This prepaid card can be used online or in any stores that accept MasterCard debit cards. They're also a useful budgeting tool if you need to control your spending or when you'd like your kids to have their own card to learn how to manage money. You could enable your children's spending with a prepaid debit card, while teaching them how to be responsible with money. Minimum initial load of $25. Don't worry -- you can approve the trades first. For no monthly fee, you get both a spending and savings account. American Express Gift Cards are prepaid personal gift cards from $25 to $3,000 that can be purchased and then given away. But it's pretty cool to get notifications that your child wants to buy Starbucks shares instead of a latte. , PNC SmartAccess Prepaid Visa Card, Regions Now Visa Prepaid Card. Funds transfer instantly, in case your kids are out with friends and need money in a pinch. A Greenlight account can have up to five subaccounts, so it works for a family. ASAP Direct Deposit lets you receive money faster with no overdraft or bounced check fees. Must have $0.01 in savings to earn interest. Editorial Note: We earn a commission from partner links on Forbes Advisor. If you spend more than that, this prepaid card actually pays you for using it. Likewise, if you plan to make numerous ATM withdrawals each month, find a prepaid card that offers free withdrawals. What are the best prepaid debit cards? Even if you dont want to build your credit score, many easy-to-get credit cards come with better perks than even the best prepaid cards. Four cards are free on the monthly plan, but more can be added for a one-time $3 fee per card. No cost to sign up and no monthly fees. You can accept direct deposits, reload at over 130,000NetSpend Reload Network locationsnationwide or make PayPal transfers for free. Access to surcharge-free ATMs through the MoneyPass network; Minors of any age can get a debit card; Multiple subscription plans: $5.99 monthly service fee, $25.99 for six months, $39.99 for 12 . Sells prepaid cards and gift cards. Some require photo identification and charge an activation fee up to $10 for loading the initial funds onto the card. CNET is not an insurance agency or broker. You can set and track savings goals. All Rights Reserved. (Retailers other than Walmart may charge up to $3.95.). Best with No Monthly Fees: Brinks Prepaid Mastercard. Nearly everyone is eligible for a prepaid debit card since theres no credit check involved in the application process. This low-fee prepaid card is ideal for those who frequent Walmart. The American Express Serve card is labeled as a "full service reloadable prepaid account." You use a prepaid card to make purchases in stores, shop online and pay bills. Offers prepaid debit card with no minimum balance requirement. NOTE: Before we get to prepaid cards, you should consider Chime. Downsides: Fee to use ATMs; limited methods for reloading funds. Check out NerdWallets best free checking accounts. 2% APY on up to $1,000 in savings account. Posted on May 3, 2014. Read our Western Union Prepaid Card Review, Read our PayPal Prepaid Mastercard Review, Free direct deposit of paychecks, government benefits payments or tax refunds, With direct deposit, get paid up to 2 days faster, FDIC-insured savings account that pays up to 5% APY, Purchase Cushion: Netspend may cover you up to $10 if you fall short, Reload Locations: Load money at over 130,000 locations. Prepaid debit cards usually are associated with major credit card issuers such as Visa, Mastercard or American Express, and they can be used where standard credit cards are accepted. Free reloads and ATMs. The card is issued by American Express, which isnt accepted everywhere that Visa and Mastercard are. We compared 34 prepaid debit cards from 28 providers to find the best options available. No fees from Greenlight, but ATM withdrawals will cost you: Since Greenlight doesn't have any of its own ATMs, third-party ATM operator fees may apply. He has covered personal finance since 2013, with a focus on certificates of deposit and other banking-related topics. With a prepaid card, consumers load money onto the card and use it to make purchases. approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser(s). The PayPal Prepaid MasterCard is a prepaid credit card offered by PayPal, the popular online payment platform. His work has been featured by The Washington Post, USA Today, The Associated Press and the Los Angeles Times, among others. The fees for the Netspend card depend on the plan you choose and how you use the card. People trying to avoid judgment creditors often try to convert assets to cash and plan to hide the cash from discovery. We all know that Amex isnt accepted as widely as Visa/MasterCard (see above for those options). Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money. To support our work, we are paid in different ways for providing advertising services. You can schedule the transfers on a periodic basis to make money management even easier. Prepaid debit cards that we considered included: , Fifth Third Access 360 Reloadable Prepaid Card. Up to four free additional accounts; savings account with 2% APY for first $1,000, and chances to win monthly cash prizes; option to lock and unlock your card via the app; text and email alerts. Its one of the best free prepaid debit cards available today. If you need todeposit cash, you can visit one of Movo's 3.5 million in-network ATMs or swing by your local CVS, Walgreens or 7-Eleven (and some grocery stores). Written by: Eric Bank Edited by: Lillian Guevara-Castro Reviewed by: Ashley Dull ATM withdrawals: No fees from Greenlight, but ATM withdrawals will cost you: Since Greenlight doesn't have any of its own ATMs, third-party ATM operator fees may apply. For budgeting purposes, it has a couple of important additional features. All financial products, shopping products and services are presented without warranty. The content has not been reviewed, The best will depend on the features you need and how youll use the card. Entrustingyour kidswith their own debit cards can help teach them about budgeting and financial responsibility. But if you're fee averse, you're not totally out of options the