Financial Independence For Your Teens With The Gaica Prepaid Card

Want to give your teenagers easy access to money should they need it? But not quite ready to hand over a credit card? The Gaica Prepaid Card could be the answer to all your worries.

Got teens going overseas for a vacation or off to college? Those older children will need access to money, but what is the safest way to set that up? With English support, control over purchase limits and monthly spending, I came to the conclusion that the Gaica Prepaid Card is an ideal option for giving your teens some limited freedom.

The cherry on top: it will also give you the ability to use the card both in Japan and overseas!

To sum it up, the Gaica Prepaid Card works like a Visa card, but without the credit option. Simply load the balance onto the card and you’re ready to go.

Peace of mind for families with teens needing some Freedom—within limits

The Gaica Prepaid card can be used by teens 13-years-old and over. It can be used to make purchases at any retailer displaying the Visa or Plus logo both in Japan and abroad, so your kids won’t need to carry around lots of cash but it can be also used to make online purchases!

Unlike a credit card, however, purchases using a Gaica Card can only go up to the value that you have pre-charged onto the card. Even better, if you go for the Gaica Flex Card, parents can limit the amount of each transaction, as well as set up daily and monthly spending limits. The perfect solution to give teens freedom and access to cash in emergencies but also within set boundaries.

I have to admit, peace of mind comes from the fact I receive email notifications each time the card is used to withdraw cash or make a purchase, so no sneaky shopping sprees! I can see exactly where my money is being spent.

Another benefit when traveling abroad is that the Gaica Prepaid Card can be used to withdraw cash in local currencies at overseas ATMs—with a fixed fee—which eliminates the stress of needing to convert currencies (note that the card cannot be used at Japanese ATMs).

Other Benefits and Discounts

The Gaica Prepaid Card is a good option for teens who, as we all know, tend to lose things.

If the card is lost or stolen, you can call the Gaica Customer Service 24-hour phone number to cancel it. If the card gets lost abroad, you can use one of the toll-free phone numbers provided for 36 countries around the world, although this service is only available in Japanese.

For non-Japanese speakers, Gaica Customer Service provides English support from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

There is also the Aplus emergency service which provides support for those with lost or stolen passports. Perks for users don’t stop there—discounts at major airports around Japan for luggage delivery, pocket Wi-Fi, and mobile phone rentals are just extra icing on the cake.

Update to a Gaica Flex Card for Extra Benefits

With a basic Gaica Card, you will be provided with a Mitsui Sumitomo bank account that is linked to your Gaica Prepaid Card. But if you apply for a Shinsei PowerFlex bank account, you can update to a Gaica Flex Card. This card has the extra benefits of including automatic loading once the card balance falls below a predetermined amount, and a monthly automatic re-load, so your teens will never be stuck without the funds they need. 

The Gaica Flex Card can be re-loaded in several major foreign currencies including US dollars, Euros, Great British pounds and Australian dollars. When I load the card in yen, it can be used anywhere around the world although of course, foreign exchange fees will apply. 

Apply online from the comfort of home

There’s no need to print off forms or visit a bank, you can easily apply for a Gaica Card online with English support! 

Simply follow four simple steps:

1. Agree to the terms of use
2. Fill out the application form
3. Upload photos or scans of documents verifying your identity 
4. Wait for your Gaica Card to arrive in the mail
5. And voilà!

Apply for a Gaica Card now

Once your card arrives, you’ll need to activate it online. Then you can load cash onto your Gaica card at an ATM in Japan, or using the Member-Only Site, and finally hand the card to your precious teenager with total peace of mind!

More information about Gaica Prepaid Cards can be found on their website.