I’m Starting College in the Fall — Do I Need Good Credit to Get Student Loans?

After 12+ years of schooling, it’s time for your reward — more school! If you’re heading to college this fall, you may wonder if the amount and interest rate of your student loans are dictated by a credit score you likely don’t have yet. Here’s what you need to know about credit and student loans.

Student loans: Federal vs. private

Federal student aid is available for U.S. citizens or eligible noncitizens with financial need enrolled in an eligible degree or certificate program. Federal loans don’t require a credit history or a cosigner. Furthermore, all undergraduate students enrolled at the same time will receive the same interest rate as their undergraduate peers. Graduate students pay a higher interest rate than undergrads, but will still pay the same rate as other graduate students. Federal student loan interest rates aren’t set according to credit scores.

However, students who don’t demonstrate a financial need based on their parents’ income may have to take out private loans. These loans are made by lenders, such as banks or credit unions, and have variable interest rates that are generally much higher than federal loan rates. As with any other loan, you’ll either need good credit or a cosigner with good credit to get approved for private student loans.

If possible, you’ll want to go for federal student loans. Not only will you pay a lower interest rate and not require a cosigner, but you’ll also be able to deduct the interest paid on your taxes and defer payments until after you’ve left school.

Should I start building my credit if I’m eligible for federal loans?

As an adult, you’ll need good credit for many things, including getting an apartment and a cell phone, as well as getting approved for a credit card or car loan. Generally, credit is built using a credit card, but due to the Credit CARD Act of 2009, you likely won’t be able to get a credit card to start building credit until you’re 21 without a cosigner. The exception to this: if you make a full-time income while attending school.

If you choose not to get a cosigner, you can get a secured credit card or ask a family member with good credit to add you as an authorized user on one of his or her oldest cards. Secured credit cards are backed by a cash deposit usually equal to the card’s credit limit, so the bank doesn’t incur risk. Here are some of our favorite secured credit cards.

As an authorized user, you’ll have the power to make charges on a credit card — provided the primary cardholder gives you a card — but aren’t responsible for the payments and can’t make changes to the account. If you choose to go this route, decide on a monthly spending limit with the primary cardholder and don’t exceed it. Also, have the primary cardholder contact his or her issuer to ensure that authorized users are reported to the credit agencies.

Bottom line: You don’t need good credit to get federal student loans, but you’ll need good credit or a cosigner if you need private loans. Regardless of which types of loans you go for, make sure you start building your credit for everything else you need credit for — like apartments, cell phones and car loans.

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Which Retail Credit Cards Offer Chip Technology?

If the retail data breaches of 2013 and 2014 left you wondering if there’s a safer way to pay, you’re in luck. As the United States implements EMV (also known as chip) technology, using your credit card at your favorite stores should be more secure.

In fact, a few retailers have announced that they will start issuing chip-enabled credit cards. Which merchants have embraced EMV technology, and where should you look for a chip-enabled card? Take a look at the details below for more information.

Retailers move slowly to chip technology

Although chip technology has been available for years – and is widely used in other parts of the world – the U.S. is dragging its feet about shifting to it. The main reason for this is cost; retailers will have to pay big bucks to upgrade their payment terminals to be EMV-compatible.

How much are we talking? According a report in Bloomberg Businessweek, it costs merchants $500-$1,000 per terminal to make the switch. That’s not chump change, especially for small businesses.

But there are also costs associated with producing chip-enabled cards. The same Bloomberg article noted that EMV cards can cost up to $2 each to make, but magnetic-strip cards only cost a few cents apiece. This means that both retailers and credit card issuers have good reasons for delaying the move to full EMV implementation.

However, change is under way. Visa and MasterCard have set an October 2015 deadline for retailers and issuers to make the move to chip-enabled cards and terminals. After that time, if credit card fraud happens, the party with the lesser technology will be held liable. This is a big incentive to shift to EMV as soon as possible.

Sam’s Club MasterCard leads the pack

While many retailers aren’t enthusiastic about the switch to EMV, a few have started to make the move well in advance of the October 2015 deadline. Sam’s Club is leading the pack: On June 23, 2014, it became the first mass retailer to offer a chip-enabled credit card. Walmart, the parent company of Sam’s Club, announced that its co-branded cards will start coming chip-enabled later in 2014.