Bluebird American Express Prepaid Debit Account could be a solid choice for you. However, you can withdraw cash without a fee from Walmart MoneyCenters or the Customer Service desk. Monthly fee:$4.95ATM Fee:Balance inquiries are $0.50, withdrawals are $2.50 eachReload fee:Up to $3.95Cash reload limits: Up to $500Other fees:Card is free if you order online or up to $4.95 at participating retailersReload locations:Over 130,000Welcome bonus:Refer a friend and you'll each receive $20Welcome bonus value:$40. A prepaid debit card can serve as a budgeting tool or an all-out replacement for a bank account and the best prepaid cards offer convenience while charging few fees. You can purchase and fund Green Dot prepaid debit cards at Walgreens and Rite Aid stores. Movo Virtual Prepaid Visa Card . Best with No ATM Fees: Serve American Express Prepaid Debit Account. Reloads are free through the Walmart MoneyCard app or at Walmart stores. The pay-as-you-go plan has no monthly fees but costs $1.50 per transaction. Downsides: Theres no access to a nationwide retail network for adding cash; the card is only available in Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia; and the card doesnt have a separate savings feature. Second Chance Checking Accounts Across the U.S. How Do Prepaid Debit Cards Work and Are They Right For You? To avoid surprises, consumers need to be aware of the types of fees levied and possible ways to avoid them. Other prepayment plans also offer a discount. Here are two links with Walgreen's and Walmart that show how to get a prepaid debit card and explains in detail how they work: Walgreens Reloadable Debit Cards. Ink Business Unlimited, Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. AccountNow offers Visa and MasterCard prepaid cards that let customers add money through a variety of ways and also directly deposit their paychecks into their accounts. When evaluating offers, please review the financial institutions Terms and Conditions. Best for cash rewards: Netspend Visa Prepaid card. ACE Elite Visa Prepaid Debit Card (Pay As You Go) 4.6 Monthly Maintenance Fee $0 ATM Network 850 Minimum Deposit Requirement $0 Why We Picked It Pros & Cons Details Netspend Prepaid. Green Dot is a prepaid and reloadable debit card company that allows customers to pay rent and send out other payments. Instead, Extra pulls the money you spent from your bank account the next business day. Disclaimer: NerdWallet strives to keep its information accurate and up to date. Separate set aside accounts for savings and up to four subaccounts for family members. The contents of this site may not be republished, reprinted, rewritten or recirculated without written permission. General fees and features: You can prepay $59.99 for two years of FamZoo that works out to $2.50 per month. The Annual Percentage Yield (APY) for the Chime Savings Account is variable and may change at any time. Direct deposits hit up to two days early, and its free to add accounts for family members. There are no costs for activation or inactivity. The Monthly Plan with a monthly direct deposit of at least $500 is the best deal in our opinion. Based on recent rules enacted by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, prepaid debit cards offer protection if they are lost or stolen which is similar to credit cards. The Walmart MoneyCard offers a free Vault savings feature. Green Dot also offers a plan with a monthly fee for those who don't want to pay a fee per transaction. Reloadable cards can be used over and over again. The all-purpose Visa Prepaid card is a reloadable card you can use in-person and online to: Pay bills. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Using a prepaid card is often safer and more convenient than carrying around cash, but cardholders dont enjoy the same perks and those with even entry-level credit cards. Parents can also control whether their child can use the card at an ATM. Here's why: A lot of prepaid cards charge various fees. We are compensated when users click links to or apply for sponsored financial Finally, get paid up to 2 days faster with direct deposit. Typically if you try to spend more than your available balance, the card will be declined. Greenlight Prepaid Mastercard: Best for parents (tie). We dont charge you for our services. Open-looped Prepaid Cards Linked to Social Security Number (SSN). You will need a bank account to transfer funds -- you can't reload with cash like most prepaid cards. The card carries a $9.95 monthly fee, but its reduced to $5 if you receive monthly direct deposits totaling $500 or more. The key is to focus on those fees you cannot avoid, such as monthly and transaction fees. Some cards in this roundup have nonbank program managers that partner with banks. What Chime adds is an excellent app to help you manage your money. Free withdrawals and cash deposits at major retailers. A traditional debit card is linked to a bank account, so any purchases you make using your debit card will be withdrawn from your bank account. But you're the final judge. But Bluebird does have limits when it comes to merchant acceptance, and it doesnt allow cash back at retailers. Please try again later. Companies displayed may pay us to be Authorized or when you click a link, call a number or fill a form on our site. Per month: fee to use ATMs ; limited methods for reloading funds deal in opinion... Trying to avoid them free withdrawals online and pay bills have up to date our opinion Express debit! Dot also offers a free Vault savings feature Fifth Third Access 360 reloadable prepaid account. per.... Not been reviewed, the Associated Press and the Los Angeles Times, others. 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Accepted as widely as Visa/MasterCard ( see above for those who do n't --! And financial responsibility app to help you manage your money the transfers on a periodic basis to purchases... This roundup have nonbank program managers that partner with banks Visa/MasterCard ( see for... 2.50 per month month, find a prepaid card actually pays you using... Manage your money Greenlight prepaid Mastercard deposits hit up to five subaccounts, so it works a...
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