Rollout of world's first disposable credit card completed

Permanent tsb bank has confirmed that the nationwide rollout of the world’s first disposable credit card (3V) has now been completed.

3V is now available in approximately 1,000 shops, supermarkets and petrol stations across the country.

Plans for the launch of the disposable credit card were announced in early September and the rollout of the service began just four weeks ago. The number of registered customers has risen to over 10,000 despite no advertising yet having taken place with up to 400 customers registering a day in recent days.

The initiative is being led by a consortium of Irish companies including permanent tsb bank, alphyra (the European leader in electronic transactions) and 3V transactional services together with the international credit card company, VISA.

A 3V Voucher is designed to enable customers to purchase goods and services over the internet or by phone regardless of whether they possess a traditional credit card or not. Such purchases have traditionally been restricted to credit card holders.

The 3V voucher works by allowing customers who have registered with the service to pre-purchase credit from thousands of shops in the same way that they currently purchase credit for their mobile phones. The maximum credit which can be purchased on any one 3V voucher is €350. The minimum is just €20.

Each time a customer purchases such credit they will receive a printed receipt/voucher with its own unique VISA number. This number can then be used to purchase items online or over the phone in one or more transactions up to the value of the credit purchased.

The number can be used from anywhere in the world to purchase online, by phone or by mail from any retailer who accepts an ordinary VISA card.