Terms & Conditions

Prepaid Card Terms and Conditions

These terms and conditions apply to your Prepaid Card. You must read them carefully. In these terms and conditions "you" means the named Prepaid Cardholder being the authorised user of the Prepaid Card. "We", "us" or "our" means Newcastle Building Society or credEcard, Navigation House, Belmont Wharf, Skipton, BD23 1RL or My Wonga plc, www.mywongaplc.com acting on its behalf.

1. Your Prepaid MasterCard® Card

You can use the Prepaid Card wherever you see a MasterCard® Card acceptance mark, including shops, restaurants, online, or on the telephone. You can also use your Prepaid Card overseas. Before using the Prepaid Card you need to make sure there are enough funds loaded on it. You will not be able to use your Prepaid Card after its expiry date. However we will issue you with a new card prior to expiry. Your Prepaid Card is not a credit card and is not in any way connected to your bank account. Funds loaded onto your card become electronic money (“e-money”), not a deposit. You will not earn any interest on funds loaded onto your Prepaid Card.

2. Applying for and activating your Prepaid Card

To apply for our Prepaid Card you must be at least 16 years old and a UK resident. We will require evidence of who you are and your address. We may ask you to provide some documentary evidence to prove this and / or we may carry out checks on you electronically. You must sign the Prepaid Card as soon as it is received. Please refer to our website www.credecard.com for all card-loading options, or refer to the “Loading your Prepaid Card” section below. By using the Prepaid Card you are agreeing to these terms and conditions.

3. Loading your Prepaid Card

Funds can be loaded to your Prepaid Card in a number of ways: via PayPoint outlets; from a bank account - simply follow the instructions at www.mywongaplc.com (the "Website"). Once loaded, funds will normally be available for use on the Prepaid Card within minutes. A Load / Reload Fee shall apply for each load / reload that you make.

4. Using your Prepaid Card

Detailed instructions on how to use your Prepaid Card are found on the Website. You will need to follow these instructions when using your Prepaid Card. We will deduct the value of your transactions from the balance on your Prepaid Card as soon as they are made. We will also deduct any applicable fees as soon as they become payable by you. See our Fees section below for details of our fees. If sufficient funds are not loaded on your Prepaid Card at the time of a transaction to cover the amount of the transaction and the fees, the transaction will be declined.

5. Cancellation and expiry of your Prepaid Card

You have a legal right to cancel your Prepaid Card up to 14 days after you receive the Prepaid Card without being charged the Cash-out Fee. Under these terms and conditions, you also have the right to cancel your Prepaid Card at any time after this 14 day period, however we will charge you the Cash-out fee. If your Prepaid Card is cancelled, we will immediately block your Prepaid Card so it cannot be used. You will not be entitled to a refund of money you have already spent on transactions authorised, or pending or any fees for use of the Prepaid Card before the Prepaid Card is cancelled or expires. You can cancel your Prepaid Card by sending an email to us using the “contact us” function on the Website, and confirming that you have destroyed your Prepaid Card.

If you cancel your Prepaid Card, once all transactions and fees have been deducted, we will arrange for any unused funds to be refunded to you, see "Your Right to a Redeem" section below for further information. A Cash-out Fee may be charged (see Fees section below) unless you have arranged to transfer any unused funds to another Prepaid Card managed by us, or you cancel your Prepaid Card within 14 days of receiving it. We may also cancel your Prepaid Card immediately if we suspect fraud or misuse of your Prepaid Card, if we have any other security concerns or we need to do so to comply with the law. If we do this, we will tell you as soon as we can or are permitted to do so after we have taken these steps. In these circumstances, if we cancel your Prepaid Card you must tell us what you want us to do with any unused funds within 3 months of the date we tell you your Prepaid Card is cancelled. Your Prepaid Card will be valid for 24 months. When it expires, we will issue you with a replacement Prepaid Card.

