Hey there. I live in Canada too and YES you can purchase and use prepaid Visa and Mastercards to make purchases online, at a retail store, and variably at such places like hotels, though some places like hotels have a certain policy regarding prepaid cards. I buy prepaid cards all the time, because they make the process of buying items online much quicker and convenient compared to having to wait long for funds to clear like you've mentioned. But once your use the prepaid card, the merchant receives the money almost instantly. For my selection of prepaid cards, I get the RBC Visa Gift Card which, although it is NOT reloadable, allows you a one-load of anywhere from $25 to $500 bucks and comes with only a $3.95 dollar fee for the card. However, I'm gonna get the BMO Travel Mosaik Mastercard Card from Bank of Montreal cause that card is reloadable and can be used for up to 3 years. You also don't have to be a client with the bank to apply for it, so I'd recommend you getting it too.
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