What’s more, all of the payment terminals at Walmart and Sam’s Club stores in the United States are capable of accepting chip cards. This puts these retailers significantly ahead of others when it comes to EMV readiness.

But Target isn’t far behind. In April 2014, the retailer announced that it will switch all of its co-branded credit and debit cards to chip-and-PIN capability by early 2015. At the same time, it’s also upgrading all of its payment terminals to EMV compatibility. The New York Times reports that Target’s cost to switch over all of its payment cards and terminals is $100 million. However, this is probably a worthwhile investment for the company, which experienced one of the biggest data breaches in history in December 2013.

Want a chip in your credit card? You have options!

Although very few retail credit cards are currently chip-enabled, there are a lot of other cards on the market that come with this technology. If you want a chip in your credit card, you have options.

For example, as of summer 2014, Citibank offers EMV chips in all of its consumer and college credit cards. Most other issuers offer chips in at least some of their products, so check out the Nerds’ full list of America’s best EMV credit cards. Just remember that until merchants start using EMV-enabled terminals, you won’t get the benefit of enhanced security.

The takeaway: U.S. retailers have been slow to make the move to EMV technology, but a few are leading the pack. If you want or need a chip-enabled card, you have lots of options outside of retail cards. Check back with the Nerds often for more updates about this important topic!

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Moving This Summer? Use These 5 Credit Card Perks to Make It Easier (or at Least a Little Cheaper)

Let’s face it: Moving is a difficult and unpleasant chore. No matter how excited you are about all the fun you’ll have in your new place, dealing with the process of getting there is nothing but a hassle.

Since summer is prime moving time, this is the perfect opportunity to review some common credit card perks that could make the task easier – or at least a little cheaper. Take a look at the details below to find out how your plastic might have your back during your next big move.

1. Rental car insurance

If you’re planning on renting a car for your move, you can feel comfortable turning down the optional insurance offered by the rental agency if you’re booking with a major credit card. Every big credit card network (Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express) provides some type of free rental car insurance if you pay for the rental with your card.

Coverage varies greatly depending on what type of card you have, so it’s wise to get in touch with your issuer before booking your rental. But relying on your plastic instead of the rental car company for additional coverage could save you about $25 per day.

Note: Most credit cards exclude large vehicles like pickup trucks, vans and very big SUVs from their rental car coverage program. But if you don’t have a lot to move and a regular car will suffice, this is a good perk to keep in mind.

2. Introductory 0% APR promotions

In an effort to attract business, many credit card issuers offer 0% APR promotions for new customers who sign on to their cards. If you have good credit you might be able to get a card that charges 0% APR on purchases for 6-12 months.

This is a great deal if you’re moving, because there are many unexpected expenses that come with settling into a new home. Having a cushion of time to pay them off before incurring interest will make your move a little less stressful. Just be sure to be disciplined about eliminating your balance before the interest-free period is up.

3. Return protection

Moving involves a lot of guesswork: Will those new drapes look good with my new couch? Will the new duvet clash with the color of the walls? How many picture-hanging hooks will I actually need? Inevitably, some of those purchases will need to be returned. If the store won’t take something back, your credit card might have you covered.

Most credit cards offer some type of return protection, which will refund you for a purchase you made with the card even if the retailer won’t. Again, this benefit varies with the type of card you have, and almost all policies come with exclusions. Check with your issuer for more details, but be sure to keep this benefit in mind if you run into a décor disaster.

4. Extended warranty

Many people view a big move as a good time to upgrade some of their electronics and appliances. But if one of those items breaks after the manufacturer’s warranty has expired, it could dampen your enthusiasm for your new place.

Luckily, though, most credit cards offer some version of an extended warranty on items purchased with the card. In many cases, this could lengthen the item’s warranty for up to a year beyond what the manufacturer is offering. But you guessed it: It’s smart to check with your particular card issuer to see what their extended warranty policy is.

5. Signup bonuses

If you’re in the market for a new credit card, a big signup bonus is one feature you might be looking for. But have you considered that you could use your bonus points, miles or cash back to offset some of the cost of your move?

Many credit card issuers allow you to convert your rewards to gift cards or merchandise, which could be a good option if you’ve just moved to a new home. If you can use your signup bonus for home-improvement-store gift cards or a new appliance, you might be able to score some great items for your new place.

Just be sure to do the math to see if gift cards and merchandise redemptions give you a good value on your points; in some cases, it might be better to cash them in for something else.

