Best to Avoid PayPower

11Jan2018

Seems like the PayPower Reloadable Mastercard Prepaid Program issues are never-ending (also been receiving email concerns about PayPower.

The primary issues include:

unable to reach any customer service
unable to view online account
fees
fees
and more fees

I just wanted to write a post cross-referencing my previous post so that people do not think that I endorse PayPower. I personally do not have a card myself and do not intend to get one because of the fees.

The card may or may not work out for people. It highly depends on your personal situation. Either way, feel free to share your experience, good or bad, regarding PayPower in the comment section below!

Posted by Matt
in PayPower
46 comments

About The Author

Matt

Chief Editor

Matt has been an avid points collector since 1992 (an elementary school student), when his dad signed up for the new (at the time) Air Miles program. Since then, Matt took a keen interest in learning how the miles and points world works. He quickly found out that there is a lot of value in leveraging miles and points to fund his passion for travelling.

46 comments

Dana
January 12, 2018 / 1:24 am
I just bought one recently, so that I can reload it with the Cobalt to get 5x on everything. I don’t do ATM withdrawals with it. I read a lot of negative things so am proceeding with caution and using it as a short-term option for now. Load fee comparable to Vanilla Reloads, the latter which is restricted to a $300 per day (PP is $500 each load and believe it’s $950 per day). Easy to load at Safeway/Save-on too, as Vanilla Reloads is hit and miss at 7-11s with many not allowing credit cards to purchase PINs.

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- Mark
  January 12, 2018 / 7:19 am
  Totally understand if you don’t want to disclose the actual method, but are you using the PayPower card for normal spending, or do you have some kind of liquidation strategy for MS?
  
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  - Matthew Lau
    January 12, 2018 / 7:44 am
    Personally I do not have the card. I do not like paying the fee regardless of MS or normal spending. Some people may find value it in.
    
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- Matthew Lau
  January 12, 2018 / 7:43 am
  Yes. Do what is manageable for you. Can start a little bit at a time.
  
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Rashid Rajah
January 12, 2018 / 3:05 pm
its a disaster-stay away I have been burnt

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- Matthew Lau
  January 12, 2018 / 10:43 pm
  Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Seems consistent with many others.
  
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Frank
January 13, 2018 / 4:35 pm
With a 4-times card (Scotia Gold Amex) or 5-times (Cobalt) PayPower is worth the fees. You can buy approximately $1 of travel for $0.50 including reload and withdrawal fees.

i.e. $1500 (3 reloads) will cost $14.85 and 5 withdrawals ($300 each) will cost $19.75 (including ATM fee). So for a total of $34.60 you can earn 6000 Scotia points worth $60 in travel. At the end of the month empty the card (to avoid monthly renewal fee) and start over with a new card. You can easily do 50,000 points per month.

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- Dave Brown
  January 14, 2018 / 4:33 pm
  Hi Frank – where does it work for the 5X with cobalt? Ive been having troubles at some places using it.
  Can someone also clarify how theyve been burned? I agree it sucks for MS as even with cobalt it could be a hassle and not worth the time. I find it valuable to do minimum spend so i can get more cards. Worth it to pay the 2% in fees……
  
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- KChan
  January 18, 2018 / 5:11 pm
  Hey Frank, mind sharing what you mean by “empty the card (to avoid monthly renewal fee)”? Do you call in to cancel or let it sit at $0 balance (so they can’t take any monthly fees off)?
  
  Thank you!
  
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Dave Brown
January 14, 2018 / 4:37 pm
Does anyone have a list of places where they are able to reload the card as a Select member?

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Steve Williamson
January 14, 2018 / 5:02 pm
So I have … or rather had … well actually have this card.

As Rashid said, stay the F away from this card. I loaded $1K on the card and tested two withdrawals of $100 and $200 without much problem (except for the fees which I don’t like at all). When I went to withdraw money the third time, it was declined. I thought it was weird so I tried it again at the same ATM … the ATM then ate my card. I was terrified because I needed that money to make rent.

