Mark Simon, chief executive of Tuxedo, said that such cards enable people to pay as they go, while also helping to “control their finances”.

“There is no credit involved and as a result there is no risk of going overdrawn and there is no risk of incurring credit costs,” Mr Simon commented.

People using pre-paid cards can make payments “simply and easily” and manage their finances more effectively, he said, adding that consumers will also be able to make purchases online.

Jim Mullen, director of Newsgroup which owns the Sun newspaper, announced recently that the company would be launching a pre-paid card that can hold a maximum of £5,000 credit.

Mr Mullen told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that people cannot go in into debt using the card and no credit checks would be required.

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