Pre paid credit cards, SL & Paypal help

[Giselle Lacombe]

I was wondering if anyone can give me some info on whether this is possible or not. I have payment info through paypal, it transfers funds from my bank account, there is then a waiting period of up to 8 days before payment clears. Sometimes for whatever reason I get incompletes and the funds aren't transfered. I was wondering, if I was to get a pre paid credit card, is it possible to set that up as my payment info through SL ( I'm in Canada ) or even through paypal?

Has anyone else done this? Thanks for the help!

[Irene Muni]

Interesting answers in this thread: https://blogs.secondlife.com/message/71936#71936 And from Canada in this thread: https://blogs.secondlife.com/message/88893#88893

[Unklebob Hotaling]

*waves from BC*

I'd like to use Paypal but being Canadian thus 'international' the waiting time for funds to be transferred from my bank into Paypal is rather quite exteme.

Don't use Visa giftcards, they are unsupported by LL and don't work.

However Mastercard VanillaCards (also pre-paid giftcards) while not supported also do work and are what I use as my payment method, I enter the info and within 1-10mins they are approved, ready for use inworld.  They are widely available (from 7-11, Moneymart, etc) and come in $25, $50, $100 amounts.  If you're looking to use such a thing, that's what i'd recommend.

[Henry Darkthief]

*waves from BC to Giselle and Unklebob*

I'm using PayPal as well. I want to get a reloadable MasterCard again, though. My thoughts being that I can use the MC card to add the funds to PayPal, in case LL doesn't accept whatever card I end up getting. Then I can send funds from my bank account to the MC reloadable, unlink PayPal from my bank account and link PayPal to the reloadable MC. That way, my PP account would remain verified and so keep PP as my payment method with LL.  I don't like giving someone, no matter how reputable, access to my bank account. I've seen way too many people get screwed by that. Utility payment gets taken out, then the insurance, then suddenly you have NSF charges because your account was a dollar or two short for covering that withdrawal for the car payment. I prefer to retain control of when and how much I pay out.

In the meantime, I'll have to be like you, patiently waiting for the funds to finish uploading to PayPal.

[Giselle Lacombe]

Thank you both Unklebob and Henry (waves from Ontario, long distance waving, wow). I will certainly look into both of these and hopefully have something sorted out soon. I am tired of the long waiting period to transfer funds only to end up with a message that the transfer failed. This way I can assure myself this won't happen.

[Henry Darkthief]

You Ontarians, always in a hurry *kicks back and relaxes with a cold beer to await his funds to load up*

[Giselle Lacombe]

Nah, no hurry here. I'll just view it like a fine wine, getting better with age. Mind if you slide over and I'll join you with that cold beer?

[Unklebob Hotaling]

i'm not as think as you drunk i am. 

personally i'd rather use paypal but yeah, having money taken out of my bank account then spending two weeks in limbo until i finally have access to my own money again just isn't workable... i often wonder in this computer-age of instant information what my money is doing during that waiting period.

[Henry Darkthief]

No problem *resizes the easy chair into a sofa*

[Unklebob Hotaling]

@henry - awesome advice given below fyi, i might actually take advantage of that and get a pre-loaded card myself.  In the meantime yuus life is easy (up until the canada-usa hockey game tonight, then it'll be at the edge of my easy chair freaking out undoubtedly!)

[Henry Darkthief]

I don't know where, but where ever it is, it certainly isn't earning you any interest.

I have to wonder as to just why PayPal takes so long to process a private person's transactions when all sorts of other online businesses don't. And don't tell me its because they aren't a bank. Neither is MasterCard or Visa. Or the utility copmpanies. Or teh insurance companies. As for needing the time to verify the funds are there, are they using carrier pigeons instead of the internet? After all, wouldn't the process be person uploads funds using internet (5 minutes). Then PayPal contacts bank to initiate the transfer to their bank using internet (another 5 minutes).

Oh, wait, I know what it is ... when the data crosses the US border, it gets stopped to have its underwear searched by the TSA. Which takes 7 days, 23 hours and 50 minutes to complete.

[Henry Darkthief]

Thanks, Unklebob , though I'll pass on the game. I figure sports is like sex. I participate, I don't spectate.

