EZPay – the pre-paid card provider of the Phones4U Group – has increased its partnerships credit unions by 700% over the last month to promote financial inclusion amongst their members.
Thousands of consumers are being offered the chance to sign up with the Escape Prepaid MasterCard (www.escapeprepaid.com), allowing them to access traditional bank services such as electronic payments, online purchasing and ATM usage without a bank account or going through any credit checks.
The Escape Card has become the leader in the pre-paid financial market since being launched just 15 months ago, chiefly because of its fee-free usage and transparent low charges. Users cannot get into debt because they can only spend what they load on to their card.
Credit unions in England and Scotland already offering the Escape Card as their preferred card provider include the Castle and Crystal credit union in Dudley; 6 Towns credit union in West Bromwich; Falkirk and District credit Union; West Lothian credit union; and Blantyre & South Lanarkshire credit union.
EZPay managing director Paul Smith said: “Credit unions particularly like the Escape Card because it complements the services they offer.
“For example, some people receive benefit payments via their credit union. They can get money transferred to the card without paying any charges and then use it as they would a traditional bank debit card. This means they can make payments by standing order – in the case of utilities such as electricity they can avoid the more expensive ‘key’ tariffs and can save considerable sums over time.”
In addition, users can access cashback deals of up to 20% when shopping with the card online, pay no management fee and can also benefit from free international money transfer.
Credit Unions working with the Escape card benefit from tailored marketing material and a dedicated programme manager to help administer set up of the scheme for them.
Ian Burnett, General Manager of Blantyre & South Lanarkshire Credit Union explained: “We felt that the overall proposition of the Escape Card was extremely competitive against other providers, and included some unique features, for example, our members can instantly transfer money securely to a companion card on their account by using their mobile.
“The Escape Card is a simple solution, and gives our members flexibility when managing their finances. It allows them to take advantage of the discounts available from online retailers, or to shop over the phone – options most people take for granted. The ability to withdraw cash, or purchase from anywhere that accepts MasterCard, without having to worry about overspending is a major benefit.
“Encouraging our members to spend responsibly without any risk of debt is also another great element of the Escape Card partnership.”
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Press information and images: Katie Wright, Emily Cuthbert or Sarah Rathbone at Siren
katie.wright@sirenpr.co.uk; emily.cuthbert@sirenpr.co.uk or sarah.rathbone@sirenpr.co.uk
020 8237 1210 or 07595 055 882
About EZPay
EZPay Ltd (www.ezpayltd.co.uk) is the prepaid card provider from the Phones 4U Group. The company specialises in prepaid MasterCards and currently offers three products: The Escape Prepaid MasterCard; The Escape Travel Money Prepaid MasterCard and the Neon Prepaid MasterCard for under 17s.
Escape Prepaid MasterCard
The perfect card for people who want to take control of their general spending and those who regularly transfer money abroad. It’s free to load with cash and can then be used fee-free online or in-store like any other debit or credit card. Alternatively, the Escape card can be used to transfer cash to friends and family overseas without charge – and users benefit from some of the best exchange rates available today – making it far better value than traditional money transfer services. As an additional benefit users can earn up to 20% cashback on online purchases from great brands such as Apple, BHS and Top Man.
Escape Travel Money Prepaid MasterCard
The Escape Travel Money card is the ideal travelling companion. The card can be used in over 30 million locations worldwide – anywhere you see the MasterCard acceptance mark. There are no fees for using the card abroad and there are no fees for withdrawing money from ATMs while you’re abroad. You can also earn up to 20% cashback on your online purchases, excellent for when you’re booking airport parking and other travel essentials.