Neteller, the famous online gaming payment facilitator, has announced they will begin distribution of a new debit card service at the end of May.  The new card is a pre-paid debit card that can be funded directly from members e-wallet accounts.

On May 3rd, the original NETeller Card was retired and NETeller clients were no longer able to move funds from their e-wallet to their card as well as use the card for any transactions.  Any money that was still on clients cards was transferred back into their e-wallet and can be used again once they’ve received their new pre-paid NETeller debit card.

The original card was forced to be withdrawn from the market because the third-party provider Cirrus/Maestro Network that serviced the NEteller card could no longer support the branded cards.  

Although this may be an inconvenience to many consumers, there are many benefits of the new card in comparison to the Original NETeller Card.  Firstly, you re-load your card directly from your e-wallet account which is available in the currency of your choice, thus consumers will save on foreign exchange fees.

The card will be accepted at over 24 million retail point-of-sale, ATM’s and internet sites around the world.  The pre-paid debit card also has much lower transaction fees than the original card and the balance and withdrawal limits will conveniently be much higher.

The new card is available to all NETeller customers in Europe, Asia and Pacific regions.  Unfortunately, due to the passing of the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act in US and the uncertain future of online gambling in Canada, the service will not be available to consumers in these countries.

Ron Martin, the CEO of NETeller had the following to say of the new undertaking, "The ability for our customers to access and use funds from their e-wallets at over 24 million online and offline outlets worldwide is very important to both them and us. As we continue to grow our business in Europe and Asia Pacific, we believe this new prepaid debit program will allow us to open up new areas of business."

News and Articles Related to NETeller:

• No More NETeller for Canadians (April 3, 2007)

• NETeller.com (Official NETeller Website)