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Why Aren’t Mobile Wallets More Popular in the U.S.?

Technology has changed our lives dramatically in the past few decades. Between smartphones, high-speed Internet and 3-D televisions, we’re living in a gadget-saturated world.

But some old standbys are sticking around. For instance, despite the explosion in mobile wallet technology, most Americans are sticking to cash and credit cards. So why aren’t mobile wallets gaining popularity faster? Let’s take a look at the details.

What are mobile wallets?

If you’re not familiar with the concept of a mobile wallet, the name pretty much says it all. Basically, they’re systems that allow users to combine all of the stuff that would normally be carried in a regular wallet – like credit cards, debit cards, store loyalty cards, etc. – onto a mobile device. Usually, this is accomplished using a mobile app.

The idea is that you’ll use your smartphone (or another accompanying gadget) instead of your wallet, since it contains all your payment information. Most people are carrying around their smartphones anyway, so being able to leave our wallets behind is supposed to streamline our day-to-day lives. After all, the fewer things we need to schlep around, the better!

There are lots of mobile wallets to choose from, but they’re not very popular in the U.S.

On the surface, it seems like mobile wallets would be all the rage. But North American consumers just haven’t latched onto them the way entrepreneurs expected. According to an article in the New York Times:

“… Worldwide, people spent $235.4 billion through mobile payments in 2013, compared with $163.1 billion in 2012. But that number is much smaller in North America, where consumers spent about $37 billion through mobile transactions in 2013, up from $24 billion the year before.”

In fact, this lack of interest is one of the reasons that a mobile payments pioneer pulled back on its mobile wallet ambitions. In May 2014, Square removed its Square Wallet app from the App Store and Google Play. Although existing users can still access it, it’s clear that the company was disappointed in its performance.

So why aren’t Americans more excited about mobile wallets? There are a few reasons:

Spotty acceptance – One of the big issues with some mobile wallets is that they aren’t widely accepted in the places people usually shop. In order for some mobile wallet systems to function, both the customer’s phone and the merchant’s terminal have to use compatible technology. This is a big obstacle that few developers have been able to overcome.

Lack of awareness – According to the Times article quoted above, many Americans simply don’t know what mobile wallets are or how they work.

Lack of enthusiasm – Even when people are made aware of the mobile wallet options on the market, many are uninterested. They simply don’t see the benefit to using these devices over their regular wallets. “I don’t see the point,” Elissa Lyons, a 28-year-old teacher in Fairfax, Va., said. “It’s not that hard to just pull out my credit card – plus, you can’t completely leave your wallet at home.”

Want to try a mobile wallet? Here are some options to consider

If you’re interested in trying a mobile wallet despite their lack of popularity, the Nerds have a few suggestions. Each has it’s own benefits and drawbacks, so be sure to consider them before making your choice:

Google Wallet – Google Wallet hit the scene in 2011. To use it, you download the free app, enter the information on all your payment and store loyalty cards, and you’re on your way. One of the best features of Google Wallet is the ease with which you can send money to friends or family using only your Gmail accounts.

However, the major drawback to Google Wallet is that in order to be able to pay for an item in a store with your phone, both your smartphone and the store’s payment terminal have to be compatible with tap-and-pay technology.

Loop – Loop became available in winter 2014. To use it, you purchase a Loop device (fob or smartphone case) from the company, download the free app, and scan in your payment and store loyalty cards. You can then use the fob or smartphone case to pay for your daily purchases, because both work at more than 90% of existing payment terminals. This is the major benefit Loop has over its competitors.

But 90% isn’t 100%. For example, Loop can’t be used to pay at the pump at gas stations because they require that you fully dip your card into the terminal. Once again, this means you can’t leave your wallet behind for good.

Coin – Coin is expected to be released in summer 2014. To use it, you swipe your payment and store loyalty cards into the Coin app, which then communicates via Bluetooth with the Coin device. The Coin device looks like a regular credit card, but it’s able to store up to eight payment and store loyalty cards; you can switch between them by pushing a button on it. Since Coin looks and functions like a regular credit card, it should be usable at any existing payment terminal.

But one downside is that the Coin device will only be able to hold eight cards at a time. Plus, you have to carry around the device and your phone, which doesn’t provide the convenience that a lot of people are looking for.

The takeaway: Mobile wallets might be nifty, but they’re not catching on in the United States in the way they were expected to. If you still want to try one out, consider one of the Nerds’ suggestions above!

