[clug] The 1st Internet Tax is here.

[Michael Cohen]

Steve,

I have been using the travelex card for that - it was about $10
application fee and you can  have it in any currency (I chose USD).
You can use it online or in person. It has no name on it at all (I
guess you can fill in any name you like in web sites that require it).
I dont think it has any ongoing fees but it does need to be used
fairly regularly (i think every 6 months). Its kind of a debit card -
you load money on it and then use it anywhere. No links to bank
account (im not really sure they need any kind of id at all).

Michael.

On Fri, Nov 14, 2008 at 6:06 PM, steve jenkin <sjenkin at canb.auug.org.au> wrote:
> Robert Edwards wrote on 13/11/08 4:15 PM:
>
>> I'd like to see a whole nother online payment paradigm made available.
>>
>> What I would like to be able to do is to rock up to a local eg.
>> convenience store and buy a token (think of a phonecard or similar)
>> with cash or whatever which I can then use to purchase stuff off of
>> the Internet, without giving up my (personal, identity-revealing)
>> credit card details which can be used to track my eg. purchasing
>> patterns etc.
> <snip>
>
>
> sometime in the last year, "Bill Express" (newsagency supplier) launched
> "BoPo" pre-paid Visa:
> "bopo cards are Australia's first fully functional prepaid Visa card.
> bopo offers the convenience of a credit card but is not linked to a bank
> account."
>
> A friend who'd had credit history problems got one...
>
> "Bill Express", a subsiduary of Allco, sold the cards and went under in
> July 2008.
>
> Current pre-paid offerings include:
> <http://www.prepaidshop.com.au/> ANZ
> <https://www.canvascard.com.au/> Bpay ?
>
> This site seems to be a portal, but it lists 'bopo' still, so I wouldn't
> trust it.
> <http://www.prepaidvisacards.com.au>
>
> I agree with your sentiments - perfect for on-line shopping, especially
> if you can transfer money into it for nil/low cost as needed.
>
> Limits the downside to the current balance :-)
> Leverages an existing global payment/settlement network.
>
> Not sure about Card Holder information.
> Like prepiad mobiles, making them truly anonymous lends them to 'illegal
> activities'...
>
>> Cheers,
>>
>> Bob Edwards.
>
> cheers
> s
>
> --
> Steve Jenkin, Info Tech, Systems and Design Specialist.
> 0412 786 915 (+61 412 786 915)
> PO Box 48, Kippax ACT 2615, AUSTRALIA
>
> sjenkin at canb.auug.org.au http://members.tip.net.au/~sjenkin
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