How Sterling Card works

How it Works

Sterling Card is a pre-paid card. It gives you many of the benefits of a bank account with added security.

This means that like a pay as you go phone, you need to put money on your account before you can use it. It is not a debit card that is linked to a bank account or credit card where you pay for your transactions at a later date.

Be assured that there is no credit check, and there is 100% acceptance guaranteed*. Yes EVERYONE aged 18 years and over can get a card. Additional card holders will need to be aged 13 and over.

*You need to be aged 18 or over and a resident in the UK to apply for an account.

The cheap and easy way to share money with friends and family abroad.

You can use Sterling Pay As You Got Card as a cheap and easy way to share money abroad. You can apply for up to 4 more cards on your account and send these to your family or friends back home. You top-up the account in the UK and they can then access money at any MasterCard® ATM or retail outlet. Remember, your money is safe with your Sterling Card. Each card is Chip and PIN protected.

There is NO MONTHLY FEE FOR ADDITIONAL CARDS: Annual purchase price for additional cards is £4.95 with no additional monthly fee.

You can use each card abroad to obtain local currency through MasterCard® ATMs or to shop in store and online. The Sterling Card can be used at over 28 million locations and over 1 million ATMs worldwide, anywhere that displays the MasterCard® acceptance mark.

You can assign an additional card to a loved one as young as 13 years old, and you have up to 4 additional cards per account. If you have children this could be a great solution for you, as you will always have peace of mind that they have to access to funds and it’s safer than carrying cash. It’s also a great way to pay pocket money and give children an introduction in how to manage their money responsibly.

If you are aged 18 or over and a UK resident then you qualify for a Sterling Card.

• 100% acceptance guaranteed*
• Simple online application
• No credit checks
• Use online, in stores and ATMs* wherever you see the MasterCard® acceptance mark

Already applied? Want to check the status of your application?
If you have already applied for your Sterling Card online, you can Check the Status of Your Application at any time using our online system, simply enter the application reference number you received in your confirmation email.

You can top-up your pre-paid MasterCard® account by online banking* or by visiting your local Post Office® branch. You can also go online at your convenience and download a Standing Order* or Wages Payment form* – once you have submitted the form, regular payments could be made to your account from another bank account or your employer.

You can top-up your account between £10 and £5,000 per day. Learn more about Topping Up Your Card.

If you already have a Sterling Card then you can join the Members' Area.

When in the Members Area you can do the following:

• Activate your card
• Check your balance
• Review your statement and transaction history
• Change your security details
• Edit your personal details
• Change your account password
• Add an additional card to your account for a family member or friend, and give them access to the Members' Area*
• Enquire about a Top-up payment

By using our new Creditbuilder option on your Sterling Card, you could help rebuild and improve your credit rating just by using your Sterling Card and continuing to pay your normal monthly fee.

People suffer from a bad credit rating for all sorts of reasons, from being a new immigrant to the UK, being unable to pay household bills to defaulting on a mortgage. When you use Creditbuilder successfully, it can improve your credit rating and improve your chances of being accepted for credit or a loan in the future.

As soon as you are a fully verified Sterling Card customer, you are eligible to join Creditbuilder.

How it Works

• Available when you have a Sterling Card
• Complete the application and send it to us with a copy of your identification(See application form) and get Creditbuilder added to your Sterling Card account for one year
• Advanced Payment Solutions Limited will then loan you £71.40 to pay for one year's use of your Sterling Card - the loan is only available for this purpose
• No Interest charges
• No administration fees
• No extra charges
• To repay your Creditbuilder loan, you must make sure you have at least £5.95 in your Sterling Card account each and every month for the duration of your loan.
• The usual monthly fee of £5.95 is taken from your account and you can use and top up your card as normal
• After 12 monthly payments, your loan will have been paid
• Details of your loan repayment history are then sent to the credit bureau.
• As long as you carry out the steps we’ve outlined to you, and manage any other credit or loan accounts responsibly, you should see your credit rating improve.

For whatever reason you'd like to improve your credit rating, our Creditbuilder can help.

The Creditbuilder loan is provided by APS subject to the creditbuilder Terms and Conditions. APS Consumer Credit Licence No. 0608377.