Swipe your card through a merchant terminal and choose either a “credit” or “debit” transaction. If you choose debit, you will need to enter your PIN. You can also get cash back at participating retail locations for a fee1 and use your card for online purchases.

We suggest that you go into the gas station and pay at the register rather than pay at the pump. Simply go into the gas station and pay for the amount of gas you want to purchase using either “credit” or debit”. If you decide to pay at the pump, choose “debit” and enter your PIN. In order to pay at the pump, you must have at least $100 in your card account.

You can use your Alterna Prepaid Mastercard® to reserve and pay for hotel rooms, both online and at the front desk. Using your card at a hotel may result in a hold being placed on your funds, and the amount of the hold will vary depending on the hotel you choose. If you are planning to use your card to book a hotel room, be sure to have sufficient funds to cover any potential hold. Holds are usually released within 5 business days. Some rental car agencies will accept your Alterna Prepaid Mastercard® to reserve and rent a vehicle. However, a substantial hold will be required on your available funds so you must be sure to have a sufficient balance to cover any hold. It is recommended that you inquire with the rental car agency about their debit card acceptance and hold policies before reserving a car.

Add your Alterna Prepaid Mastercard to your Apple Pay, Samsung Pay or Google Pay wallet. Then, you can make payments directly from the app without having your Alterna debit card present. Depending on the app you are using and your phone, You may be able to pay by tapping your phone at a point of sale rather than swiping a card. Other payment apps or phones could allow you to pay by displaying a code that the cashier can scan.