The Devon Card – Cardholder Guide
Heard about the Devon Card but not sure what it is? Well, you’ve come to the right place!
The Devon Card is available to all Care Leavers as a way to help you manage your financial entitlements. It’s a pre-paid card that provides a secure way of receiving and spending funds – including your leaving care grant, which you can then spend in a variety of shops.
Please read this information and speak to your PA to find out more.
Introduction
If you do not wish to hold and manage the card yourself, you can opt to have your Personal Advisor, or a nominated person, manage the card for you. If, following a risk assessment it is deemed that it is not possible for you to manage the card yourself, then it will be a condition of issue that your card is held by your Personal Advisor. This will be regularly reviewed. In both cases you will be required to sign a Letter of Authority agreeing to this.
If you are already receiving allowances direct into your personal bank account, these can continue to be paid this way. When your card is set up it will initially be used for the ‘Setting up home allowance’. This will provide you with more flexibility as to where and when goods can be purchased as the card can be used anywhere that accepts Mastercard payments, e.g. shops, online, etc. If you would like other entitlements paid onto the card, please discuss this with your Personal Advisor.
Your Devon card must only be used to make purchases agreed with your Personal Advisor.
Getting your card
Once you have signed the Personal Allowance Payments Agreement which set out all the rules and regulations which must be followed, your card will be ordered.
Your Personal Advisor will meet with you to deliver your card. Before you can start using it you will need to follow the steps below. For your safety and protection, it’s important that you do this as soon as possible.
Step 1: Sign the back of your card.
Step 2: You need to activate your card. You will need your card number and date of birth to do this. Call Prepaid Financial Services on any of the following numbers to activate your card:
These are interactive voice response (IVR) lines where an automated process will enable you to activate your card and retrieve your PIN. Calls to these IVR numbers are free of charge.
It is vital that you keep your PIN a secret. DT allow anyone to use your card for you unless we are managing your card on your behalf (you will need to sign a Letter of Authority).
Please note you cannot change your PIN, the PIN issued to you is the one you must use, so you will need to remember it.
Using your card
Online banking
Log on to your account by going to:
www.prepaidfinancialservices.com/devon
You can then click on the Cardholder login. You will then be asked to type in your card number and PIN. This will then give you access to your online account.
The Devon Card is not dependent on you having internet access. Anything that can be done online can be done by making a telephone call to Prepaid Financial Services.
Telephone banking
You can access telephone banking by calling Prepaid Financial Services on:
These are interactive voice response (IVR) lines where you can check your balance and retrieve your PIN. Calls to the IVR lines are free of charge.
To contact Prepaid Financial Services’ customer services, please call 0203 633 1094.
Your Personal Advisor will also be able to help with many aspects in managing your PFS account and in some cases will manage your account on your behalf.
Lost or stolen cards
If you lose your card or believe it has been stolen you must report this immediately. You can do this by telephoning Prepaid Financial Services. Alternatively, you can contact your Personal Advisor.
It is important to report any loss or theft as soon as you are aware of it. Failing to report could be considered negligence by the card company and you may be liable for any unauthorised transactions that may have been carried out before the loss was reported.
Financial monitoring
We are able to monitor your spend online. You must keep receipts from any spend for 12 months as we may need to see them at some point.
The card must only be used for purchases agreed with your Personal Advisor, and cannot be used for:
• Toll and Bridge Fees
• Automated Fuel Dispensers
• Dating and Escort Services
• Internet Gambling
• Betting (including Lottery Tickets, Casino Gaming Chips, Off-track)
• Online gaming sites
FAQs
Keeping things safe
The following are all sensible precautions to take to protect yourself from fraud:
- Make sure your PIN and online banking details are not easy to guess and are not written down anywhere.
- Do not give your PIN or online banking logon details to anyone (unless Devon County Council are managing the account on your behalf).
- Keep your card in a safe place – treat it as you would cash.
- Make sure you report any loss or theft of your card as soon as possible.
- Make sure you have security (e.g. anti-virus software) on your device if you are using the online banking facility.
- If you get any emails asking for your online banking logon details, do not provide them and do not click on any links.
Security code
When making transactions over the telephone or online, you may be asked for the security code for your card. This is the last three digits printed on the signature strip on the reverse of the card and is sometimes referred to as the CV2 code, CVV or CVC.
Fraud detection and reporting
In order to protect you from fraud, Prepaid Financial Services may contact you if they identify a transaction that does not appear to be within your normal spending pattern.
If you suspect fraud on your account, please call one of the Prepaid Financial Services contact numbers. Alternatively contact your Personal Advisor.
Our commitment to you
You can rest assured that you will not be liable for fraudulent transactions unless you have delayed reporting your card as lost or stolen.
The rules and regulations relating to the Devon Card are part of the Care Leavers Personal Allowance Agreement which you are asked to sign before your card is issued.