Jul
Good Bye BOPO, Hello My Canvas Card
If your like me your still contemplating whether or not to get yourself another prepaid VISA debit card in light of the BOPO fall out, unfortunately I needed one so signed up for the My Canvas Card Prepaid Visa Card, which thankfully arrived today (Now i can pay for my web hosting bills 
).
I registered online for the card online about 2 weeks ago, for those of you looking to get your hands one now, there are available at your local new agencies. If you register online you can get it for free when you use the following promotional code “loadcashplay“.
Visit mycanvascard.com.au
I’ll be topping up my card and test driving my new Yellow Smiley Face Canvas Card tomorrow.
I’ve been strapped for time but will post and overview of their fee schedule and update the rest of the site.
My Canvas Card is here
August 1st, 2008 at 10:38 am
Check the Terms and Conditions before you get one!
When the card expires, there is a fee charged - the amount remaining
on the card! So if your balance was $1000 when the card expires, you
lose it! And if you had the Option 2 card with a balance of $50,000
you would lose that! You can also overdraw it, which could be done
accidentally and that’s another fee charged. If you need to call them
for any help they charge you $3.99! They could easily block your card
just to make you call them, they tell you it’s “a system glitch”,
charge you $3.99 and then unblock your card. $3.95 deposit fee, the
money isn’t in the account for three days (while they use it for free
to play the short term money markets!) and a $2.95 monthly management
fee. Fees and charges all over the place! No thanks!!
August 2nd, 2008 at 2:44 am
It’s definitely not for everyone and I think in light of what happened with BOPO, It’ll be highly unlikely to see people have more than $1000.
I could be wrong.
For me, I’ll only be using it for webhosting bills, the occasional online purchase.
In most cases, majority of us have access to other options like VISA debit cards, those under 18 can’t get access to VISA debit cards.
We’re in the process of update all the MyCanvasCard Fee Schedules and launching a forum.
You can view an older comparison table http://prepaidvisacards.com.au/compare-prepaid-credit-cards-australia.html.
All new data should be online Mid next week but you can view an older
I recommend visitors read the My Canvas Card Product disclosure before making your decision.
https://www.mycanvascard.com.au/pdf/CANVAS-Product-Disclosure-Statement.pdf
August 12th, 2008 at 2:18 pm
THIS “ACT OF THEFT” A FEW MONTHS AGO,THIS DECEITFUL COMPANY WOULD HAVE KNOWN IT WAS IN TROUBLE THEN, YET DID NOT INFORM PROSPECTIVE BUYERS OF SUCH. NOW THE LIES CONTINUE AS I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO RETRIVE ALL MY FUNDS VIA ATM AND EFTPOS REFUSES IT.WHILST THE AMOUNT IS SMALL THIS CORRUPT COMPANY AND THE DECIETFUL DISHONEST ADMINISTRATORS THAT SHUT ALL THE ONLINE SERVICES DOWN PRIOR TO INFORMING CUSTOMERS THINK IT IS QUITE OK TO DEFRAUD CUSTOMERS OR SHOULD I SAY VICTIMS EVEN IF THE AMOUNTS ARE SMALL,IE $35,IT IS STILL MY MONEY AND ALL INVOLVED IN THIS SWINDLE ARE THIEFS
August 13th, 2008 at 11:20 am
Im in the same boat,
looking for another bopo type card(i only had the damn thing for a month before i got the bad news grrrr) when i came accross the mycanvas card, after reding the disclosure statement, i am definately scared off of it, as mewzishen said fees everywhere, sounds dodgy, nothing like bopo really in regards to fees etc
looks like ill be opening a new account at anz or nab
Damn you bopo!!!
August 14th, 2008 at 10:59 am
Agreed there are some navigable pitfalls to this card however for gamers particulary those using ‘Entropia Universe’ its a great option below direct deposit and other utilities allowing deposit at exhorbitant fees to do so.
It seems that the Visa exchange rates apply and conversion to USD for the Real cash economy of Entropia of Project Entropia Dollars make it a decent option for Australian players.
