool for abroad e.g. for studying abroad or during a student exchange.
• Card account with online banking functionality including loading from international third parties accounts.
• The online banking card accounts are maintained in UK by PPRO Financial Ltd, a bank regulated by the FCA and which is subject to UK banking and data protection law.
• PCI Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). Highest level of data protection and security. 

• Yes, because the VIABUY Prepaid MasterCard is a fully functional MasterCard with real high embossing and unlimited usability – providing an appropriate balance for cover.
• We recommend, especially before a car rental or hotel booking, to inform yourselves about the necessary coverage requirements of each provider.

All of the fees and costs relating to your VIABUY Prepaid MasterCard can be found here. Your VIABUY Prepaid MasterCard will cost you €29.90 per year which we charge you immediately and cumulatively for the first 3 years of card usage. This means that after you place your order you must activate and load your card with at least EUR 90 within 14 days of receiving it. After that you do not have to pay any yearly fees for the entire 3 year duration of your card use. If you do not load your card within 14 days of receipt, we reserve the right to collect the yearly fees from you through a collections agency. Your VIABUY fee includes:

• One-time production and delivery of a high embossed Prepaid MasterCard in gold or black
• Free delivery and no prepayment to receive the card
• Free loadings possible
• Free use at over 33 million MasterCard outlets worldwide and online
• Free card to card money transfer in real time

• The golden and black VIABUY Prepaid MasterCard cards only differ in the colour scheme but offer identical functions and services. Choose between the high-grade gold or matt black design - the high acceptance, exclusive VIABUY functions and services are the same on both cards.

• The age requirement for ordering a card is 18 years. Secondary cards can be ordered without further proof of age and may be ordered in your card account, after your main card has been activated. Alternatively, a VIABUY Prepaid MasterCard card can be ordered by an adult person but carrying another name as cardholder on the card from the start.

In both cases the "Cardholder Name" on the card can differ from the name of the person who ordered. Please note that the VIABUY card customer remains liable for the use of the VIABUY Prepaid MasterCard.

• As the VIABUY Prepaid MasterCard card works on a prepaid basis, the acceptance does not depend on income, nationality or credit history.
• Because of the prepaid principle, we can waive any proof of income and credit checks.
• Even if your account has been seized, we can offer you, despite the account seizure, a VIABUY MasterCard plus card account with safe and easy online banking as a great alternative to a banking as a great alternative to a regular bank account or credit card.

• Yes. An existing bank account is not necessary.

• You will get the VIABUY Prepaid MasterCard immediately after order confirmation. After ordering you will receive the order confirmation with order number and expected date of delivery.

• You can receive your personalised VIABUY Prepaid MasterCard within one to two business days at no extra cost. Your order is shipped in 24hrs with Deutsche Post. The Deutsche Post service normally takes 1-2 business days for orders in Germany and 3-6 business days for orders shipped outside Germany.

• No, unlike most other cards, you do not need to pay for your card in advance. You get the VIABUY Prepaid MasterCard without prepayment and free delivery.

To activate the card you only have to load your card with a minimum of EUR 90.00. The fees for the three years (EUR 89.70) will then be charged to your card account.

• There are no shipping costs. The card will be shipped free of charge.

• Your VIABUY Prepaid MasterCard has an own card account with online-banking functionality. The account can be loaded from any bank account worldwide, and you can send money from your card account via outbound transfer to any other account.

Charges apply for transfers outside the EU. Please refer to our terms and conditions.

• The card account monitor notifies you after each use with your VIABUY Prepaid MasterCard. In your VIABUY card account settings you can choose between chargeable text message (10 cents/message) or free email notifications. For maximum security, select both notifications. If you do not want any notifications, disable both notifications in your card account settings.

• A selection of our most popular payment options
• Free recharge by bank transfer
• Other top up´s can be found in our terms and conditions.

• With a bank transfer you, your customers, or third parties can load your VIABUY Prepaid MasterCard with a domestic, SEPA, or SWIFT (international) wire transfer from any bank account worldwide. You can use the transfer forms from your bank or online banking.
• With a cash deposit, you can upload your card account at any bank teller anonymously. Please note that a maximum amount and foreign charges may apply.
• Giropay is offered, in addition to Postbank, by almost all Sparkassen, Volksbanken, Raiffeisenbanken, as well as numerous PSD banks, the GLS Gemeinschaftsbank and other private banks: E.g. the Deutsche Kreditbank (DKB), MLP Bank, Cronbank, the Merkur Bank, the Bankhaus Ellwanger & Geiger, the Bank Schilling & Geiger, Bankhaus Bauer and the cvw Privatbank AG.
• Sofortbanking is a direct transfer method. Sofortbanking meets the high safety standards of online banking and has a TÜV-approved Privacy Policy. You must not register but pay simple, safe and fast directly from your online bank account
• Ukash - A convenient and secure way to pay online. With Ukash you can use your cash to shop online by exchanging your coins and bills into a voucher. You can buy Ukash here.

