MANILA, Philippines ? To teach people, especially the youth, the art of spending wisely, Visa introduces its prepaid card that looks exactly like a credit or a debit card but allows you to spend only the amount that?s been pre-loaded onto the card.

This card best suits college students and the young professionals who are in the first stages of using payment cards while at the same time developing sound financial management skills around card use. This is also secure and convenient for those who love to travel.

The VISA Prepaid Card provides you with the choice to ?pay before,? compared to a credit card that allows you to ?pay later.? Like other VISA Cards, the Visa Prepaid Card can be used anywhere Visa is accepted. You don?t have to carry large amounts of cash because this card allows cardholders to pay for purchases at point-of-sale, even for online or thru phone purchases.

This card also comes in handy when paying the bills. You can also do away with money changers, carrying large amounts of cash or travelers checks when traveling because you can withdraw cash from automated teller machines in the currency of the country you are in.

Card holders can also use this card to withdraw, deposit, and receive deposits even without a bank account.

This card can also be given as gifts or top up card. Parents don?t need to worry about their kids overspending their cards or accruing debts and interest because there is none. Through this card, they can teach their kids the value of managing their own finances.

For a guide on how much parents could give to their children, parents could go to the Practical Money Skills website and calculate using the Allowance Comparison Calculator: http://www.practicalmoneyskills.com/personalfinance/lifeevents/parenting/allowances.php#comparison

Since the prepaid card could only be used depending on the amount of money left in the card, the user is saved from the temptation of overspending.

Visa introduces this kind of product as part of its financial literacy programs to teach individuals how to spend, save and budget responsibly. Visa believes that one of the most important financial tools is not a product but knowledge. In 2009 Visa committed to reach 20 million people worldwide with financial education by 2013.

Visa launched this year?s financial literacy program through a FIFA Financial Football game to complement Visa?s sponsorship of the 2010 FIFA World CupTM. The interactive and educational game (www.visa-asia.com/financialfootball) allows players to gain financial knowledge and put their money management know-how to the test.