6. Keeping your Prepaid Card secure

You should treat your Prepaid Card like cash. If it is lost or stolen, you may lose some or all of your money on your Prepaid Card, in the same way as if you lost cash in your wallet or purse. As a result, you must keep your Prepaid Card safe and not let anyone else use it. If you are issued with a PIN you must immediately memorise it and destroy the notification. You must keep your PIN secret at all times. Do not write it down or reveal it to anyone. We recommend that you check the balance on your Prepaid Card regularly online at the Website. You can see your Prepaid Card balance and recent transactions online at any time. If you lose your Prepaid Card or it is stolen, or you suspect that your Prepaid Card has been used by someone other than you, you must tell us immediately by calling us on our 24 hour lost and stolen card helpline 01756 693275 so we can cancel your Prepaid Card. If you ask us to do so, we will investigate any disputed transaction or misuse of your Prepaid Card and we may need more information and assistance from you. We will refund the amount of any transactions which the investigations show are not authorised by you, provided you have kept your Prepaid Card and PIN secure, you have not acted fraudulently, or acted without reasonable care. However, if the investigations show that any disputed transaction was authorised by you, or you have not kept your Prepaid Card or PIN secure, we will not refund the transaction amount.

7. Our liability

Like other payment cards, we cannot guarantee a retailer will accept your Prepaid Card, or that we will necessarily authorise any particular transaction. This may be because of a systems problem, something outside our reasonable control, or because we are concerned that your Prepaid Card is being misused.

Accordingly, we shall not be liable in any event that a retailer refuses to accept your Prepaid Card, or if we do not authorise a transaction, or if we cancel or suspend use of your Prepaid Card. Unless otherwise required by law, we shall not be liable for any direct or indirect loss or damage you may suffer as a result of your total or partial use or inability to use your Prepaid Card, or the use of your Prepaid Card by any third party. In the event that you do not use your Prepaid Card in accordance with these Terms and Conditions or we find that you are using the Prepaid Card fraudulently, we reserve the right to charge you for any reasonable costs that we incur in taking action to stop you using this Prepaid Card and to recover any monies owed as a result of your activities.

8. Your right to redeem

You may redeem the electronic money on your Prepaid Card provided you have more than £5 remaining balance. To do so, send us an email using the "contact us" facility on the Website requesting a refund and confirming that you have destroyed your Prepaid Card by cutting it up. When we process your refund, we will charge a Cash-out Fee (see Fees section below). We will send a cheque to your last notified address or arrange an electronic transfer to a bank account nominated by you. However, to enable us to comply with our legal obligations, we may ask you to provide us with certain information before we can process your refund request.

9. Changes to these terms

We may change these terms at any time. The up-to-date version of the Prepaid Card Terms and Conditions will always be available on the Website. If we think that a change is material we will send you an email at least 30 days before making the change, unless a more immediate change is required by law or other valid reason. Otherwise we will notify you of any other changes within 30 days of making the change. If you are significantly disadvantaged by any such change that we make, you may cancel your Prepaid Card in accordance with our redemption policy (see section 8 above). In such circumstances you will not be charged a Refund Fee.

10. The Fees

We do not charge any fees for checking your balance and transactions via our website. However the following fees do apply:

*See Section 14-‘Communication’ for important information

When you use your Prepaid Card at an ATM, you may also be subject to applicable fees, surcharge rules and regulations of the relevant ATM, or other financial institution or association.

If we decide to increase or impose any new fees, we will tell you by email, text, or post, at least 30 days before any changes take effect. All transactions using the Card will be authorised at the time of the transaction. In the unlikely event, for any reason whatsoever, a transaction is authorised when there are insufficient funds on the Prepaid Card for that transaction (a "Shortfall"), the Shortfall shall be reimbursed by you unless it is due to an error on the part of the retailer where the Prepaid Card was presented - in this circumstance we may seek the Shortfall from the retailer. You agree that once we make this Shortfall known to you, we may charge you for the Shortfall amount. We may charge the amount of the Shortfall to the debit or credit card or bank account (which we will hold in our records), from any other Prepaid Cards that you hold with us, to any other payment method which you may designate at that time, or against any funds which you may subsequently load onto your Prepaid Card or on any additional Prepaid Card ordered by you. Until we are reimbursed the Shortfall amount, we may suspend your Prepaid Card account and any additional Prepaid Card accounts connected to you. In addition, we reserve the right to charge you an administration Fee for each transaction that you make using your Prepaid Card that results in a Shortfall or increases the Shortfall amount on your Prepaid Card.

