Times offers prepaid card

Posted by Erina Lin on April 30, 2008 at 11:42 PM

The Times has become the latest British paper to offer readers a prepaid payment card, a trend started by the Daily Mirror, the Guardian reported.

The Times MasterCard prepaid card and "eccount" was launched by Tuxedo Money Solutions, which provided a similar services for The Sun and News of the World since last year.

The Daily Mirror was the first to launch the prepaid card service in October 2006.

The card service offers newspaper publishers the opportunity to build up a database as well as to extend their relationship marketing activity, the Guardian reported.

The Times card can be used as a credit or debit card. However, it only allows users to top up the value on the card from their eccount, in order to avoid fraud.

Up to £5,000 can be held in the eccount and moved on to the card by text, Internet or phone as required.

According to the Guardian, Times Media will market the card in newspapers and on the Web site.

The cost of the card is £12 with £7 cashback on the first load.