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FAQs

Cash4Travel and PSD*

Security. It is common knowledge that the risks of credit and debit cards cloning are increasingly higher, which may result in property losses. Because the Unicâmbio Prepaid card is not associated to a bank account your money is not at risk. When buying on the internet, making payments on a POS or making ATM withdrawals you will always feel reassured.

The Unicâmbio Prepaid Card allows you to fix the exchange rate in 5 available currencies. Debit or credit cards are subject to exchange rate variations. In this case the Client is exposed to possible rate differences due to the fact that exchange rates vary between the buying moment and the rate determination. With our Unicâmbio Prepaid Card you know exactly how much you are going to spend because the applicable exchange rate is fixed at the moment you load your card with a foreign currency, and not during an ATM withdrawal or a payment.

The Unicâmbio Prepaid Card has more reduced commissions. Usually commissions on credit or debit cards are significantly higher than those charged on the Unicâmbio Prepaid Card.
The Unicâmbio Prepaid Card can be used at ATM’s to withdraw money, to pay for goods or services at any retail outlet or via internet. Prepaid Mastercard cards are accepted at over 35.9 million locations worldwide displaying the Mastercard Acceptance Mark.
The 5 available currencies are:
  • USD – US Dollar 
  • EUR - Euro 
  • GBP – Sterling Pound 
  • BRL – Brazilian Real 
  • CHF – Swiss Francs 
With the Unicâmbio Prepaid Card you know exactly how much you are paying for any currency you purchase.

If your card has a balance in a currency different from the one you are using in a specific transaction your card will automatically convert the amount in question into the applicable 1 currency. In this case it will be subject to the exchange rate in force at the moment of conversion defined by the Mastercard® network.
Yes. The Unicâmbio Prepaid Card has all the safety features established by Mastercard®.

Many Clients do not realise that when carrying only bank notes they can lose everything in case of theft.
In the case of a Unicâmbio Prepaid Card the card balance will be blocked and may immediately be transferred to an emergency card from the moment the theft is reported (if an emergency card has been purchased) or to a replacement card to be issued at the Clients’ request.
Be the first to contribute to your own security by not revealing your PIN or personal data to anyone.
At any Unicâmbio's location or at www.unicambio.pt.
If you are abroad, you can order it online at www.unicambio.pt. However the card can only be sent by post to an address in Europe (SEPA).
If you prefer a card with a maximum monthly balance of 150€ (SDD card type) all you have to do is provide some personal data: name, address, telephone number, email address and ID card number.

Should you wish to increase the annual load limit up to 100.000 € (KYC card type) just scan and upload your ID card (citizen card or Passport) and a proof of address (any invoice in your name issued during the last three months is enough), and send them by email following the instructions shown on the system or to info@unicambio.pt. The sent documents will be subject to approval by central services.
No, the card is personal and should not be given away.
Just send an SMS* with the word PIN followed by a blank space and the card's last 8 digits (of the total 16) to Unicâmbio, +351 962 233 247.
You will immediately receive another SMS confirming the card activation and PIN. Sign your name on the back of the card.

*The text message will be charged according to the standard rate in force by your mobile network.
No. There are two types of cards with different characteristics so that you can choose the best option for you: the anonymous card, the SDD card and the KYC card.
Apart from other distinguishing features in the operations available for each one of them the main difference lies in the limits that each card may bear. See table below. 

 Types of card  Loading (limits)  Features
 SDD € 150 per month. The max balance is € 150. Does not allowed ATM withdrawals. Allows payments of goods and services.
 KYC  6000€ / day and 100,000€ / year maximum. The card balance may not exceed 15000€  Can be associated to debit / credit cards, and can be loaded by bank transfer
Yes.
All you have to do is supply the 16 digits on your card, the security number on the back of the card (3 digits) and the validity date shown on the card under "valid through". This card is not valid to be used to pay for adult websites, betting sites or to carry out any illicit activity.
Yes. We guarantee the privacy and security of the Clients that use the card online. Personal data such as name, address and others are secured by advanced cryptographic systems while being sent and kept in high security servers. In any case, while shopping online, make sure the site you are using is secure and use an https connection. Unicâmbio cannot be held responsible for the relations between our clients and the site being used, and it is up to the Clients to ensure the repute of the website in question and delivery conditions of goods or services that are being paid for.
Some hotels and rent-a-car companies may require a down payment or some sort of collateral for the use of their services. We recommend that you do not use your prepaid card to carry out this type of transaction because your card balance may be retained for the amount in question up to the date the commercial establishment cancels the pre-authorisation.
Tip: use a credit card to make the hotel reservation and when checking out use your prepaid card.
The Unicâmbio Prepaid Card is accepted in all Mastercard network. Prepaid Mastercard cards are accepted at over 35.9 million locations worldwide displaying the Mastercard Acceptance 3 Mark as long as they are online (it does not work with onboard sales, toll gates and some service stations.
The Unicâmbio Prepaid Card works at ATMs with the Mastercard logo and a PIN reading system.
There are in fact limits which vary according to the definitions established by the ATM managing company.
  • By bank transfer. Please refer to acceptance conditions by logging in at www.unicambio.pt and accessing your Personal Area at the Client’s Page link. 
  • By debit or credit card. Please refer to acceptance conditions by logging in at www.unicambio.pt and accessing your Personal Area at the Client’s Page link.
  • At any location of Unicâmbio’s network.
You can withdraw the remaining balance in your card at any of Unicâmbios' locations. This payment will be carried out in Euros after conversion of all currencies in the card.
You can obtain all the information regarding your card's activity:
  • Through the internet at www.unicambio.pt, "Login" option on the top right-hand corner. In order to register please select the "I do not have a password" option and then insert both your card number and PIN. The password of your choice and a security question will be asked.
  • Through the Unicambio APP Card on your mobile available at the Play Store (for android) and APP Store (for IOS). You can access the APP by using the password previously defined as your internet login.
  • By email to info@Unicambio.pt provided you use the email address indicated when you applied for the card
All operations available will depend firstly on the type of card you have applied for. The KYC card has a larger variety of functions amongst which is the possibility of loading your card through a debit or a credit card, or even a bank transfer.

