If you are looking for a Prepaid Debit card as an alternative to a traditional bank account or debit card, then say hello to the Walmart Bluebird Prepaid card from American Express (AMEX). Prepaid debit cards have grown in popularity over the last 5 years but many consumers have been skeptical of them due to high fees and deceptive marketing practices. American Express has been trying to change that, with their introduction of no fee Prepaid Debit Cards (no activation fees, no inactivity fees, no monthly fees). Well, AMEX has taken it a step further by partnering with Walmart to introduce the Walmart Bluebird American Express Prepaid Card, which is by far the best prepaid card on the market.

Here are the list of features we like about this card:

As you can see, there is no fee charged to maintain the card, which in today’s world is probably better than a traditional checking account where you now have to pay monthly fees ranging from $5 – $20. Also, since you are able to direct deposit funds onto the account, having access to you paycheck becomes easier. We anticipate that with the foot print that Walmart has, this card is going to be popular with the unbanked and students, and will force the other prepaid debit card issuers to take a serious look at their fees if they want to remain competitive. Visit your nearest Walmart Location to buy one.

A prepaid card can be bought from a banking institution, grocery store and most drug stores and then loaded with money in order to use it. A small fee is charged to load the money and afterwards you will be able to use the prepaid debit card just like a debit card. There are several kinds of prepaid debit cards available with different fees and privileges. Here’s how to make the best choice for a prepaid debit card.

Tip 1: Know the various cards available

Even if you cannot open an account at a bank, most will still be keen to sell you a prepaid debit card. There are several cards available, each with its own privileges and features. Some prepaid cards are available in more than one currency and are great if you are travelling out of the country. You can even gift a prepaid debit card to anyone you want. Some prepaid debit cards allow discounts on meals in restaurants. Therefore, before you buy a card, do a little bit of research to find the best option that suits you.

Tip 2: Fees

Prepaid Debit Cards charge you every time you load money to your card. Apart from this charge, there could be other charges levied that could spring unnecessary surprises on you. Some cards may charge you for negative balance in case you overdraw on it. In case your transaction is declined, you may have to incur a declination charge on the failed transaction. Read the rules and fees of the prepaid debit card carefully before you start using one.

Tip 3: Usage of Prepaid Cards

A prepaid debit card is easy and convenient to use buy may not be acceptable at all places. Some restaurants or car rentals may not accept prepaid debits cards. Before you buy a prepaid credit card, you can check your favorite eateries or preferred car rental companies for the brand of prepaid cards that they accept.

Tip 4: Fraudulent transactions

As with all other kinds of financial transactions, prepaid debit cards can also become subject to fraudulent transactions in case of theft, etc. Check the liability offered by the card in such cases before you buy one. You would not want to pay for some else’s transactions, would you?

Tip 5: Balance Limit

Prepaid debit cards come with balance limits that is the maximum amount of money that you can load on your card. Check if the card that you are opting for can be topped for the amount of money that represents your actual spending for say a week or a fortnight or even a month.

If you are looking to buy bulk gift cards – including prepaid gift cards, visit GiftCardRescue.com

Chase Visa Gift Card Fees

Everyone wants to know the fees involved with every gift card or prepaid debit card. Lets take a look at the obvious ones, and the ones hidden under the hood:

The current fees include:

• Gift Cards purchased at branches: $3.50
• Gift Cards available at www.chase.com: No charge for the gift card. Standard shipping $4.95. Express delivery an additional $15.95
• Bulk orders: $3.50 per card. A minimum of 20 cards and a maximum of 500 cards per order. Shipping $16.95 per order.
• Monthly Card Fee: A $2.50 monthly fee after the first 12 calendar months following the date of purchase.
• Please see the Chase Gift Card Agreement for details.

That’s straight from the gift horses mouth. Other than the fees listed above, you or your gift recipient have nothing else to worry about.

Common Questions

Where Can I get a Chase Visa Gift Card?

• You can purchase the gift card at any Chase Bank location. To find the nearest location to you,click here.
• You can also purchase the gift cards online at www.chase.com. You will need to use a debit or credit card for the online purchase, whereas at a local branch you can use cash.

How Does the Card Work?

• Since this is a prepaid card, it only carries the amount determined by the purchaser or the card at the time time of purchase. The card can be used to purchase good or services anywhere that Visa is accepted. Each time a purchase is made, the amount used is deducted from the total balance of the card. Once the balance has been depleted the gift card is now worthless.

