# Pre-paid Visa credit cards



## Guest (Sep 16, 2016)

I don't use regular credit cards, but for many years now I have been using a pre-paid Visa credit card. You load it with funds so it acts like a debit card, but can be used where debit cards can't. It is very useful for making online purchases. I checked with my Credit Union that issued it to see if it could be used in the Philippines. They told me that there is a list of restricted countries where it can't be used, and the Philippines is not on that list. But they warned that it is possible that not all merchants there will accept it. I don't use it a lot, mostly for books I can't find locally, but it could come in handy for some other items while I'm there. Anyone else have experience with that?


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## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

I don't have experience with this but make sure you have some sort of money back up plan like checks, if your ATM Cards/Pre-paid credit card won't work at least you have checks that you can cash with a money changer or open up a bank account, in extreme weather ...Typhoon, the power is out sometimes for weeks if not months so plastic cards won't get you any money in that region and worse if the card is destroyed, stolen, another issue in the province area the machine is always out of money or the internet connection times out due to poor internet speeds.


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## Tukaram (Dec 18, 2014)

I use my cards online more than in person. This is really a cash based place. I have been to grocery stores that have to take the card to the office to run it... not convenient, especially if I am stuck behind the person using plastic ha ha. Also, my Discover and AmEx are almost universally not accepted here. Visa/Mastercard are better.


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## pagbati (Apr 9, 2014)

*Kindle*



Bullwinkle said:


> I don't use regular credit cards, but for many years now I have been using a pre-paid Visa credit card. ...I don't use it a lot, mostly for books I can't find locally, but it could come in handy for some other items while I'm there. Anyone else have experience with that?


Bullwinkle, No experience with Pre-paid Visa Credit Cards I'm afraid, although I did pick up on your comment re books and thought I'd give you my tuppence worth on that front. I’m not sure if you’re referring to specialised books or everyday novels/ thrillers read by the majority. Whatever it is you’re reading, the choice in the Ph. is extremely poor and all books are very expensive. Further, second hand bookshops are few and far between and when you do find one, the books are often very old, yet still relatively expensive. We noticed this during our recce here and as a result, took the plunge and bought our first Kindle before coming back. If you’ve already got yourself one, then ignore the rest of this post. 

I have to say that the Kindle is one of the best items I’ve bought in recent years, so many benefits to having it. Therefore, if it’s novels/ thrillers etc., etc., that you’re reading, you might want to think about getting yourself a Kindle before coming here. Once you’ve made the initial purchase, unless one insists on buying the latest, ‘hot off the shelf’ releases, the books are very inexpensive and the money saved soon covers the initial cost of the product. The benefits go way beyond savings on cost but I won't list them as I'm mindful that your enquiry is about pre-paid visa credit cards. We enquired in many of the large bookshops here as to their availability but most had never heard of Kindle, never mind stock it.


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## Guest (Sep 17, 2016)

*Skype and banking*



M.C.A. said:


> I don't have experience with this but make sure you have some sort of money back up plan like checks, if your ATM Cards/Pre-paid credit card won't work at least you have checks that you can cash with a money changer or open up a bank account, in extreme weather ...Typhoon, the power is out sometimes for weeks if not months so plastic cards won't get you any money in that region and worse if the card is destroyed, stolen, another issue in the province area the machine is always out of money or the internet connection times out due to poor internet speeds.


I'm glad you mentioned the power outages. I've read that before on this forum, but you sparked something I forgot to mention about my prepaid Visa card.

I haven't used it since last year to make an online purchase, but I have several automatic payments set up on that card. Because they're automatic, I tend to forget about them until I need to load more money on the card. Most of those I will cancel when I move because they're for products (magazines) or services I won't need anymore. But the most important auto-payment is my Skype account.

The power outage issue is important because when I signed up for Skype years ago, I wasn't certain how reliable it would be. So, I pay 3 months at a time, not wanting to pay for a year. However, it has become increasingly reliable, so I will now pay for one year at a time.

I have a Skype call-in number. It allows me to call any type of phone and receive calls from any type of phone. It has the full range of services ( messaging, conference call, video call, etc.) except for 911 service, which makes sense. And it only costs me under $10 Can a month, and maybe will be cheaper if I pay a year at a time. My call-in number is a Washington State number, because at the time I set it up that service was not available for Canadian phone numbers. I haven't checked if that's changed and won't change it anyway because I have an easy number to remember. It doesn't matter because there is virtually unlimited calling in North America. But it does confuse some people I call in my home town and their call display shows I'm calling from Washington.

It is a fantastic service that I think is great for all expats in all countries. It means that when I call loved ones at home, or need to call government regarding my pension, etc, it will be a free call, no long distance charges.

Regarding my banking: I think I have a fairly good plan, though open to suggestions. I will be adding my sister as a joint-account holder on my Credit Union account, so she will be able to care of any problems I might encounter. I will continue having my pension direct-deposited in that account, despite any possible better rate exchange by having it deposited in my Philippine bank account. I will then have the option of writing myself cheques or having her do wire transfers of funds. I also intend to bring a few thousand US dollars in cash with me to get me through the first several months. Are there any limits on how much cash I can bring with me?