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3 Questions You Never Thought to Ask Yourself About Your Credit Score

Getting familiar with the credit scoring system used in the United States is a daunting task. It’s easy to get wrapped up in minutiae and lose sight of the big-picture questions that could have a major impact on your understanding of the topic.

Here are three questions you probably never considered about your credit score. The answers might surprise you!

1. What are my three credit scores?

When we hear chatter about credit scores on the news or from our friends, usually the talk is about a single, monolithic number. For instance, “My credit score is 700” or “It’s important to have a good credit score.” This leads people to assume that they only have one credit score. In truth, you have three.

That’s because there are three major credit bureaus in the United States: Experian, TransUnion and Equifax. Each receives information about your credit-related behaviors and each creates a report based on that data. Consequently, you have a credit score based on each of these credit reports. When banks are deciding whether or not to lend you, it’s common for them to average the three scores to come up with a comprehensive estimate of your risk as a borrower.

Usually, all three scores are pretty similar, but if one is significantly lower than the others, it could indicate that there’s an error on one of your reports. If you find yourself in this situation, take steps to have it corrected.

2. How are my credit report and credit score related?

The terms “credit report” and “credit score” are often used interchangeably, which causes folks to lose sight of the difference between the two. While it’s true that your credit report and score are related, they’re certainly not the same thing.

Your credit report is a detailed record of your history with handling credit. It lists information about both open and closed accounts, including the types of loans you’ve had and your payment history with each. It also lists recent inquires for credit. Additionally, your credit report might contain data about a past bankruptcy, foreclosure or account that’s gone into collections.

Note: It’s important to remember that the three credit bureaus don’t use a common system for creating consumers’ credit reports. This is partially because each of the credit bureaus includes some information on its report that the others don’t. As a result, the details contained on each of your reports might differ a bit.

On the other hand, your credit score is a numeric representation of the information that’s on your credit report. The three credit bureaus weight each item slightly differently to come up with your score, but generally your payment history and current credit utilization are the two most important factors in determining your score.

3. Besides getting a loan, what else does my credit influence?

You might think that your credit is only important when it comes time to apply for a loan. Besides banks, who else would care about your history with handling borrowed money?

As it turns out, a lot of people care about your credit. It’s viewed as a marker of overall financial responsibility, which is why it plays a role in so many money-related tasks in our lives. For instance, you’ll likely undergo a credit check when you rent an apartment, apply for an insurance policy and set up utilities in your home. Some employers even look at your credit before deciding whether or not to extend a job offer to you.

Because your credit is scrutinized so frequently, it’s important to keep it in good shape. Paying your bills on time and staying out of credit card debt are the easiest ways to build a good score, so make these two behaviors routine.

The bottom line: It’s difficult to become knowledgeable about credit when you’re not asking the right questions. Now you have the facts to move you forward in your journey to credit expertise – be sure to check back often for more tips and tricks!

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The Deadliest Cities for DUIs

DUIs have a high cost, both human and financial. In 2012, 10,322 people were killed in alcohol-related driving accidents. The economic cost of drunk driving is also staggering — an estimated $199 billion a year in the U.S.

While cities with bigger populations have higher numbers of fatal DUI crashes, smaller cities are actually the more deadly ones when per capita numbers are considered.

For more interesting data visualizations, click here.

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MasterCard Payoneer Review & How To Get A Payoneer Master Card Free - Business

Payoneer Review

Is Payoneer good for freelancers and affiliate marketers? Find out in my hands-on Payoneer debit card review 

In this Payoneer review I will be explaining how the Payoneer MasterCard Prepaid Debit Card works and give a little honest feedback, based on my own personal experience with Payoneer over the course of one year and counting.

We'll cover questions on how it works, what are all the fees, and other important details that are easy to miss at first glance.

If you’re a freelancer or affiliate marketer like me, you’ve probably got enough to do right now — so let’s get on with it.

What is the Payoneer MasterCard Debit Card? 

Payoneer MasterCard Debit Card: Facts

I’ll start off with the basics here. As their name implies, Payoneer are true ‘pioneers’ in the Payoneer global payment processor sector and there isn’t an easy comparison to be made between Payoneer and other services like it.

To save you time figuring it all out, here's what they can do for you.

What is Payoneer? 

