Travel Deal of the Day (Dec. 22, 2006)

You found a deal and it requires a certain credit card - but you do not have that credit card. Can you still qualify for the deal? Surprisingly - the answer may be yes.

The Deal:
When a travel deal requires a certain credit card that you do not have, you may still be eligible for the deal if you buy a prepaid credit card and use that prepaid card for the deal.

How:
Quite often, credit cards like Visa and American Express offer amazing travel deals (for example, see the American Express deal from the Dec. 20, 2006 post). While you may think you are ineligible for the deal if you do not have that credit card, you can go to the website of that credit card (or a local bank or retailer) and purchase a prepaid card. Prepaid credit cards carry the logo of a standard credit card and can be used at any place that accepts that credit card. These prepaid cards have certain drawbacks that a standard credit card would not have - but, if you are interested in a great travel deal that requires that you have a certain type of credit card, this may be a way to get that deal even if you do not have the credit card that is necessary for the deal.