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## Guest (Sep 17, 2016)

*Books & Kindle*



mabrouk said:


> Bullwinkle, No experience with Pre-paid Visa Credit Cards I'm afraid, although I did pick up on your comment re books and thought I'd give you my tuppence worth on that front. I’m not sure if you’re referring to specialised books or everyday novels/ thrillers read by the majority. Whatever it is you’re reading, the choice in the Ph. is extremely poor and all books are very expensive. Further, second hand bookshops are few and far between and when you do find one, the books are often very old, yet still relatively expensive. We noticed this during our recce here and as a result, took the plunge and bought our first Kindle before coming back. If you’ve already got yourself one, then ignore the rest of this post.
> 
> I have to say that the Kindle is one of the best items I’ve bought in recent years, so many benefits to having it. Therefore, if it’s novels/ thrillers etc., etc., that you’re reading, you might want to think about getting yourself a Kindle before coming here. Once you’ve made the initial purchase, unless one insists on buying the latest, ‘hot off the shelf’ releases, the books are very inexpensive and the money saved soon covers the initial cost of the product. The benefits go way beyond savings on cost but I won't list them as I'm mindful that your enquiry is about pre-paid visa credit cards. We enquired in many of the large bookshops here as to their availability but most had never heard of Kindle, never mind stock it.


I'm really glad you did give me your "tuppence worth" on books because that wasn't something I had considered. There is an Asian market in the city my sister lives (see my previous comment) that does balkbayan box shipping. I was intending to send my first box as a test with only books, thinking those could be easily replaced if the box gets lost. But your comment made me realize I have some very valuable and expensive books that would be difficult to replace, even here in Canada. So, maybe my first balakbayan box should be things more easily replaced.

I have some expensive textbooks I used in university, but could be very useful there if I need a part-time job to supplement my pension. I would almost certainly work in a university or college, so those text books could be very useful. For example, I have both volumes of The Norton Anthology of English Literature, and the Complete Works of Shakespeare, and other useful textbooks on other subjects. I also have quite a few other books that might be hard to replace, as well as several books I bought last year on a gift certificate I won in a survey for my alma mater that I still haven't read. A lot of science and philosophy books, but also novels such as Margaret Atwood's distopian, speculative fiction The MaddAddam Trilogy. She's one of my favourite writers, though I'm probably biased as a Canadian.

Regarding Kindle, I currently have so many PDF books, which I can easily read on my laptop, but can't possibly read all of them in my remaining time. I will give the Kindle a second look, though, as it may be a lot more easier for reading those pdfs and for purchasing digital books, as you suggest. So if you have more to say about Kindle I would welcome your comments, either here or in a private message. Again, thanks for bringing this topic up as books are important to me.


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## Tukaram (Dec 18, 2014)

I started reading electronic books back in the Palm handlheld days. Now I just use my smartphone. Never had a kindle. I have thousands of books in various electronic formats. There are a few dozen on my phone at any time. If you are an avid reader, bringing your own is advisable. 

I found a fun used book store here "Book Sale". It is at most malls in Iloilo (SM and Robinson's). Really cheap but hard to find anything - there is no organization to the shelving... such an eyesore ha ha. The selection is hit & miss, though. But I usually pay p25 a book.


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## Guest (Sep 18, 2016)

*eReaders & free eBooks*

After the above discussion on books I read a review on PC Magazine titled "The Best eReaders of 2016" I won't put the link, just search that mag and title and it will pop up.

I am now going to buy a Kindle Whitepaper. I can get a package deal that includes a cover for it and a power adaptor, which works on all voltage from 100 to 240, just like all my computer equipment, battery chargers, camera etc. 

I'm very impressed by the Kindle, but couldn't justify buying one until now. As I mentioned, I have perhaps a thousand or more pdf books that I can add to the Kindle, which will be a much better and convenient reading experience than my laptop, which limits me to my router's wi-fi range. And its not convenient for wi-fi hotspots when I'm away from home.

I also found this information on PC Mag for finding hundreds of thousands of completely legal free books:

How to Put Free Ebooks on Your Amazon Kindle

By the way, this is another example of how my prepaid Visa credit card is extremely useful. I will load a few hundred dollars on the card, which takes 2 or 3 business days to be available, and then use that card to buy the Kindle.


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## Guest (Sep 18, 2016)

*Shipping used books*



Bullwinkle said:


> I was intending to send my first box as a test with only books, thinking those could be easily replaced if the box gets lost. ... I have some very valuable and expensive books that would be difficult to replace, even here in Canada. I have some expensive textbooks I used in university, but could be very useful there if I need a part-time job to supplement my pension. I would almost certainly work in a university or college, so those text books could be very useful. For example, I have both volumes of The Norton Anthology of English Literature, and the Complete Works of Shakespeare, and other useful textbooks on other subjects. I also have quite a few other books that might be hard to replace, as well as several books I bought last year on a gift certificate I won in a survey for my alma mater that I still haven't read.