11. Your details

You must let us know as soon as possible if you change name, address, phone number or email address. If we contact you in relation to your Prepaid Card, for example, to notify you that we have cancelled your Prepaid Card or to send you a refund by cheque, we will use the most recent contact details you have provided to us. Any email to you will be treated as being received as soon as it is sent by us. We will not be liable to you if your contact details have changed and you have not told us.

12. Data protection

In purchasing the Prepaid Card and using it, you agree that we can use your personal information in accordance with our Privacy Policy. Our Privacy Policy is set out on our Website; it includes details of the personal information that we collect, how it will be used, and who we pass it to. You can tell us if you don't want to receive any marketing materials from us

13. Disputes with retailers

If you have any disputes about purchases made using your Prepaid Card, you should settle these with the person you bought the goods or services from. We are not responsible for the quality, safety, legality or any other aspect of any goods or services purchased with your Prepaid Card. Remember that once you have used your Prepaid Card to make a purchase we cannot stop that transaction.

14. Communication

If you have an enquiry relating to your Prepaid Card, you can use the "Contact Us" facility on the Website or by emailing help@support.mywongaplc.com. We will deal with your enquiry promptly. Alternatively, call our English speaking customer service team 09065500116. This is a premium rate number charged at £1.00 per minute from a standard BT telephone line. The cost of calls from mobile phones or other networks may vary, and may cost you more than £1.00 per minute.

15. Complaints

The Prepaid Card program is managed by credEcard. If you are unhappy in any way with your Prepaid Card or the way it is managed, tell us by using the email enquiry facility on the Website so we can investigate the circumstances for you. Any complaints you have will be dealt with quickly and fairly. You may be able to take unresolved complaints to the Financial Ombudsman Service at South Quay Plaza, 183 Marsh Wall, London E14 9SR. Telephone: 0845 080 1800
and email:enquiries@financial-ombudsman.org.uk

16. Compensation

The Prepaid Card is an electronic money product and although it is a product regulated by the Financial Services Authority, it is not covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme. No other compensation scheme exists to cover losses claimed in connection with the Prepaid Card. This means that in the unlikely event that Newcastle Building Society becomes insolvent your funds may become valueless and unusable and as a result you may lose your money.

17. Assignment

We may assign the benefit and burden of these terms and conditions to another company at any time, on giving you at least 30 days prior notice of this. If we do this, your rights will not be affected.

18. Transfer to a new Prepaid Card

We may transfer your unused balance to a new Prepaid Card provided by a Prepaid Card issuer other than Newcastle Building Society at any time. Before we do this, we will give you at least 30 days notice of the new Prepaid Card arrangements and the new Prepaid Card Terms and Conditions. Unless you advise us within the 30 day period that you do not want a new Prepaid Card from the new Prepaid Card issuer, you agree that we can automatically transfer the unused balance on your Prepaid Card to a new Prepaid Card provided by the new Prepaid Card issuer.

19. Governing law

All communications with you will be in English. These Terms and Conditions will be construed in accordance with English law.

20. Prepaid Card issuer

Your Prepaid Card is issued by Newcastle Building Society, Portland House, New Bridge Street, Newcastle Upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE1 8AL, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority (registered number 156058) as a Building Society and an issuer of emoney. Your Prepaid Card is the property of Newcastle Building Society and is not transferable to anyone else.

21. Requesting an additional cardholder

The additional cardholder must be at least sixteen years’ old. You will be charged a fee for the additional card. You, as the primary prepaid cardholder, agree to honour all transactions made by the additional cardholder and will be responsible for the use of the additional Prepaid Card and for any applicable fees or charges the additional cardholder may incur. Use of the Prepaid Card by an additional cardholder will be regarded as confirmation to us that you have communicated these Terms and Conditions to them and that they accept them prior to use.

22. Customer Service

Customer service is free of charge via the online account or e-mail at help@support.myswongaplc.com Telephone customer service is provided on a premium rate number 09065500116 and will be charged at £1.00 per minute.

23. Data Controller and Manager

This prepaid card scheme is managed by credEcard Limited on behalf of My Wonga plc and as such credEcard Limited is the Data controller and manager of your prepaid card account.