The Stars have got the plastic and they’re especially for you

How many stars can you name who have their own perfume? Fashion label? Headphones? Or jewellery? We bet you can list a few for sure. But did you know that some of your favourite celebs have been making out with the banks and putting their names to debit and credit cards? You didn’t?

The RinggitPlus Team proudly presents the Top 5 Celebrity Debit/Credit Cards:

5. Kim’s Kardashian Kard

Not wholly Kim’s idea, this is one exclusive offer all of the sisters K would like to forget. Launched in a whirlwind of publicity in November 2010, the Kardashian Kard was a Prepaid MasterCard aimed at the teenage market.

With annual fees from US$99.95 and monthly fees of US$7.95, this was one piece of plastic a little too fantastic, perhaps a little rich for most high schoolers. The Kard attracted a lot of criticism from the press and government and was Kancelled less than a month after it hit the market.

4. Lil Wayne’s Young Money Card

A Gangsta and his cash are seldom parted. Even pretend hard men like Lil Wayne know it’s all about the Benjamins. Which is perhaps why the pint-sized hip hop superstar decided he needed a bit more of your cash and put his name to the Young Money debit card.

A little less expensive than the Kardashian Kard, its fees are still high. Lil Wayne wants US$3.95 a month from you just for the pleasure of having his card, and it costs a whopping US$4.95 to top up – that’s right, you have to pay just to give him money!

Being Old Skool, we recommend you download The Disposable Heroes of HipHoprisy and remember a time when it wasn’t all about the B-Bling B-Bling Bling.

3. Bono’s Red Credit Card

The U2 frontman and professional Irish fella might rub folks up the wrong way with his endless pontificating and holier than thou approach to Third World problems (tell us about that Dutch Tax Dodge again Mr Bono Vox) but all credit where it’s due – he does a lot of work for charity.

Bono’s American Express Red Card is part of the Product Red campaign to raise money (and awareness) to combat AIDS in Africa. One per cent of the money customers spend using the credit card goes to the charity.

At last, a worthy entry on our list.

2. Johnny Cash’s Prepaid Debit Card

The celebrity bank card that kicked it all off was, strangely enough, the Johnny Cash Debit Card. Back in 2006 the Man In Black put his name to a MasterCard as part of a licensing deal and created something of a monster.

Well, technically speaking he was actually a few years deceased at the time, so this was more of an opportunistic move on the part of his family estate. We could bore you with puns about Cash-ing in on the rich legacy of this country music superstar, but we’d better not.

Anyway, this is where it all began.

1. Justin Bieber’s Bill My Parents Card

You knew he’d be number one, didn’t you?

Yes, we admit, though not Beliebers, we are nonetheless in awe of the marketing phenomenon and stunned by the sheer chutzpah of pulling off a marketing deal with BillMyParents.com to brand a prepaid debit card.

Though not officially launched yet, word is the prepaid card charges will be much the same as Lil Wayne’s with a US$3.95 monthly fee as a standing charge and costs of up to US$2.95 just to top up.

Interestingly, BillMyParents sells itself as a service that is ‘like a GPS for your teen’s wallet’ and prides its Spendsmart brand as a way to teach the young ‘uns about the value of money. Now reconcile that with use of the Pop World’s premier heartthrob to sell outrageous credit card usage fees. No, we can’t either.

A long time ago the RinggitPlus.com team realised that we’d never be film stars or rock gods and we’re kind of happy we’re not famous in that way. If you want to know the value of your card, don’t look for celebrities, just ask RinggitPlus.com.

 

• TAGS:
• Bono’s Red Credit Card
• Celebrities
• Johnny Cash’s Prepaid Debit Card
• Justin Bieber’s Bill My Parents Card
• Kim's Kardashian Kard
• Lil Wayne's Young Money Card