After some previous advice, both public and private, on this forum, I have changed my mind about shipping my various white goods, such as computer accessories and electrical applicances. All of the items I intended to ship are available at Lazada. *<Snip>* While my computer stuff would work on the voltage there, the other things would require a transformer, so I will be able to avoid that hassle. I will sell all my things before leaving, and use that money plus the shipping savings, to buy new things, which will come with local warranties. Another good example of how my prepaid Visa card will come in handy there. 

But I still want to ship my most important text books, some of which cost over $100 Can. each, as well as other books. I've searched on this forum for information on whether shipping used books is allowed but can't find anything. Could someone direct me to the appropriate Philippine government website that might have that information?


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## Tukaram (Dec 18, 2014)

I brought my computers and am glad I did. The cost for what you get here is pretty high. My desktop is 6 years old and still has higher specs than anything I have seen here, and the tech here is crazy expensive. I just threw everything into balikbayan boxes when I moved.

When my wife wanted a laptop and after shopping around here for a while, I got her one from the US. 

I have a couple BB boxes full of books on the way right now. I am helping out a local school library. The balikbayan boxes have no weight limit


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## Guest (Sep 18, 2016)

Tukaram said:


> I brought my computers and am glad I did. The cost for what you get here is pretty high. My desktop is 6 years old and still has higher specs than anything I have seen here, and the tech here is crazy expensive. I just threw everything into balikbayan boxes when I moved.
> 
> When my wife wanted a laptop and after shopping around here for a while, I got her one from the US.
> 
> I have a couple BB boxes full of books on the way right now. I am helping out a local school library. The balikbayan boxes have no weight limit


I should have clarified that I'm bringing my new laptop with Windows 10 and six external hard drives, and two wireless mice. The furnished house I'm moving to also has a desk top computer I can use. I'll just pay for my internet account. A widescreen monitor, Acer the same brand I'm using now, and speakers I can buy there.

I knew there was no weight limit of BB's, I just didn't know if books will clear customs or not.


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## pagbati (Apr 9, 2014)

*Bringing Money Into Philippines*



Bullwinkle said:


> I also intend to bring a few thousand US dollars in cash with me to get me through the first several months. Are there any limits on how much cash I can bring with me?


Appears to be no limit but amounts in excess of USD$ 10,000 should be declared. Always best to stay 'under the radar' and as you are only planning on bringing a few thousand dollars, you will be okay.
Bringing Currency into the Philippines


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## pagbati (Apr 9, 2014)

*Bringing Books Into the Philippines*



Bullwinkle said:


> I knew there was no weight limit of BB's, I just didn't know if books will clear customs or not.


Bullwinkle, here’s a few websites that could be of interest. 

*Bringing Personal Items Into The Philippines*
Bringing Personal Items into the Philippines
Not exactly clear but food for thought. No mention of books not being allowed, so long as they are not of an obscene or immoral nature. What did you say you were reading?  

*Books*
Search
I typed ‘Books’ into the search box. The results were not exactly clear. Scroll down to items 12 & 13 for more lack of clarity. Note that items 13 relates to a father sending his daughter some books. 

Personally, I’d be inclined to go with Tukaram and just top up the Balakbayan box with all the books I wanted and go for it. It's good to know the proper procedure but sometimes when there's no clear answer, there’s a danger of over-analysing these matters.


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## Gary D (Oct 28, 2013)

I have a Kindle Fire and found that I couldn't purchase a book from Amazon from Germany with my UK Amazon account. I've not to my knowledge tried this from the Philippines but it's possible that you can only purchase within the country holding your account. Has anyone else had a similar problem?


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## Guest (Sep 19, 2016)

mabrouk said:


> Bullwinkle, here’s a few websites that could be of interest.
> 
> *Bringing Personal Items Into The Philippines*
> Bringing Personal Items into the Philippines
> ...


Thanks for doing that leg-work for me. I've just gone through a 4-day migraine spell, so looking at rules and laws isn't easy in that condition. I agree with you regarding books. I'm going to fill up a BB with all the books I can.

I also checked that Tariff Book at item 12 of the Tariff Commission regarding other items. I was particularly interested in whether I could bring my pillow in my suitcase, which I will have room for as it will easily compress and then "come back to life". 

Chapter 94 is titled Miscellaneous Manufactured Items, but it doesn't cover pillows.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6XF3AhfubONS2xsM2gyQ3JJeDQ/view

I then found this advisory from a couple years ago regarding items for Typhoon Yolanda Relief. Advisory

It mentions pillows as one of the recommended items for foreign donations. I'm not sure if that would be only an exception for emergency relief, or if pillows are a generally allowed item. It's my favourite pillow, so I'll bring it anyway, and if its confiscated it won't be a great loss.


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