Appointeeship and Deputyship FAQs

The Money Carer card is a unique Mastercard that is linked to a bank account that is protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme. The account cannot go overdrawn.

The bank account is opened in the name of the vulnerable client on Money Carers’ own banking platform, and the contactless cards can be used in exactly the same way as any other Mastercard, that is, in-store, or online, however, they are not credit facilities so can not go overdrawn.

Uniquely, Money Carer has its own dedicated banking platform with Zempler Bank which the organisation has worked in partnership with for over 10 years. Over 250 law firms and local authorities use the Money Carer banking platform to open bank accounts and support their own vulnerable clients.

Money Carer cards are contactless and can be used in any retail outlet that accepts Mastercard in-store, or online, anywhere in the world.

This means that the cards can be used in the vast majority of retail outlets as nearly all retailers accepting card payments accept payments via Mastercard.

The cards can also be used to withdraw cash from ATM machines importantly, with no fees charged for this, due to Money Carers’ unique banking partnership with Zempler Bank.

The Money Carer cards and smartphone app, have been designed to support and protect carers, and the vulnerable people under their charge. As such, Money Carer cards and the linked Money Carer app, have a number of unique features built in.

Here are just a few of these helpful features:

• The ability to set maximum and minimum balances on the cards.
• A ‘sweep’ system to transfer excess funds from the cards and back into the funding account.
• Payment requests can be made directly from the Money Carer smartphone app.
• Instant payment notifications sent to carers via the app and by email.
• Carers and clients can make money requests directly from the Money Carer app.
• Carers can send in shopping receipts and other documents directly from the app.
• Carers and clients can send and receive secure messages on the app.
• Helpful information such as welfare benefit letters and client budgets can be viewed in the app.
• Emergency money vouchers can be requested and received in the app if a card has been lost.

The concept of the carers shopping card was developed and introduced by The Money Carer Foundation in 2010, over 13 years ago. Monies held in Money Carer card accounts are protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) as the funds are held in properly regulated bank accounts with Zempler Bank.

Very quickly, the Money Carer card became the preferred choice of thousands of carers and care providers to be able to support the vulnerable people under their charge with a secure and protected way of obtaining client funds to perform everyday shopping tasks. Today, hundreds of law firms, local authorities and national learning disability charities choose the Money Carer card to support their own clients as Money Carer is a secure, and financially robust organisation that is entrusted to manage the finances of some of society’s most needy people.

In recent years, a number of start-up companies have launched carer card products, however, these organisations either became insolvent and failed, or were unsuccessful and moved on to new ventures leaving disappointed customers behind. Money Carer, in many cases, then assisted these individuals who are now the safe clients of our organisation.

It is always worth checking out the history and heritage of any new companies offering a prepaid card-type solution to this important client group without having any real experience in the sector.