Are there Any Monthly Fees?

No monthly maintenance fee is charged to the Chase gift card. However, after 12 months of inactivity (not using the card at all for a year)  Chase will deduct $2.50 each month until the balance is depleted. If the card is used during this period, the 12 month inactivity period starts over.

How does the Card Work in Restaurants and places where the final amount charges may change?

Visa Travel Card Benefits

Going on vacation soon? Maybe a family trip out of the country? When you arrive at your overseas location how do you plan on having money to spend? Most people walk right up to the currency exchange centers and hand over a bunch of cash and in return get a bunch of that particular countries cash. What did you just become? Every scammer’s perfect victim, a tourist fresh off the plane with loads of cash in their pocket. Don’t let this be you.

Better Than Carrying Cash

Using a prepaid Travel card such as the Visa Travel Card is much safer than carrying cash for many reasons. Number one, if your card is ever lost or stolen you are no liable for any purchases that were made. All the money that was spent gets put right back in your account and you will receive a new card in the mail. You can even have Visa overnight you a new card wherever in the world you are for a small fee.

With Visa TravelMoney you can obtain emergency card replacement and emergency cash disbursement, generally within one business day. Source

Better Than Using Your Credit Card

When you use your credit card overseas you make yourself vulnerable to identity theft. All it takes is someone writing down your account numbers and their off to go spend your hard earned money. Using you debit card is even worse. Your entire checking account can be wiped out and some banks do not offer liability protection on checking accounts. Using a prepaid travel card is the best possible option for those travelling outside of the US.

Visa Prepaid Travel Card Benefits

This card works just like a regular Visa debit card. Which means it is accepted everywhere Visa Debit cards are. It comes with the same fraud protections and features as well as some added perks for travelling. For example, “Lost Luggage Reimbursement” allows Visa Travel Card users to be reimbursed up to $250 per trip, $1000 per registered card holder for checked or carry-on luggage if the luggage or contents is lost due to theft or misdirection by the common carrier. It also comes with Visa’s Travel and Emergency Assistance. This feature allows translation assistance 24 hours a day, medical and legal referrals, emergency trips to arrangements, and emergency messages to relatives. How great is that? Having a translation issue? Call the number on the back of your Visa card and have Visa translate your conversation! For more about Travel and Emergency Assistance Services, click here. 

Keep Your Money Safe While You Travel

Traveling can be a fun and exciting experience. It’s important to keep your money safe when you travel. Many people refuse to use their normal debit and credit cards while abroad due to the high risk of their accounts being compromised. One great alternative is to use a prepaid debit travel card. These cards work the same way a normal prepaid debit card does, with added protection for use overseas. One popular travel prepaid card is the MasterCard Travel Card.

The MasterCard Travel Card is accepted worldwide everywhere MasterCard is accepted. This means hotels, restaurants, entertainment venues, ATMs and much more. It is much safer than carrying cash. When abroad, local thugs often seek out unsuspecting tourists carrying large amounts of cash. They make easy targets for muggings and scams. However, with the MasterCard Travel Card you won’t have to worry about carrying your week’s worth of vacation money everywhere you go. When you register your card, if it is ever lost or stolen you are completely protected from unauthorized purchases. This means your funds are returned to you even if they have been spent.

Why People Use Prepaid Cars To Travel

Another reason a lot of people use prepaid travel cards while on vacation is to ensure that their normal everyday account at home stays safe. When using your credit card abroad it is at high risk to be compromised. Scammers can record the numbers, go online, and spend your money. With a prepaid travel card, the only money that can be spent is the amount loaded onto the card. Using only a prepaid travel card while abroad keeps all your other accounts safe while your travel.

MasterCard Travel Card Overview

This prepaid card works just like all MasterCard Prepaid Cards. This means you can spend up to the value placed on the card anywhere Debit MasterCards are accepted. You can shop in stores, online, over the phone, and by mail order. When you make a purchase with the card, funds are immediately deducted from the total available balance.

It’s important to know your balance before you shop. When you are ready to make a purchase give the the cashier your card, if asked, swipe your card at the terminal. You can continue to use your card until the balance has been depleted.