I called into PayPower and I have never dealt with more incompetent people in my entire life. The rep said that it needed to be escalated to another department but wouldn’t tell me which one and asked to wait for a call back. Surprise surprise … no call back. I have since called at least 8 times and every time I have been given the run around …even by the supposed supervisor. I’ve been told that my card was shut down because of suspected Manufactured Spend and claim some BS term in their policy. I’ve been told that it can take between 45-60 days to get my cheque … it’s been 42 days today and still nothing.

I had to borrow money from my parents to make rent … what a great conversation that was trying to explain where my money went.

I HATE PAYPOWER and would suggest that you stay far far away …

Thought I would share my experience so you don’t have to go through it.

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- Matthew Lau
  January 14, 2018 / 7:04 pm
  Thanks for sharing your detailed thoughts Steve!
  
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- Dave Brown
  February 1, 2018 / 10:45 pm
  Did you ever get your cheque – i think im having the same problem as you. My card wont work anymore – feel free to send this offline – dave.brown0112@gmail.com
  
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Frank
January 15, 2018 / 12:13 pm
Hi Dave – I personally use the Scotia Gold Amex to reload at Sobey’s or Metro. I obviously do the max $500 since the fee is always $4.95 as far I know. The customer service line was down for a long time but I was able to find the new number (don’t have it handy). They do answer the call and seem to be fairly knowledgeable. I have been able to withdraw without a problem. Use a CIBC machine since they only charge $2. You must make the card re-loadable on the website to withdraw.

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- Dave Brown
  January 15, 2018 / 1:47 pm
  Thanks for getting back Frank – Have you ever had issues reloading at Metro? I’ve tried at 2 Metros in Ottawa and both dont do it…
  
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Points Max
January 15, 2018 / 12:46 pm
I have been buying several Paypower cards at Safeway in $500 increment with my Cobalt card. I then buy gift cards at Ebatesgiftcards and get between 1.5-4% back on that site. By doing this it covers all my fees for buying pay power cards.

I have never done a reload… I just keep buying $500 cards for 6.95… then I never pay a monthly fee or reload fee…

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- Points Max
  January 15, 2018 / 12:53 pm
  My thinking is that pay power are scum and I should use the money on the PP card immediately or I risk losing it.. I always just buy other gift cards with it ASAP. Costco… Lob laws… etc preferably on ebates so I get more cash back,
  
  By doing just $500 a time you aren’t risking a ton. If I put thousands on just one of those cards it would make me nervous.
  
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  - KChan
    January 18, 2018 / 12:35 pm
    Just curious, wanted to know what you do with your card after your paypower card balance is $0.
    1) Does the card charge you $4.95, and the balance will decline below $0 on the dashboard?
    2) Do you need to top it back up (or will there be a penalty)? Or can you let it sit there until the card’s natural expiry in 2021? Or do you need to call to cancel as Matthew said?
    
    I just loaded with $500, and spent $500 on ebatesgiftcards. Curious to know what will happen.
    
    Thank you!
    
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Frank
January 15, 2018 / 8:51 pm
Hi again – the reload fee is cheaper than the initial purchase fee so it makes sense to reload for an entire month and start over with a new card. I have been reloading and withdrawing for a couple of months without any issues. Some places I have been to say they don’t reload but if they sell the card, that is BS. Just tell the cashier to scan the card and it will work – I have only had to make a fuss a couple of times. If they are not sure, just tell them TO SCAN THE CARD … it will pop up on the register and tell them you want $500. It helps if you are a regular and then they there is no issues. As I said, I have reloaded using my 4x Scotia card many times at both Metro and Sobeys.

So for the rest of you … you can use the PayPower card to buy gift cards at Ebates but then what do you do with the gift card? If I have to use the gift card to buy things I am losing out of more miles/points since I can’t use my credit cards. That’s OK for minimum spend on new cards but not a long term MS strategy or am I missing something?

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- Matthew Lau
  January 15, 2018 / 9:25 pm
  Preferably buy gift cards at a discount and maybe try to resell them?
  
