The Sun

• How much does my The Sun eccount and Prepaid Card cost?

  It costs only £6.49 to buy The Sun eccount and MasterCard^® Prepaid Card. Note: we will refund the purchase price of your card if you make an initial Top-up of £20 or more within 14 days of activation.

• What tariffs are available?

  When you buy your eccount and Prepaid Card you can choose from three tariffs – Pay Weekly, Pay Monthly or Pay As You Go.

   

  • Pay Weekly
    
    When you choose the Pay Weekly tariff you pay a flat rate of £1 per card on your eccount each week but you don’t pay any fees at all for purchase transactions, and ATM withdrawals are only £1. If you travel abroad, your purchase transactions remain unlimited, and ATM withdrawals are £2.25. The weekly fee will be deducted each Monday of the week. If there are no funds available, you will still be charged.
    
    

  • Pay Monthly
    
    When you choose the Pay Monthly tariff you pay a flat rate of £4.99 per card on your eccount each month, but you don’t pay any fees at all for purchase transactions, and ATM withdrawals are only 50p. If you travel abroad, your purchase transactions remain unlimited, and ATM withdrawals are £2.25. The monthly fee will be deducted on the 1st of each month. If there are no funds available, you will still be charged.
    
    

  • Pay As You Go

    
    When you choose the Pay As You Go tariff, you pay a fee for each purchase and ATM withdrawal you make, which is automatically deducted from your card balance on top of the amount that you’ve spent or withdrawn. The fees are 2.95% per purchase transaction, and 1.5% per ATM withdrawal; the minimum you’ll pay is 50p, and the maximum is £1.50. If you travel abroad the fee is still 2.95% on purchase transactions, and the ATM fee is £2.25.
    

   

  Please note that it will cost £5 to switch tariff once you have signed up.

Where can I find a list of the fees I will be charged?

You’ll find the Fees & Charges listed here on the website, User Guide and in our Terms and Conditions. You can also call Customer Care for a copy.

Will I be paid interest?

Your Sun Card is a prepaid card and subject to e-money regulations, interest is not paid on this product.

Will I pay any fees if I do not use my PAYG card/eccount?

If you do not use your PAYG card/eccount for a period of 30 days or more, you will incur a £1 admin fee the following month and every month thereafter until your eccount becomes active again.

• How do I activate my card?

  Your Sun Prepaid MasterCard^® is automatically activated when we send it out to you. Simply call our secure automated PIN retrieval service on the number provided on your Welcome Letter to obtain your PIN, then Top-up your card and it’s ready to use.

• How do I get additional Sun Cards for my family, dependants or friends?

  It’s as simple as buying them online and activating them. You can have multiple cards for your friends and family on your Sun eccount and it’s very easy to manage them. Find out more.

• How do I get my PIN?

  Just call our secure automated PIN retrieval service and follow the 5 easy steps:

  1. Call 020 7070 4902
  2. Enter your eccount number
  3. Enter the last 4 digits of your card number
  4. Enter secret number supplied during registration
  5. Memorise the PIN that is read out by our automated system.

• Can I change my PIN?

  It makes good sense to change the PIN from the PIN retrieval service to one that’s easy to remember. This is easily done at most ATM machines in the UK. All you do is insert your Sun card and enter the PIN you obtained from our PIN retrieval service. If the PIN change option is on offer at the ATM you’re using, the instructions will pop-up on the screen.

• How do I Top-up my Sun Card?

  We’ve made Topping-up as simple as possible. You can Top-up with cash at any of the 2,000 selected High Street Bank Branches using the Paying-in Book provided, or at any of over 19,500 PayPoint locations with your card – see the PayPoint Top-up locator on the PayPoint page. You can also pay-in by credit/debit card* and by standing order or bank transfer. Cheques are not accepted to Top up your prepaid card. Call Customer Care for details.

  * This service will be available from 1st June 2008.

• Will I be charged for additional Paying-in Books?

  Paying-in-books only cost £5 and can be used to Top-up with cash at High Street bank branches - please call Customer Care.

• Can my employer pay my wages directly onto my card?

  Yes, they can. And it’s a great way to Top-up. Call Customer Care for full details on how to set up a Standing Order or bank transfer, They will email you with a simple form to complete for your employer’s records.