August 18th, 2008 at 7:34 am
Re:Ripped Off
Your right! the company knew it’s downfall and continued to trade even while
the company was insolvent. Many of your already know that there’s heaps of companies caught up in this, you can read up on them here http://www.plugger.com.au/news/Bill_Express/
But the best way is to contact Cuscal.com.au for more information regarding
the widthdrawal of your fund..
regards
Fb
August 18th, 2008 at 7:40 am
@ Snake
Cards like these are mostly geared towards under 18’s.
Anyone over 18 has better access to other financial cards like debit credit card or low interest rate credit cards.
I’ve yet to use the My Canvas card for my EVE Online account, just testing it out
on my hosting bills for now, though the additional monthly fees is making me think twice about continuing.
October 1st, 2008 at 12:56 pm
are there any other options other than the bankrupt bopo and the expensive canvas??
October 1st, 2008 at 11:21 pm
so should i get one or not?? im really confused. my computer won’t read
the format of the terms and conditions. what should i do?
i would only put money on there when i knew how much the item was that
i wanted to buy
October 10th, 2008 at 8:33 am
The other options are your prepaid giftcards. Though you’ll need to compare the fees http://www.prepaidvisacards.com.au/prepaidshop-gift-cards.html
October 10th, 2008 at 8:41 am
@Confused
Depending your usage, the MyCanvas would be ok as you’d load the amount you intend to use. Though you’ll need to factor in the the monthly maintenance cost of $2.95 plus a $3.75 load fee.
The other options is considering using a VISA Debit Card or VISA giftcards.
October 16th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
i just purchased the canvas card 8 days ago and i naively believed that it would be the same as the bopo card (which i thought was a brilliant idea, it was the bopo card that opened up my world to internet shopping). The fees on the Bopo card did not bother me at all, as i felt they were fair and i knew exactly what to expect. how different the canvas card is turning out to be. In 8 days i have made two seperate $50 deposits as well as paid the initial $7.95 purchase fee and i have only made ONE $50 purchase. i just checked my balance to find that i only have $34.00 left on my card. what the hell! wheres the rest of it? On checking my transaction history, the only information on there is what i loaded onto the card, sure it says that i have made purchases (7 to be exact, 6 of which i dont recall)but absolutely no information on who, where and what was involved in these purchases, not even an amount for the purchase. the only information is the word “purchase”. and now to top it off i have just been reading the above blogs about all these other charges that i knew nothing about! why do these companies have to take such a fantastic idea and charge it up ridiculously so that it inevitably falls on its ass because no consumer wants to (or can afford to) touch it. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE can some honest company out there take over (not destroy the bopo card. once canvas take the last of MY $34.00 (which im pretty sure theyll get to before i do) i will be throwing my card to buggary. I might as well use my credit card over the internet, the odds of me being ripped off on there will be lower than at canvas
October 23rd, 2008 at 9:24 am
@Chook
some of the fees included if that $50 was your first deposit was probably the monthly service fee, and the loading fee. I dont know what else they could charge you, unless you spent something but you didnt know…
October 30th, 2008 at 8:03 am
help!!
i want to get a canvas card but should i is it worth it or not !!!
November 3rd, 2008 at 5:03 am
@ Stacey,
You’ll need to consider that there’s a monthly fee and load fee that you’ll need to be aware of.
What are you planning to use it for?
December 10th, 2008 at 7:04 am
BE WEARY OF THE ALTERNATIVE CARDS!!!
I had a bopo for probably less than a month before I was told that the
company was going in the brink. I am so angry that bopo closed down but
also glad because I didn’t have that much money on the card at the time
of foreclosure. You may be looking at another alternative called the
“CANVAS CARD”. On the website it claims that it won’t “sting you with
fees” but after reading the product disclosure statement clearly they
can and will get you with fees. The minimum top up or “recharge” is
$50 at any one time as well as a “monthly account keeping fee” of $2.95
and a recharge fee of $3.75!!!! WHAT A RIP OFF!!! I only just wish Bopo
was still around…..
December 11th, 2008 at 3:02 am
Thanks for the post.
There are fees associated with the card which have been expressed previously and can be viewed here http://prepaidvisacards.com.au/my-canvas-prepaid-card.html
My Canvas Card is really a niche card for those that don’t have access to visa debit cards, or don’t like using their main credit cards online.
It’s not for everyone, but its an alternative if you don’t have access to other other cards