*Please note that bank charges may apply.

This is only an excerpt of our loading facilities. The complete list and fees can be found in our terms and conditions.

*Please note that bank charges may apply.

This is only an excerpt of our loading facilities. The complete list and fees can be found in our terms and conditions.

• Login to your VIABUY card account on our website
• Click in the menu bar "Settings"
• Go to "PIN Reminder"
• You will receive your PIN as a text message to your verified mobile phone number

• After you have activated your main VIABUY Prepaid MasterCard you must log in to your card account on www.viabuy.com. After entering your user name and password, select account in the menu item "Secondary Card". Here you can order up to 3 secondary cards for your own use, for family members or for your friends. The annual and usage fees payable will be charged to your main account.

• First, please check your card account online and your VIABUY Prepaid MasterCard balance to make sure you have sufficient balance and your card is active. Shortfalls can be safely and quickly compensated with one of our many top-up possibilities. When entering into contracts with merchants that authorize security deposits on your card, especially hotels and car rental companies, please pay attention in particular to the amount of the deposit and how long the deposit will be charged. This will limit your balance available to spend.

Our cards have been tested successfully at all common card readers and cash machines that are approved by MasterCard. In some very rare cases, old equipment might still be used, which cannot read current cards. Please notify us in this case with the name and address of the MasterCard acceptance merchant.

• You can withdraw cash worldwide at one of the approximately 2 million ATMs in over 210 countries who accept MasterCard. All you need is your VIABUY Prepaid MasterCard and your PIN.

You can also withdraw cash at the counter of selected banks. In this case, you do not need a PIN, however, an official ID card, such as passport or identity card, is required.

• Login to your card account on our website
• Select "Send Funds" from the menu bar
• Choose your payment country
• Select "Direct card to card" from the payout options
• Follow step by step the on-screen instructions

• The contract initially runs for three years. After this period the card can be cancelled on a yearly basis.

• The card is valid for 3 years from the date of issuance. A new card will be sent to you in time before your VIABUY Prepaid MasterCard expires.

• With your VIABUY Prepaid MasterCard you can shop online anonymously and safely. The VIABUY Prepaid MasterCard is not connected to your bank account or any other credit card you might have. Hence your personal information, such as bank accounts and credit cards details, remain protected from abuse.
• Nothing you pay for with your VIABUY Prepaid MasterCard, appears on the statements of your bank account or your regular credit card. There are also no postal statements sent to you without your prior approval.
• To encrypt particular personal data you can use a secondary VIABUY Prepaid MasterCard and disguise your real name on a gold or black card.
• The VIABUY Prepaid MasterCard can be used for safe online payments, because the online purchase is verified by using the 3-digit CVC number on the back of your card.

• The CVC code is available on the back of your VIABUY Prepaid MasterCard next to the signature field. CVC is an acronym that stands for Card Verification Code. This refers to a 3-digit security code. To prevent misuse when online shopping, this code will be required besides your card number, expiration date and name.

The CVC code is generated for your card number randomly in order that payment systems can identify and ensure the card number belongs to the CVC number entered. Only when these two numbers match, the payment gets accepted by the merchant.

• If you already have a European iTunes or App Store access, you have to log off before there must log in to the Apple iTunes Store or the Apple App Store.
• Once you have activated your VIABUY Prepaid MasterCard and charged with sufficient funds, you may register with your VIABUY Prepaid MasterCard at iTunes Store or App Store and also download exclusive content from the USA in the future.

• Click on Login
• Choose Reset Password on the customer login page

IDV levels represent your level of identification as a VIABUY customer. The Money Laundering Regulations 2007 require banks and financial institutions, such as PPRO Financial Ltd, to ensure that they know their customers, conduct customer identification and verification, and undertake ongoing monitoring where applicable:

Limits are directly linked to your IDV account status. We recommend you become as soon as possible a verified IDV2 customer to lift your account limits.

To increase your identification level from IDV1 to IDV2, click on the yellow link ‘Upgrade identification level’ after login under ‘Settings’ in the menu. You can then upload the required document copies.
Please pay attention to the instructions on the screen, so we can verify your documents successfully and increase your identification level.
While we we follow a 24h customer service policy, and our identity verification systems are designed to minimise any inconvenience for you, the verification process may take several days to complete.