Internet
  1. Alteration of your email contact
  2. Register of debit or credit card when loading your prepaid card
  3. Information on how to carry out a bank transfer in order to load your prepaid card
  4. Transfer of amounts from your card to any other Unicâmbio card
  5. Applying for a secondary card
  6. Convert a foreign currency in your prepaid card into a different currency in order to increase the value of your card balance
  7. Transaction records and statement
  8. Communication of card theft or loss
APP
  1. Personal data query
  2. Transaction records
  3. Prepaid card loading through a debit or credit card (previously registered via internet)
  4. Transfer of amounts from the prepaid card to any other Unicâmbio card
  5. ATM tracker
Immediately contact the Client Support Service. Portugal: 800 507 077; abroad: +351 213 429 760

Client Support Service

Our Client Support Service team is available everyday from 9 am to 7 pm except on 25th December and 1st January:
  • Portugal - 800 507 077;
  • Abroad +351 213 429 760
After 7 pm you may choose one of these automatic options available on our website:
  • Communication of card theft or loss
  • Obtaining the PIN
 
Loss or theft
The loss or theft of a debit or credit card causes inconvenience and a certain period of time usually elapses between the phone call requesting a card cancellation and the receipt of a new card and PIN. With the Unicâmbio Prepaid Card, when you apply for your card online you are also entitled to an emergency card (activated by a simple text message) at which point your lost or stolen card's balance will be immediately transferred to the emergency one.

You can report your card's theft / loss through the relevant option in your Personal Area - all you have to do is login at www.unicambio.pt or contact our Client Support Service. However it will not be possible to reactivate your lost / stolen card, but you can always recover its balance.

You can also temporarily suspend the use of the card through your online Personal Area. You can also suspend your card with a text message if you are not sure whether it was lost, stolen or simply misplaced. If the card is eventually found, you can always reactivate it with a text message.

The text message should be sent to +351 962 233 247 with the following message: the word LOCK, blank space and the 4 last digits of your card number. For security reasons the text message should be sent from the telephone number that you have originally indicated on the records. 
The European legislator sought to promote the standardization of the legal framework for the provision of payment services in the European Union with the publication of Directive 2007/64 / EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 November 2007 on payment services in the European Union internal market (DSP1). DSP1 has fostered transparency of conditions applicable to payment services by defining the applicable information requirements, user rights and payment service providers' obligations.
 
In order to update the regulatory framework for payment services and to promote European integration in this area, the European Parliament and Council approved Directive (EU) 2015/2366 of 25 November (revised Payment Services Directive, or DSP2). This Directive should be transposed into the internal legal order of the Member States of the European Union by 13 January 2018.
 
  • Extension of the scope of the PSD2 regime to transactions in which at least one of the payment service providers is located in the European Union and to any other currency;
  • Introduces new rules regarding liabilities for unauthorized payment transactions;
  • Regulates new payment services that have emerged in the market, such as Account Information Service Providers (AISP) and Payment Initiation Service Providers (PISP);
  • At the security level, introduces strong client authentication rules as default in non-face-to-face transactions.
 
The account information services allow the user to aggregate information on accounts held in one or more payment service providers (eg banks or other payment service providers) in a single application or website, such that these accounts are accessible online.
Strong client authentication means that whenever the user initiates an electronic payment, the payment service provider must request at least two elements from three categories:
 
(i) something only the user knows, for example a static password;
(ii) something that only the user has, for example, an authentication device (token) or a mobile phone;
(iii) some feature inherent to the user, for example, a biometric element.

At least one of the elements must be non-reusable, non-reproducible and unsusceptible to be surreptitiously obtained by third parties.
 
Among other measures, DSP2 also strengthens the safeguards of the payment service user against the execution of unauthorized payment transactions:
  • Decreases the maximum amount to be borne by the consumer in an unauthorized payment transaction, from € 150 to € 50 (except in cases of fraud or gross negligence);
  • De-responsibility for consumers in the case of online transactions where the payment service provider does not require strong authentication procedures (unless the consumer acts fraudulently).
 
Payment initiation services offer consumers the ability to initiate online payment transactions (for example, when they make a purchase on the merchant's website) immediately, without having to interact directly with the payment service provider in which the account is domiciled. It will be the payment initiation service provider with whom you have contracted the service that, on your behalf, accesses the account and performs the operation.
E-Money institutions, as Prepaid Financial Services Limited (PFS) issuer of the prepaid card, are covered under PSD2 as payment service providers and therefore must adhere to these rules.
Payment service users must explicitly authorize providers of these new services to access your account and initiate payments on your behalf when they use each of these services.
Amendments to terms and conditions that will include the scope of Account Information Service Providers (AISP) and Payment Initiation Service Providers (PISP) in accessing cards, where the holders have agreed a service with third parties. The terms and conditions on this subject have been added.
 
Other changes to the terms and conditions include (i) changes to the chronology for response to Complaints, (ii) reduction of commission from € 150 to € 50, where applicable for unauthorized transactions, (iii) details of calculation of fees (iv) option for alternative dispute resolution in the language of the payment service user on the website, separately from the Terms and Conditions unless a single language is accepted.