Prepaid Cards/Wallets

@Marek If your Apple services are acting up, check their official System Status page or a tracker like StatusGator first. It’ll tell you instantly if there’s a widespread outage.

If everything appears fine but you're still having trouble, the problem is likely with your device or account. In that case, you should contact support.

Quick Check Resources:

Apple Official: The System Status Page is the most accurate for iCloud, iMessage, and App Store outages.

Third-Party Trackers: Sites like DownDetector or IsDown often catch local or regional spikes before Apple officially updates its dashboard.

The "Airplane Mode" Trick: If the status page says things are fine, try toggling Airplane Mode or restarting; it often forces a fresh connection to the server.

@Blockonomist I totally get that tap-to-pay is just so seamless and fast now. QR codes would need to provide added benefits, such as enhanced fraud protection or unique loyalty rewards that aren't available elsewhere. Until then, the convenience of NFC is honestly too hard to beat for daily errands.

Is there a reloadable prepaid card out there that actually works for online shopping without the constant headaches?

The Charles Schwab Debit Card and the Wise Travel Card are excellent cards to have when you travel in Europe. Schwab doesn't charge any fees for foreign transactions and will refund you for ATM fees. Wise, on the other hand, lets you open accounts in multiple currencies and reload them easily.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve is a good choice if you want to use airport lounges. Use ATMs in the area to get cash while you're away, let your bank know when you'll be away, bring a backup card, and make digital copies of your passport.

You can use Cash App, Venmo, Apple Pay, and PayPal for everyday payments. They make it simple to pay, are safe, and are accepted widely.

As you don't want to open a bank account, I suggest the Cash App with a Cash Card (no cash) or the Bluebird by Amex, which doesn't charge any regular fees.

Thanks for your reply. I used this card, and its really beneficial for me.

A Walmart prepaid money card is generally safe to use. When problems with money access are not common, then it can be normally fixed by following certain procedures. But still, if you are worried, you can look for other prepaid card options that can fulfill your requirements.

Prepaid cards are very different from credit and debit cards. Prepaid cards work like gift cards which you load with your own money beforehand, so you can only spend what you have loaded, which eventually helps to manage and control spending.
Prepaid cards are not linked to a bank account because of this feature it reduces the risk of loss or stolen. But they also come with fees for loading, inactivity, or transactions.