[Giselle Lacombe]

Agreed, that is one thing that you'd definatly prefer to be a participant instead of a spectator!  Ha, making sex sound like an Olympic sport, I sure don't want to be the sportcaster trying to call it. Would give one hell of a meaning to He shoots He scores! Just pray there's no penalties! *plops on the couch, cracks open a cold brewskie and gets comfy to watch the game*

[Unklebob Hotaling]

"I sure don't want to be the sportcaster trying to call it."

no doubt, i love john madden but not in my bedroom.

[feline Dagger]

i'd actually love to use my 3vcash card but not sure if its supported or not. sending a ticket asking thisdidnt get me anywhere.

[Unklebob Hotaling]

"i'd actually love to use my 3vcash card but not sure if its supported or not. sending a ticket asking thisdidnt get me anywhere."

No need to submit a ticket, this is one of the things you can phone LL about and ask 

If you have a non-technical issue with your account you can also call our Billing team at:

Toll-Free (US/Canada)
800.294.1067

Long Distance
703.286.6277

Our Billing team is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

---

Local Toll-Free numbers

France: 0805.101.490

Germany: 0800.664.5510

Japan: 0066.33.132.830

Portugal: 800.814.450

Spain: 800.300.560

UK: 0800.048.4646

Support is in English Only

[Giselle Lacombe]

I tried going the mastercard route as you suggested, sadly it didn't work for whatever reason. Perhaps I may have better luck going through my paypal account and adding it that way? This is frustrating.

[Unklebob Hotaling]

keep trying, sometimes mine doesn't work the first tries at entering it either... i am using one so they do work 

[Giselle Lacombe]

I was able to route it through Paypal and it worked fine. Thanks bunches!!

Oh.. and TACKLE UNK & EVERYONE ELSE IN CANADA FOR POST WIN CELEBRATIONS!!! 14 GOLD! WE ROCK!!! WAY TO GO TEAM CANADA!!!!!

[Unklebob Hotaling]

lol no doubt, omg i'm exhausted lol... that game stressed me right out.

and good on the card thing, use it in good health and now you know it works for future reference 

[Huraina Valiant]

Yes, you can do it with both. Paypal is often the prefered way to exchange money in and out of SL. And the credit card, aslong as it is a major credit card Pre-paid or not, it can be used.

[Morrigan Blackadder]

Unklebob.Hotaling wrote:

However Mastercard VanillaCards (also pre-paid giftcards) while not supported also do work and are what I use as my payment method, I enter the info and within 1-10mins they are approved, ready for use inworld.  They are widely available (from 7-11, Moneymart, etc) and come in $25, $50, $100 amounts.  If you're looking to use such a thing, that's what i'd recommend.

/me waves from Ontario as well to Unklebob and Giselle.

Thank you so much Unklebob. I will have to look into these cards..I hope they are available here too. I used a credit card from muchmusic but they changed how to load the card. My SL rent is due so I need to do something lol.

Gift cards so guessing they don't need a lot of info to buy one..I hope

 

Message was edited by: Morrigan Blackadder---Just saw Giselles post about routing through Paypal. I will keep that in mind when I get one tomorrow ty 

[Unklebob Hotaling]

"Gift cards so guessing they don't need a lot of info to buy one..I hope"

Hello Morrigan 

Nope, no info required what-so-ever.  I just grab one off the counter, give it to the clerk, pay for it, the clerk activates it... go to you dashboard and change your payment method to reflect the card and you're good to go.  No questions asked nor any info requested when I'm buying one - they're awesome for anything online, awesome for anything period that takes a credit card.

[Morrigan Blackadder]

I will try tomorrow. If this works I would so buy you a 24. I have been going nuts for 2 months having to borrow Linden off of friends..and I "hate" borrowing money. I have quite a bit of funds to pay back when I buy my linden tomorrow lol.

[Kaye Robbiani]

If you think it's hard getting money INTO SL, try getting money OUT!  And I'm in the same country as Linden Labs.  Normally takes a week just to get from LL TO Paypal, then another 3 or so business days to get to my bank account.  So does Linden Labs have to confirm that I actually have the money (which I just converted from their lindens to dollars)?  Or are they wanting to collect interest on my dollars for a few days first?  (Since presumably they can't collect interest on lindens)

[Unklebob Hotaling]

"If this works I would so buy you a 24."

" I have quite a bit of funds to pay back when I buy my linden tomorrow lol."

maybe i should hope for a 2.5 then.