Best prepaid cards
- Best for no monthly fee: Bluebird® by American Express.
- Best for cash back: American Express Serve® Cash Back.
- Best for cash reloads: American Express Serve® FREE Reloads.
- Best for families: FamZoo Prepaid Card.
- Best for Walmart shoppers: Walmart MoneyCard.
- Best for PayPal users: PayPal Prepaid Mastercard®
Next, How do prepaid cards work? A prepaid card is a card you can use to pay for things. You buy a card with money loaded on it. Then you can use the card to spend up to that amount. A prepaid card is also called a prepaid debit card, or a stored-value card.
What are the disadvantages of prepaid cards?
Cons
- Hidden fees. This is the biggest, most significant downside to prepaid cards and may outweigh all of the pros. …
- No interest. Money stored on prepaid cards does not accrue interest.
- May not be safer than credit cards. …
- No credit-history boost.
in the same way, Why are prepaid cards not accepted? There are a number of possible reasons why a purchase could be declined: You don’t have enough money left on your card. You haven’t activated or registered your card. The address you gave to make an online or phone purchase is different from the address you have on file with your prepaid card provider.
Are prepaid cards worth it? Prepaid cards can be a good way to stay out of debt because you can’t spend more than the amount you’ve already deposited. They’re also a useful budgeting tool. Even if you have a checking account, you could put a fixed amount on a prepaid card each month for certain spending categories, such as dining out.
How do you put money on a prepaid card?
You may be able to:
- Arrange for a paycheck or other regular payment to be directly deposited onto the card.
- Transfer money from a checking account or another prepaid card.
- Buy a “reload pack” to add a certain amount to your card.
- Add funds at certain retail locations or at the financial institution that provides the card.
How much money can a prepaid card hold?
Most Visa prepaid card options will allow you to load up to $15,000 into the card account. If you’re accessing a reloadable prepaid card, you can continue to add money to your account when you spend some of your current balance. In either scenario, though, you cannot surpass the $15,000 account balance limit.
What are two types of prepaid cards?
In general, there is a variety of prepaid card types including 1 :
- Opened-Loop Prepaid Card: A card with a network logo on it (E.g Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover). …
- Closed-Loop Prepaid Card: A card we are merely able to use at some certain places.
How much does a prepaid card cost?
Most prepaid cards charge monthly maintenance fees around $10, which is similar to checking account fees that can cost up to $15 a month. But you may also pay a fee to open your prepaid card, typically around $5. You can also expect to incur an ATM fee, reload fee and foreign transaction fee with many prepaid cards.
How does a prepaid card work?
You buy a prepaid card, then use it to pay for purchases. You can generally buy prepaid cards at banks or retail locations like grocery stores and drugstores. They come with either a set available balance or an option to load money onto the card. From there, you can use the card until you’ve depleted the balance.
Can I transfer money from prepaid card to bank account?
Most prepaid cards will allow you to log in and transfer money from your prepaid card to your bank account by using the card’s online app or website.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of prepaid card?
The Pros & Cons of Using a Prepaid Card
- Easy to get. You can buy them almost anywhere.
- Easy to use. You can use them pretty much everywhere.
- Safer. If you lose cash, it’s limited. …
- No credit check. This is a plus for those with less-than-stellar credit histories.
- Budgeting tool. …
- No bill. …
- No bank account. …
- No debt.
Can I use a prepaid card anywhere?
Most prepaid cards have a network logo (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover) and can be used anywhere that brand is accepted. Some examples include grocery stores, department stores, gas stations, hotels, and for online shopping.
What banks offer prepaid cards?
Unlike traditional credit cards, these cards require that cardholders load funds onto the card before using.
- Brinks Prepaid Mastercard. …
- PayPal Prepaid Mastercard® …
- NetSpend® Visa® Prepaid Card. …
- Playcard Prepaid Mastercard. …
- NetSpend® Visa® Prepaid Card. …
- Bluebird® American Express® Prepaid Debit Account.
Can I buy a prepaid card with a gift card?
Since there is no federal or state law dictating whether or not you can buy a gift card with a gift card, companies get to decide if they will allow consumers to use gift cards in their stores to buy other gift cards–that includes buying the same brand card or a third-party card.
How long does a Visa prepaid card take to activate?
Activation is a pretty easy process, usually taking only a minute or two. Keep in mind that it’s important to do it as soon as possible. Some issuers may close your account if you don’t activate your card within a certain amount of time.
What are examples of prepaid cards?
Examples of prepaid cards include gift cards and phone cards but can also be used in government aide programs instead of sending a periodic check. Prepaid cards are often re-loadable and may require the card holder to set a pin number in order to use it and minimize theft.
How much money can you put in a prepaid card?
Most Visa prepaid card options will allow you to load up to $15,000 into the card account. If you’re accessing a reloadable prepaid card, you can continue to add money to your account when you spend some of your current balance. In either scenario, though, you cannot surpass the $15,000 account balance limit.