Payoneer is a global payment processor similar to PayPal which promises a safe and affordable online payment solution  for international freelancers, affiliate marketers, and others who make money online and need to get paid in their home country.

The Payoneer prepaid MasterCard works like any other re-loadable MasterCard prepaid debit card that you can get at your local bank branch, though it isn't a typical local debit card account.

Here's a quick summary of how the card works.

What do you get with the Payoneer MasterCard debit card? 

1. A physical MasterCard prepaid debit card.
2. An online account linked to your MasterCard card which you can use to view your balance and transaction history, as well as manage your account and personal details.

How can you use it? 

• You can receive credit/debit card payments from anyone with Visa or MasterCard, from anywhere in the world. This service comes with a small processing fee per payment, and the maximum amount you can receive from a single credit card payment is $1000.

• You can receive Direct Deposit payments from US-based companies such as Amazon and PayPal through Payoneer’s US Payment Service. The transaction fee for using the US Payment Service is 1% of the total amount transferred. You’ll then get paid directly onto your card, rather than having to wait for an international check and paying exorbitant clearing fees on your earnings. 

• You can receive online payments in USD from Payoneer-approved partners (for example: Elance, Fiverr, MediaWhiz, Media Shakers, and dozens more). Receiving payments this way is free for most partners and takes two days to load, although you can also pay an extra $2.50 if you need the cash within 1-2 hours of requesting it. 

• You can pay for goods and services online as well as in brick-and-mortar stores. It has the convenience of a credit card for online payments, with the beauty of a prepaid debit card since you cannot spend more money than you have in your account - i.e. you can't get into debt! There is no extra charge added to your purchases when you use the Payoneer card directly at a point-of-sale machine. 

• You can withdraw cash in your local currency from any ATM with the MasterCard logo visible on it somewhere – there are more than 1 million of these ATMs worldwide. The fee for a standard ATM cash withdrawal is around $3. This fee might sting a bit, but it helps me keep disciplined with my spending habits so I don't mind it too much.

If you don’t already have an account with one of Payoneer’s partners, you will want to sign up for your Payoneer card directly from the Payoneer website. The yearly card fee is $29.95, which is deducted from your balance automatically so you don’t have to worry about renewing it. There are no monthly maintenance fees when you sign up for your card via Payoneer's website.

Please note that Payoneer does provide a few other services such as Global Bank Transfers and the US Payment Service; however, I will not be covering these in this review as I do not use the Global Bank Transfer Service and have only recently been approved for the US Payment Service.

Once I have more experience with the US Payment Service I may write another review detailing how I have found it. [UPDATE: I just received my first Direct Deposit payment from Amazon Associates using Payoneer's US Payment Service - everything came through without a hitch and I'm smiling from ear to ear!]

My payoneer experience - One year and counting 

If you’re still reading this far, you probably want to know if Payoneer is any good, or maybe you would just like to know “how legit” they are. Before I get to that, allow me to give you a short explanation of how and why I started using Payoneer.

A little over a year ago, I was unemployed and having no luck finding a job in my local area in South Africa. I mused about the possibility of using my skills online as a freelance writer – but my main obstacle, of course, was getting paid. PayPal wasn’t an option because until recently there was no way to withdraw PayPal funds in my country due to confusing regulations. Nevertheless, I was sure there had to be a way, and after many weeks of hitting dead-ends, I finally found Payoneer.

Fast forward through a fruitful year of freelancing and some dabbling in affiliate marketing... Well, I’m still using my Payoneer card, and not a day goes by where I’m not thankful for the freedom it gives me to earn money no matter where I am. Although I mainly use it for receiving my freelance earnings on Elance and some affiliate commissions (e.g. Amazon, ClickBank, LinkShare), I have been thoroughly impressed by both Payoneer as a company and the Payoneer prepaid debit card itself.

My major concern when signing up with Payoneer was how long the payments would take to clear, but as it turns out I was worrying for no reason. I have never had a problem with my payments coming through; they have been processed and loaded into my account within the promised two-day waiting period each and every time.

As for paying for things with my Payoneer card, so far I’ve yet to come across a checkout method that prevented me from purchasing – i.e. it just works. I’ve bought goods online at both local and online retailers with no problems, and it's as easy as a credit card transaction. I have even managed to get my PayPal account verified by using Payoneer’s highly useful US Payment Service. That should tell you a lot about the legitimacy of this card.

