Prepaid Card

Unlike a debit card, a prepaid card need not be linked to a regular bank account, and unlike a credit card, it involves no borrowing. The holder or a sponsor loads money onto the card, and purchases and withdrawals reduce the stored value. Some cards are reloadable; others are single-use gift cards.

Prepaid cards are useful for people without full bank accounts, for gifts, for controlling spending (for example for students or employees' travel expenses) and for travel. A travel or foreign currency prepaid card can be loaded with foreign currency within the foreign exchange facilities allowed by NRB, reducing the need to carry cash abroad, and largely replaces traveller's cheques.

In Nepal, BFIs issue prepaid cards under NRB's directives, which require KYC proportionate to the card's value and set loading limits. The cards run on card schemes such as Visa, Mastercard, UnionPay or domestic schemes, so they can be used at ATMs, POS terminals and online like other cards.

Banks and financial institutions may issue prepaid cards of up to Rs 1 lakh per customer, with cash withdrawal capped at Rs 10,000 per transaction, Rs 20,000 per day and Rs 2 lakh per month. Payment service providers that are not banks may issue prepaid cards of up to Rs 25,000, with cash withdrawal capped at Rs 5,000 per day and Rs 25,000 per month.

प्रिपेड कार्ड डेबिट कार्डझैं नियमित बैंक खातासँग जोडिनुपर्दैन र क्रेडिट कार्डझैं सापटी पनि हुँदैन। धारक वा प्रायोजकले रकम लोड गर्छन् र खर्च गर्दा मौज्दात घट्छ। केही कार्ड पुनः लोड गर्न मिल्ने र केही एकपटक प्रयोग हुने उपहार कार्ड हुन्छन्।

बैंक खाता नभएका व्यक्ति, उपहार, खर्च नियन्त्रण र यात्राका लागि यो उपयोगी हुन्छ। विदेश यात्राका लागि नेपाल राष्ट्र बैंकले दिएको विदेशी विनिमय सुविधाभित्र विदेशी मुद्रामा लोड गर्न सकिन्छ, जसले ट्राभलर्स चेकको स्थान लिएको छ। KYC र लोड सीमा नेपाल राष्ट्र बैंकको निर्देशनअनुसार हुन्छ।

बैंक तथा वित्तीय संस्थाले प्रतिग्राहक अधिकतम रु १ लाखसम्मको प्रिपेड कार्ड जारी गर्न सक्छन्, जसबाट नगद झिक्ने सीमा प्रतिकारोबार रु १० हजार, प्रतिदिन रु २० हजार र प्रतिमहिना रु २ लाख हो। बैंक बाहेकका भुक्तानी सेवा प्रदायकले अधिकतम रु २५ हजारसम्मको प्रिपेड कार्ड जारी गर्न सक्छन्, जसबाट प्रतिदिन रु ५ हजार र प्रतिमहिना रु २५ हजारसम्म नगद झिक्न सकिन्छ।