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Frank
January 17, 2018 / 7:57 pm
Thanks Matthew – I have heard that strategy (buying and selling gift cards) on American sites but I have not been able (yet) to see a a profitable way to do that here at home. PayPower is one of the few ways to MS with a 4x or 5x card even after fees. Buying gift cards doesn’t work (except for minimum spend) since then I need to spend the gift cards (no points) or sell them at a loss. PayPower, PAYTM and CIBC/AirCanada Convesion Cards are the only way right now outiide of getting new CC’s.

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Hs
January 17, 2018 / 8:59 pm
If my account is $0 on the Reloadable Prepaid Paypower Mastercard, will the account be negative because of the monthly fee? How do I cancel it after I drain it?

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- Matthew Lau
  January 17, 2018 / 9:02 pm
  That seems to be the issue. Need to call to cancel, if they pick up. Try your luck and let us know how it goes!
  
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  - Kc
    January 17, 2018 / 9:20 pm
    So I actually have to cancel this card or it’ll be in the negative?
    
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    - Matthew Lau
      January 17, 2018 / 9:23 pm
      I would keep it clean and cancel it to avoid needing to wonder the answer to this question.
      
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      - KChan
        January 18, 2018 / 2:45 pm
        Does the card charge you a monthly fee if you are an Express member only (did not upgrade)? Website says $4.95 fee starts only after upgrade. Thank you!
        
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      - PointsMax
        January 22, 2018 / 11:06 am
        I just throw them out when they get to zero. I never became more than express so there is no monthly fee!
        
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PointsMax
January 22, 2018 / 11:13 am
Responding to Frank:

You’re missing the point. I use the gift cards from Ebates to do my every day spending. Here is an example:

I buy $500 worth of pay power with my Cobalt and get 5% back. Then I take the pay power card on ebates and buy $300 worth of superstore cards (a place we shop that is not a 5X multiplier for cobalt or even take amex for that matter) and I buy $200 to Petro Canada.

In the $300 to Superstore I get $4.50 cash back on Ebates. (1.5% cash back)
On the $200 to Petro Canda I just got $8 cash back (special 4% deal) PLUS I got TWO $10 savings cards (5 cents off a litre for 200 litres) that if you register turn into $13 savings cards!

So on my $500 power pay card I get 5%, plus another 1.5% on my superstore cards, plus 4% on my Petro cards, and then the two promotional cards each worth $13…. As you can see I easily work off the 6.95 for a power pay card.

Sounds like a pretty good deal to me for everyday spending I would do anyway… my capital one aspire would only get me 2%…

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- Frank
  January 29, 2018 / 3:51 pm
  Thanks for the reply PointsMax – I can see how that would be worthwhile in terms of the rebates. I guess my point is that I would prefer to earn points at Supersttore and Petro with other cards I have (for example, my Scotia Gold also gives me 4x at Petro). But the rebates are a good idea too but I can do a lot of volume by loading and withdrawing.
  
  Another way to use the PayPower is to get 5x the points at Sobeys and use the card EVERYWHERE they take Mastercard – when you load it (at Sobeys for example), you are always getting 4x the points. It is worth the $4.95 per $500 (2000 points is worth $20 travel dollars).
  
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- Kevin
  February 2, 2018 / 8:38 pm
  Hello Pointmax, I live in ontario and the max pay power that I could find is for $100 at Sobey’s for $6 activation fees. Where can I buy the $500 one?
  
  Thanks
  Kevin
  
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  - Frank
    February 6, 2018 / 8:22 pm
    The PayPower card has a variable load up to $500. The reload is the same (max $500). Once they scan the card, just tell them $500.
    
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Dave Brown
February 1, 2018 / 10:44 pm
So I’ve been trying to use my paypower cards and they dont seem to work – i cant use them and they wont withdraw. I have been MSing for a month. Anyone else have this issue? Im guessing im going to have to go through the headache of contact paypower now – anyone can give me some advice?

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- Frank
  February 1, 2018 / 10:47 pm
  Dave – you have to log in to the site and enter some personal informtion to make it a reloadable card (which comes with a fee). Otherwise, it is just a regular gift card (can’t reload or withdraw) but you can still use it for regular purchases.
  