Whenever I have a question regarding the service or my account, I simply search the Payoneer forum and usually find that my question has already been answered, straightforwardly and in sufficient detail, by one of their community managers or support representatives. I can't vouch for the live support because I've never used them, as I prefer email correspondence when dealing with official matters. 

With that said (I mean, what more can I say?), if you’re an online freelancer, content producer, or affiliate marketer looking for a better alternative to PayPal for getting paid over the internet… This is it.

Verdict: 100% legit and highly recommended. 

Here's how to get your own Payoneer card + $25 bonus 

Payoneer is running a special ‘Refer-A-Friend’ promotion for a limited time, meaning that if you sign up through an existing cardholder’s referral link now (like this one) you get $25 added to your Payoneer account when you’ve transferred over $100 in earnings or deposits to your card.

Deposits that qualify towards the $25 bonus include loads from your PayPal account to your Payoneer card using the US Payment Service, as well as from any other company on the US Payment Service Whitelist.

Applying for your card is quick, easy, and you don’t even need an existing bank account. Once you sign up online with Payoneer, your card is shipped to you at no charge.

Do you really want to know How to get a free Payoneer MasterCard in Bangladesh or Pakistan? Yes that’s right it’s FREE! You can receive a mastercard sent to you directly through postal mail, absolutely free! This is one of finest ways to receive your online earnings in hand.

Free MasterCard in Bangladesh, Pakistan or any country

This offer is available exclusively for users in 200 countries. If you are outside of Bangladesh or Pakistan, you can still apply for this free mastercard.

You wont need a bank account in order to have a free master card.

You will not need credit statement to get a mastercard.

You can use this master card to do online shopping, buy laptops, gadgets, pay online bills, buy domains and use paypal.

You can use this free mastercard to get your funds from a local ATM. Yes Dutch Bangla bank, Janata Bank Q-cash, Standard Chartred ATMs are available too!

You can use this mastercard card in foreign countries.

You can use this mastercard in shopping malls.

Sign Up For The Payoneer Mastercard

The first step for you to get a free mastercard is to follow this link and click sign up!

CLICK HERE -----> Sign Up For MasterCard Payoneer

The good news is that after writing this review, Payoneer Inc contacted me and they created a special promotion where you can sign up and receive a free $25 bonus. Please use this link to sign up and receive $25 when you activate your card.

Now you have to submit your details, on the first step of the order process, add your first name, last name, email address and date of birth and click NEXT:

Select your country from the drop down list. You have option to select Bangladesh or Pakistan. Unfortunately Payoneer MasterCard has stopped working on India. Select your country, add your address (where this card will be mailed to you), enter your phone number and click NEXT:

In step 3 of the order process you have to specify a password and a security question and answer. Please write down the information you have submitted, click NEXT:

In step number 4 you will be asked to submit verification documents. You have the choice to use national ID, passport or driving license. You can use the Govt Voter ID of Bangladesh or your national ID card in Pakistan to sign up. If you have a passport you can use that too.

If you do not have any of them, say you are a minor and have no voter ID, then ask your parents to use their information. For this go back to step one as you will need to use your parent name and details.

Now check all the terms and click FINISH:

You should now receive a message or email of your submission.

Receive & Activate Your Free Mastercard

You will receive your payoneer mastercard within 30 days. In Bangladesh it took me roughly 30 days to receive. Some people got it even early within few weeks. I guess in Pakistan, the process is similar.

After you receive your card, log in to your payoneer account and add the digits you see in your card. Add the pin number you want. After that your mastercard will be activated!

Depending on your location it may take 2-4 weeks to receive this card. This will be from a standard postal mail.

Fees?

Although applying and receiving this payoneer mastercard is free of charge, there are some fees associated to maintain this card. So I highly suggest you start working on a marketplace, earn some money to use this card: (click on the image to zoom)

Loading Money To Your Card

I have seen an issue recently that when you get your card first you cannot load money using another card. They require that you load your card from sites like odesk/elance first. I don’t know why they did this thing so before ordering this card make sure you are working on any of these marketplaces and have at least $100 to load.

You can sign up for odesk (a freelance marketplace) and use this as a payment method. From odesk just go to the payment methods and activate the payoneer option. When they ask to sign up for a card, just click that you already have a card and link it.

This card also has the US payment option available.

Basically US payment service is a virtual US bank account. You can use this with Commission Junction to accept ACH/Wire transfers and you can also use it on paypal. 

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