In order to increase your identification level to IDV3, we need certified documents concerning the origin of your financial funds and indicating card usage above 15,000 Euro per year. You can certify your documents by the following persons: Notary, lawyer, tax consultant, or a governmental institution. Depending on your situation we will need different documents for proof. Please reach out first to customer service, if you want to upgrade your account to IDV3 before sending any documents.

Yes, there are different limits applied to your transactions and loadings. Typical spendings and loadings subject to limits are:

You may find that you are asked to confirm your identity and other personal details. Viabuy has developped special verification systems (IDV levels) for your prepaid MasterCard card to prove your identity in a quick, easy and customer friendly way.

Please note: To safeguard the integrity of our payment system, your Viabuy account may also be subject to personal transaction limits depending on your user status and account activity. For more information please also see our FAQ: What are Money Laundering Regulations?

Money Laundering Regulations are designed to protect the UK financial system. These regulations put in place certain controls to prevent regulated UK financial institutions, such as PPRO Financial Ltd from being used for money laundering purposes by criminals and terrorists. These include appointing a 'nominated officer', checking the identity of customers and their source of funds and storing all relevant documents. Some of our obligations include the following:

• We may be required to verify your identity and address.
• We are required to keep full records of all transactions you make and of the identification documents you provide.
• We are required to monitor customer activity in order to detect any unusual or suspicious transactions of any size.
• We have a legal obligation to report any suspicious transaction to the National Crime Agency (NCA).

Persons involved in crime and terrorism operate predominantly with cash. Criminals and terrorists turn "dirty" cash made from drug trafficking, smuggling, and robbery into clean money by using false identities or taking the names of innocent people - like you. Making sure that people are who they say they are is essential in the fight against crime and terrorism. This does not mean in any way that suspicion is falling on you. Any information about your identity is held confidentially and will help stop your identity being used falsely.

The issuance of electronic money is regulated by the Electronic Money Regulations 2011 (“EMR”) which implement the second EU Electronic Money Directive (“2EMD”), which was adopted by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union in September 2009. PPRO Financial Ltd is authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) under the Electronic Money Regulations 2011 for the issuing of electronic money, with Firm Registration No. 900029.

Key features of the regulation include:

• Capital requirements & liquidity — Our business is required to maintain minimum levels of capital. There is an initial and continuous threshold of EUR 350,000.00 own capital. We must also hold sufficiently liquid assets to be able to redeem all e-money issued and to meet our working capital requirements.
  
  
• Float Management — There is a clear set of regulations on how we have to safeguard our customers funds and how we can invest the funds received in exchange for the issue of e-money. In particular the EMR and 2EMD require authorised e-money issuers to safeguard funds received from customers for e-money so that, if there is an insolvency event, the e-money issued would be protected from other creditors’ claims and can be repaid to customers.
  
  
• Management & Vetting at Entry — The FCA must be satisfied that all individuals who are responsible for the management of the e-money and payment service are of good repute and possess appropriate knowledge and experience. The FCA performs a " fit and proper test " on each member of PPRO Financial Limited senior management in order to assesses their honesty, integrity, reputation, competence, capability and financial soundness.
  
  
• Systems & Controls — We must maintain organisational arrangements that are sufficient to minimise the risk of the loss or reduction of our customers funds or assets through fraud, misuse, negligence or poor administration. In addition we are required to have effective risk management procedures, adequate internal control mechanisms and to maintain relevant records.
  
  
• Financial Crime — We must comply with legal requirements to deter and detect financial crime, which includes money laundering and terrorist financing. Relevant legislation includes the financial crime provisions in the EMRs, section 21A of the Terrorism Act 2000, the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, the Money Laundering Regulations 2007, the EC wire transfer regulation 21 and Schedule 7 to the Counter-Terrorism Act 2008. Electronic money issuers are also subject to the various pieces of legislation that implement the UK’s financial sanctions regime.

• Simply click on Partner and fill in the form below, with your first and last name and the last six digits of your VIABUY Prepaid MasterCard. Then create your own promotional link by clicking on the "Generate personal link" button.

• Once the new customer recruited by you has activated his VIABUY Prepaid MasterCard and loaded at least EUR 90.-, the award amount is automatically credited to your card account. You will immediately receive a notification by email (optional SMS) as a confirmation.

• If you intend to do business with the VIABUY Prepaid MasterCard on a larger scale and seek a distribution agreement, please contact us directly and tell us about your project. There are many useful applications for the VIABUY Prepaid MasterCard in today´s business whether as an employee card, loyalty card, gift card or salary card or payroll account for your employees. Co-branding or individual cards are already available from only 5 card minimum order.

We are happy to inform you about the advantages of prepaid credit cards in your company or business and work with you on successful implementation. Please reach out to: cobrand@viabuy.com