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  - Dave Brown
    February 2, 2018 / 8:00 am
    Hey frank, oh I ve done that already and been using it to withdraw cash from atms etc. Now it stopped working with $1100 on it. Won’t reload, withdraw or work at any retailer. But online it says I have my $1100. Somethings wrong with this system…
    
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    - Frank
      February 3, 2018 / 2:59 pm
      Hi again – I haven’t had any issues with the PayPower card. Cal this number 1-855-721-0303. Also, make sure you are a Select member.
      
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      - Dave Brown
        February 13, 2018 / 6:53 pm
        I realized what the issue is- max withdrawal is $1000 per week. I hit the max and my card didnt seem to work until 168 hours had past.
        
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      - Harley
        February 19, 2018 / 10:25 pm
        This is likely a dumb question but I can’t find the answer elsewhere – it seems like there are two tiers of membership for paypower – express and select. From what I read The select membership gives you the ability to withdraw more money . My question is how do you become a select member? Thanks in advance
        
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Dave Brown
February 21, 2018 / 12:12 pm
Do people have a list of locations that they are able to reload their paypower cards? I find this is the biggest issue with the card (stores being unfamiliar and refusing to reload). I live in Ottawa and i have 2 locations i reload.

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- Stany V
  February 25, 2018 / 10:32 pm
  Metro in the Glebe, on RIchmond Road and in Rideau do not reload PayPower. Food Basics on Carling sells, but doesn’t reload, claim that someone is expected to come in, and fix the loading issue for them. Who did you find, that does reload?
  
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Churner
March 16, 2018 / 11:50 pm
PayPower cards are not that bad as long as you try not to max the withdraw limit or reload limits. If you do, the card will brick.

The easiest thing to do is purchase a card and load up $500 via Cobalt for the 5x (Safeway) is my preferred location. I would then head to a Vancity and withdraw via checking for $400 ($1.95 fee)

Next day, do the same thing. Reload $500 + $5 fee, withdraw $400 + $1.95
(optional) Next day, Reload, withdraw $200 ( max is 1000/week)

This gives you essentially around 2500 pts per load * 5 cards is 12500 / day * 3 = 37500 / week in points! (max is 5 PayPower per account)

Do that over the course of a month and you have around 150k if my math is correct. For about $420 in fees.

Also for the fees, if you can get Costco gift card you can go to a store and buy something and get the remainder back in cash. Just pretend you are not a member.

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- Matthew Lau
  March 18, 2018 / 8:08 pm
  As long as you are getting value from it, then go for it.
  
  If not, then avoid it…
  
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- Dave Brown
  April 3, 2018 / 8:14 am
  How long have you been doing that? $7500/ week could lead to a Financial Review from Amex.
  
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Rayne
September 14, 2018 / 11:02 am
You people are fucked……I came to this site because I thought it was an honest review of the paypower card. This bullshit scam you guys are pulling makes you deserve to have problems. I had a paypower card for 3 years and used it as it should be used……as a credit card option for people with bad credit…..and I never had a problem with it other than waiting a long time for a hotel deposit back……but I can’t prove it was paypower or the hotel to blame. You should be charged for the scam you are pulling and blaming a credit card……

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- Matt
  September 15, 2018 / 11:33 am
  Glad you are using it properly, which is probably why you are not having issues. That’s the risk they take for not using it properly, which is why they are running into so many problems.
  
  Glad to hear your positive story Rayne, thanks for sharing!
  
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Maureen Jenkins
January 17, 2019 / 12:22 pm
My husband receives one every Xmas from his boss. This year when we tried to register it we were told it already had been. It was still wrapped in its protective plastic so I thought that a little odd. When I called them to ask about it I was told only my husband could ask questions as he is the account owner. I told them we were both down as account holders but when I checked it my name had been removed. They said the card had been activated before today and that’s all they would say. I told them that was impossible because I had it with me in England since xmas and only got back last night

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- Matt
  January 17, 2019 / 3:25 pm
  That’s a tricky one. Thanks for sharing your experience with us Maureen.
  
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