How to shop online without credit card
67Pay Online Without a Credit Card
PayPal
By far, the easiest option would be to use PayPal by eBay. PayPal is free for personal use. You can go to their website and sign up for a free account. You might be prompted to enter a credit card number, but you don't have to.
Once you have registered for your account, you will need to "Get Verified." This involves linking your bank account to your PayPal account. If you don't want to use a credit card, you will need to link to your bank account. Once you have entered your information, PayPal will make two small deposits into your bank account. It generally takes about 5 days for this to happen. Once you see these deposits, you will log in to your account and enter the amount of the two deposits. This serves to verify your ownership of the account. Once this is done, you will be able to use your PayPal account at any merchant that accepts PayPal by simply entering your PayPal username (your email address) and your PayPal password.
Pre-Paid Credit Card
The second option is more expensive. You can purchase a Visa, MasterCard, or American Express branded gift card. These are generally available at most grocery stores, discount stores, and drug stores. Once you purchase the card, you will need to follow the instructions to register the card. In most cases, you will need to call the card issuer and provide your name, address, and phone number. They will then authorize the card for online use. The drawback to this is the cost of the card. Most of the cards cost at least $6 more than the face value of the card. Also, if your card has a balance, the issuer will generally charge you a monthly fee after the first few months.
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Although I have a regular checking account I rarely shop online with it. I usually use PayPal or use my Accountnow prepaid card. I also used my prepaid card to link with my PayPal since they require a separate card/account to be attached to 'get verified'. Many people due to various issues such as ChexSystems, bad credit, bank disputes or other can't easily qualify for a bank account anymore. The laws have tightened. I was in that situation in the past so I can relate to those who may in this unfortunate situation. I must say AccountNow gave me a chance when no one else would - so although today I have regular bank accounts and really don't 'need' it anymore - I still remain loyal to AccountNow and use them often for choice purchases. Here's a review I've written on this new wave card account - http://hubpages.com/hub/Prepaid_Debit_Card_Custome
hi...ummm...i was wondering, after you link yr bank account with payapal, how r u supposed to send money from yr own bank account to paypal. BTW i don hv a credit or debit card. so can i just really link my account and shop online? Is it that easy?
Tanx for the info it was great !!! info is wat made the internet great !!! peace
Lisa HW Level 6 Commenter 3 years ago
Fine Hub; and I don't know if by "having no credit card" the meaning includes not having a checking account with a debit card that has a MasterCard or Visa logo; but that's another option. Many banks will offer checking accounts that come with a debit card, which can be used anywhere Visa or MasterCard are accepted.
The drawback, of course, is the a shopper must give out his debit card number online (and often the CSV on the back). Still, it is yet another way to shop online without a credit card.