As e-commerce continues to become mainstream MasterCards or Visa Cards become necessary. More and more people are getting to buy things online. If it were not limiting issues regarding PayPal in Zimbabwe people would not be much concerned with such cards. Just in case you are wondering where and how you can get a MasterCard or Visa Card, this article will help you. I will look at popular local banks that offer USD MasterCards or Visa Cards.
Steward Bank
To get a Visa Card with Steward bank you start by dialling *236#. The initial step will involve you opening an FCA account. FCA stands for Foreign Currency Account. You choose the first option, Agree, pick DuraFCA and you will receive an SMS notification.
For the actual Visa Card, the bank will require a copy of your national ID, your passport, or your driver’s license. You will also be required to fill a Visa Prepaid Card application form. US$10 will be required to cover the issuance fee and the initial deposit.
CABS
To get the card you are required to fill a CABS Prepaid MasterCard application form. For existing customers, additional KYC will also be required. For existing account holders it will just take filling out the form mentioned earlier. If you are new, proof of residence will be needed and a passport size photo. Proof of residence can be in the form of utility bills, lease agreements or letter from employer. The initial deposit and issuance fee is covered by ZWL$100.
BancABC
To get your card you must provide a copy of ID and fill out a form. The card fee is US$5 and the initial deposit is US$5.
Standard Chartered Bank
This bank has two types of cards namely, Gold Card and Blue Card. They function more or less the same but they do have some differences. The annual once-off charge for the Gold Card is US$25. The annual once-off charge for the Blue Card is US$10. What makes the Gold Card transcend the Blue Card is that you can make online payments with it. Plus the raised print enables pre-booking of hotels, car rentals, and so on.
CBZ
CBZ has what they call a Visa Gold Card. It works like a debit card and has to be pre-funded. The card can be used locally and internationally. They can be used on ATMs and Visa POS terminals. Individuals and corporates can get this card. It is required that one has an existing account to get this card.
Stanbic Bank
You will have to fill out an application form. Two recent passport photos, a valid ID (a passport or driver’s license) will be required. Proof of residence will also be needed (e.g. water, electricity, or telephone bills less than 3 months old). Proof of income and confirmation letter from your employer (if employed) will be required. Initial deposit is US$20 whereas a new card application is US$5. Account management fees are US$5 for Silver, US$6 for Executive, and US$10 for Platinum.
FBC
FBC requires a copy of your national ID, proof of residence, payslip, and passport size photo. US$15 is needed for card issuance and initial deposit.
ZB
The ZB bank website indicates that “We will soon be launching the Visa MasterCard for your banking convenience whilst you are outside the country.”
Agribank
Agribank offers quite a several MasterCards or Visa Cards. They have the following cards namely, Visa Standard, Visa Gold, MasterCard Gold, MasterCard Platinum, and JCB Gold. They all can be used locally and internationally on ATMs and POS terminals.
Ecobank Zimbabwe
The bank requires that you provide a copy of your ID and proof of residence. Their card can be used locally or internationally with a 1 per cent transaction charge.
NMB
NMB has two options namely, NMB Visa Debit and NMB Credit cards. They can be swiped at any Visa POS worldwide. If you are a current account holder you automatically qualify for the NMB Access Debit Card.
To note is that you have to physically visit a bank branch to complete the entire process. It is faster that way than to call in. I feel there could be improvements in that regard. Especially given that most things are going digital it would be very convenient to have frameworks that are hassle-free. It should be possible for someone to open an FCA account, apply for a MasterCard or Visa Card and get it mailed to them. I believe such banking conveniences should have been commonplace by now.
This is definitely what i need for my online business.
Thanks very useful information
Glad you find it useful.
Thanks a lot
Thanks for the feedback.
Thank you, but every bank should offer online service on Visa card in century.
This Post Has Been Helpful to me a lot.But what’s your take on First Capital Bank Visa Cards.
Thanks for the feedback Adorn. Our goal was to make people aware of what is available and rating the various cards is a mammoth task that is outside of our scope. Perhaps a look at their Facebook page might give you an idea of other user opinions.
Thank you very much
Thank you for the feedback.
Does CABS have a Mastercard that works in foreign countries in case you go and order goods in India or China
I know CABS offers are foreign transaction card but you’d better off contacting them to know what it can do.
Thanks for the article however I have noted most of these Banks only allow you to deposit cash only,they don’t allow one to transfer funds electronically,I know standard chartered and CABS cards work well
This is correct. We did not differentiate between prepaid cards and bank accounts with debit cards for the article. However the banks are transparent about what they are offering.
which visa card or how can i get payment from outside zimbabwe from my online transcations.paypal,neteller,bankabc visa card all these r not working.
thanks
Blessing
That is a good question Blessing. It is complicated because this involves money transfer rules across borders and we have Zimbabwe being cut from a lot of providers. We will see if we can find an answer for you.
thank you so much for this infor, so does this mean after having a visa card i can buy goods online from south africa and other neighbouring countries?
Thanks for the feedback and question Tesley. The short answer is yes but always check with the issuing bank what you can or cannot do and the fees involved.
I’m 17 and I don’t have a passport or licence so how can I have a visa
Because I can’t invest without it
So please help
Hello Tadiwanashe. It would also be very difficult for you to invest while under the age of 18. However all you need is a valid ID to get a VISA card.
thanks bro , can all these connect to paypal ?
For loading PayPal you should have no problems.
Hie.Are the prices mentioned in this article still the same…
tongoonatsitsi88@gmail.com
May you clarify on the Agribank one because the last time i checked they had none of the above cards just a local visa card as of 1 August 2021
Thanks for pointing that out. It’s been a year since the article was published and change is to be expected. We will confirm with the bank and update if necessary. Thank you.
Are you sure that the CABS Mastercard is ZWL100?
Which bank allowa me to receive payments from outside zim
The simple answer is all banks but their relationship (or lack of) with international banks may result in costs for receiving money. So to get the best answer you need a source bank and country and a destination bank.
my question is : i am 16 and i want to open a visa account …is it possible
At 16 you should be able to open a bank account with parent/guardian assistance. With most banks once you are in the system you can access a VISA Card. It is best to ask individual banks what they can do for you.
You are the best i even joined your whatsapp group
How about Nedbank it seems pretty complicated and expensive as well anyone tried it out
Thanks a lot I found the information very useful
Thank you