No credit card? No Problem! Use this guide to the alternatives for using a credit card and you can enjoy the benefits of a credit card without having one.
How to enjoy the benefits of a credit card without having one
How to enjoy the benefits of a credit card without having one
Paying online is easy if you have a credit card. They are accepted nearly everywhere and are easy to use. But what happens when you don’t have access to one? Or if you don’t want to use one? Perhaps you have a bad credit score, want to avoid credit card debt or maybe you just don’t want to leave your card information behind online. Either way, you’re looking for ways to pay online without a credit card.
Luckily these alternatives exist. From PayPal to a range of prepaid cards. There are plenty of ways to enjoy the benefits of a credit card without having one.
Want to know which alternative is best for you? The answer to that question depends on what you want to do. In this guide you can find what alternative to use and how to use it for a range of different scenarios. From booking a flight to ordering online or paying abroad. Read on to find out what’s best for you.
Booking a hotel or flight
Booking a flight or hotel is usually done with a credit card. But it can also be done with both PayPal and .
- Booking with PayPal
You can book your flights and hotels easily with PayPal. Websites such as Trivago & Hotels.com, as well as several airlines accept PayPal as a payment method. This makes it an attractive option.
The biggest downside to PayPal is that they can be very strict. The slightest suspicion about your account might get it suspended. If that happens it can take a long time for PayPal to investigate the problem and reopen your account.
- Booking with a Prepaid Card
A regular credit card and PayPal aren’t the only way you can book a flight or hotel. You can use Prepaid credit cards as well.
In order to use a prepaid card you need one that is accepted. The easiest way to be sure your prepaid card is accepted is by using the prepaid version of a regular credit card. There is for instance the prepaid Mastercard, or the VISA gift card. In these cases, it works exactly as a regular credit card would. Just add the card number, together with the CVC code and expiration date at the checkout. If your prepaid credit card holds enough credit you can pay easily. Need more credit? You can top up your prepaid card easily right here on recharge.com.
Renting a car
In many ways renting a car works very similar to booking a flight or hotel. If you’re doing it online you can do it easily with PayPal. Car renting companies such as Sixt & Europcar accept PayPal as a payment method.
Want to rent a car offline without a credit card? In that case you can use a physical prepaid card. You do need to make sure the card holds enough money in order to pay with it.
Paying abroad
Being able to pay on vacation is crucial and not all countries across the world accept debit cards. In those cases having a physical prepaid credit card can be a lifesaver. You can top it up online in seconds and use it to pay just like you would with a regular credit card.
Buying products online
We’ve all ordered something online before. Credit cards are massively popular, but PayPal is now not far behind. Nearly all major webshops accept PayPal as a payment method. That makes it a useful alternative.
If the webshop doesn’t accept PayPal, you can check which payment methods they do accept. If they only accept credit cards you can use prepaid VISA, Mastercard or an American Express card to pay instead.
Buy paysafecard Prepaid credit cards like paysafecard can be used on thousands of websites.
Paying for digital services or a subscription service
From Netflix, to Spotify and various gaming services. Paying for an online service or subscription service is easy with PayPal or a prepaid credit card.
You can use a general prepaid card, such as prepaid MasterCard or prepaid VISA. Just make sure to top up your credit in time and paying for a subscription is easy.
Various specialized prepaid credit cards, such as Neosurf or paysafecard, can be used for specific online services. Check the website of the service you want to use it for to see what they accept. If they only accept credit cards you can use a prepaid version of those cards in stead.
Interested in buying a prepaid card? You can find all the cards available on Recharge.com on our prepaid money cards page.
Written by
Ravian Ruys