• What is my maximum card/eccount balance?

  The maximum combined balance of your card/eccount is £3,000.

• Where can I withdraw cash?

  You can get cash at any ATM that carries the MasterCard^® Acceptance Mark. There are over 1.2 million ATMs worldwide. To find one, just use our ATM locator.

• How much cash can I withdraw with my card each day?

  The maximum amount you may withdraw per day from ATMs in the UK is £250. If you’re withdrawing cash from an ATM abroad the maximum withdrawal amount is subject to the country’s limits.

• Can I use my Sun Card to get cash from a bank counter?

  No, but you can use an ATM or ask for cashback when shopping in stores.

• Can I use my Sun Card to make purchases?

  Yes, as long as you have sufficient balance on your card, you can shop online, by phone, mail order and in store to make purchases.

• Can I use my Tuxedo Card to guarantee payments or make reservations

  If you are using you card for car hire, hotel reservations, general bookings or to guarantee a payment, the prepaid funds on your card will be pre-authorised and blocked for payment of the services that you request.

  • Some businesses - Car Hire and Hotels in particular - may block more funds than you expect to use and this will affect the available balance on your card.
  • The blocked funds will not be available to you to use until the final bill has been settled and cleared via MasterCard.
  • Usually the unspent amount is made available for use within a day or two of payment, however in some instances it can take up to 14 days for the transaction to be fully processed and for your card to be credited.

• Can I use my card to make purchases using Paypal?

  Yes, however please note that when registering a Tuxedo card on Paypal, a 'pre-authorisation' is carried out to ensure your card is valid. A pre-authorisation means blocking a small amount of money on your card (usually less than £2) to check that there is available balance. The pre-authorisation expires after 15 days and is never collected from the card. Therefore in order to register your card on Paypal, please ensure you have a minimum of £2 on your card.

• Are there any outlets where I may not be able to use my Sun Card?

  You may not be able to use your Sun Prepaid MasterCard^® if a retail outlet is unable to obtain authorisation for the spend you wish to make. Your card may also not be accepted for the hire of a car. This may be due to the extended time period that can occur when a transaction is authorised and when money is deducted from your eccount. Alternatively, the difference that can occur between the amount authorised and the amount subsequently claimed.

• What address should I give when I purchase goods online, by mail order or by phone?

  The billing address should be the address registered by the primary Cardholder even if you’re the Authorised User.

• What is a pre-authorisation?

  A pre-authorisation is carried out when a merchant reserves money on a card to ensure payment for their services. Places such as restaurants and hotels do this quite often. For example, a pub or restaurant may pre-authorise a set amount when you open a tab at the bar. If your final bill is less than the pre-authorised amount it may take a few days for you to receive the balance as a refund into your eccount.

• Will my Chip and PIN card be widely accepted abroad?
  
  

  Yes, your card will be accepted abroad.

  
  Note: most merchants throughout Europe should be able to accept a Chip and PIN card by 2010.  As many cards issued in the USA are Magstripe cards only, i.e. do not have a Chip, you may be asked to sign for your purchase without entering your PIN. Merchants may also require some form of photographic identification (eg. passport) before accepting your card.
  
  ATMs in America accept PIN verification for both Chip and PIN and Magstripe cards.

• How do I check the available money on my card?

  If you have registered your mobile number with us, text BAL to 80777 to get a Text with your available balance on it. If overseas, Text to +44 778 1474 776. You can also check your balance online or by calling our automated service on 0871 220 6401.

  Checking balances on other cards you may have on your eccount is easy too. Find out how here.

  It’s a good idea to keep checking how much there is on your Sun eccount and you can manage your money very easily, distributing just what you need to your Prepaid MasterCard^®. This is a really great way to ensure you keep your money safe. Find out more about managing your money with The Sun eccount.

• How are my transactions authorised?

  Retail outlets request authorisation via MasterCard^®. We’re linked to MasterCard^® via a processor that will verify that you’ve enough money available in the sealed eccount that you hold with us. If there isn’t enough on your card, the transaction will be declined. If approved, the money is paid over to MasterCard^® from the sealed eccount for settlement to the Merchant. At all times, only you or a designated person can see the balance available on your eccount.

• What if I want to cancel a transaction or card authorisation?

  If you decide to cancel a transaction that has already been authorised, it may take a few days before your money can be cleared for use on your card again. In the meantime, you won’t be able to use that money for other transactions.

  If you are on the PAYG tariff, you will be charged a fee of 2.95% (min 50p, max £1.50) for a refund transaction. Pay weekly and pay monthly customers will not be charged.

• When are transactions declined?

  Transactions can be declined if the retailer can’t verify online that you’ve enough money in your eccount to cover the value of the transaction – including applicable charges – that you’re making.

• Safer than cash

  One of the great things about The Sun eccount and Prepaid MasterCard^® is that it provides security and peace of mind. Using your card is safer than carrying around cash. However, we recommend that you take as much care of your card as you would with your cash. It’s truly a comforting thought – access to your money in a wide number of places across the globe for day-to-day purchases.

• Your PIN

  • Memorise your Sun Prepaid Card Personal Identification Number (PIN).
  • Never write down your PIN or store it in the same place as your card.
  • Don’t reveal your PIN to anyone.
  • If you suspect that someone else knows your PIN, contact us immediately and we’ll issue you with a new one.
  • For additional security, when using a cash machine, shield the screen and keypad.

• Online security

  Internet shopping is easier and safer than ever before using your Sun Prepaid Card and most well-known retailers run sites that are very safe and highly secure.

  You should never give out your PIN when buying online. Also, never shop on a site without a secure site certificate and be certain that the locked yellow padlock indicator is shown.

• In-store

  You can use your Sun Prepaid MasterCard^® at over 25 million locations worldwide displaying the MasterCard^® acceptance mark. If you’re entering your PIN to pay for goods or services, be careful and shield the keypad for additional security.

• Lost or Stolen

  If you lose your card or it’s stolen, don’t worry. Simply call us immediately on 0871 220 6401 or +44 (0)20 7101 6599 if overseas. We’ll cancel your Sun Prepaid MasterCard^® and issue you with a replacement within 7-10 days.

  You can also send us a Text with LOST or STOLEN to 80777 to report your card lost or stolen. This card service is available if you have registered your Mobile number with us. Find out more.

• Peace of mind

  Your card is PIN protected. You shouldn’t reveal your PIN to anyone, except when sharing your card abroad with a nominated user. If you do, the PIN must be communicated discreetly and the nominated user must not reveal the PIN to anyone else.

  You will never be asked for your PIN by Customer Care.

• Phishing

  We will never send an email to a customer requesting security or any other confidential information about The Sun Prepaid MasterCard^®. If you receive an email claiming to be from The Sun or Newcastle Building Society (NBS) with a link to what appears to be The Sun or Newcastle Building Society website, do not enter your personal or eccount details. The Sun and Newcastle Building Society are in no way involved with this email and the website doesn’t belong to us or Newcastle. Never reply to any such emails or disclose any personal information on such websites.

  If you think you’ve received a fraudulent email that looks like it’s from The Sun or Newcastle Building Society, please forward the entire email including the header and footer to security@tuxedocard.com and then delete it from your email account.

• How safe is my money?

  The Financial Services Compensation Scheme does not apply to The Sun Prepaid MasterCard^®. No other compensation schemes exist to cover losses claimed in connection with The Sun Prepaid Card. So, in the unlikely event that Newcastle Building Society becomes insolvent, your funds may become valueless and unusable, which means that, as a result, you may lose your money.

• What do I do when my Sun Prepaid card expires?

  We’ll be in touch, before the expiry date on your card, to confirm whether you require a FREE replacement card.

• How do I close my eccount?

  Simply call Customer Care.

• Any questions or queries?

  If there’s anything else you’d like to know about The Sun eccount and Prepaid MasterCard^®, just contact Customer Care, 9am – 6pm, on: 0871 220 6401 or from overseas dial +44 (0)20 7101 6570.

• When can I contact Customer Care?

  You can contact Customer Care 24 hours a day by sending an email or alternatively call between 9am and 6pm 7 days a week.

• Am I charged for contacting Customer Care?

  Calls to Customer Care will be charged for by the service provider that you use to make the call - some calls however may be free on certain tariff plans. For your call charges, please check with your service provider.