The Pex Visa prepaid card for business is a service available to businesses only. It’s primary purpose is to give employees the ability to make company purchases while spending is controlled and managed by management. Companies are able to obtain 24/7 control over funds and account movements. Funds are insured with the FDIC. A free 2-month trial is available here.

How It Works

Enrollment is fairly easy and you are given a 2month trial period to make sure the PEX service is fit for your business. Go here to complete an online enrollment or you can call 877-274-3390 to complete by phone and receive any answers to questions you may have. Once you have enrolled the process goes like this:

• You must be approved. Once approved you will have access to all PEX card services.
• It takes about 3 days to complete approval and the approval is based on their ability to confirm the details of your application. Approvals are not credit0based as this is a prepaid card rather than credit.
• All applicants MUST be registered business entities. Applications can only be submitted by an authorized officer of the company. (usually executive members such as CEO, CFO, CMO, etc.)

Why PEX Card?

• Control – 24/7 control of fund management. Limit spending and set budgets.
• Instantly get money to staff –  Real time updates on transfers.
• Improve Cash Flow – No surprise interest charges or overdraft fees. Save administrative cost of cash advancements and reimbursements.

Ways To Control Funds

• Pie charts to illustrate corporate spending.
• Set funding rules per card.
• Reporting package details spending by cardholder or in aggregate.
• Restrict card usage by merchant category.
• Place daily spending limits on cards.
• Set zero balances or block cards.
• Real-time electronic card funding.
• Funds are segregated between a corporate holding account and cardholder accounts.

PEX Card Fees:

Our Review

The Pex Business Visa is a valuable tool for businesses everywhere. The card is extremely dynamic and the program in general is perfect for any company with poor credit. With no overdraft fees, no transaction fees, and seamless account management tools provided, the PEX program is perfect for those who need help managing business expenses and company accounts. Each employee can bear their own card which means no more trading or passing off a single business card. We highly suggest this card to small business owners. Low fees, ease of use, and control earn the PEX service two thumbs up.

Watch This PEX Card Demo:

How to Avoid Bank Freedom Fees and FAQ

Every prepaid card has fees. The Bank Freedom prepaid debit card is no exception. However, there are many ways to avoid being charged these fees when using your card. Let’s take a quick look at the most common fees and ways you can avoid them.

Monthly Fees

The Bank Freedom Prepaid MasterCard has a monthly charge of $5.00. This fee however, can be avoided by using some simple and easy to implement strategies.  To avoid being charged this monthly fee, you simple have to deposit at least $500. This can done through either direct deposit or by loading money at any cash retail load locations.

ATM Cash Withdrawal Fees

There is a $2.50 ATM withdrawal fee on top of what the ATM charges you at any ATM in the United States. International ATM withdrawals carry a $4.00 charge on top of the surcharge charges by the ATM. These fees can add up quickly. To avoid the ATM withdrawal fees you need to use any of the 18,000 ATM “MoneyPass” locations that have no surcharge or fees at all. For smaller cash withdrawals we recommend you use the cash back function available at many retailers.

Paper Statements

When you receive paper statements from Bank Freedom, they come along with a $2.00 charge. To avoid this, simply request paperless statements and you will no longer be charged the $2.00. Each month, you account statement will be emailed to you.

Alternative Bill Pay Options

“We understand that not all bills can be paid with your prepaid card so instead of you paying $2.00 – $3.00 to purchase a money order, stamps, and envelopes you can use our on-line bill pay system to make electronic payments and/or send paper checks from your cardholder website.   There is a $1.00 Electronic Bill Pay Fee and a $1.00 Paper Check Bill Pay Fee” Source

Don’t Check your Balance at the ATM

Each time you use an ATM to check your balance, you are charged a fee. This is completely unnecessary and completely wrong in my opinion. To avoid this nasty fee, you need to sign up for “No Charge” email and text alerts. This way, each time you use your card you will receive a text message notifying you of your new balance. Also, at anytime you can text “BAL” to 42265 and you will receive a text message with your current account balance.

The NetSpend Visa is a popular Visa prepaid debit card for people who want the features of a traditional bank account without the worries of overdraft and NSF charges. Users can only spend the amount that is loaded onto their card. Once the balance is depleted, you can reload money onto your card in several ways including stopping by a loading center, receiving direct deposit from your employer, or having social security or disability payments loaded onto your card automatically. Because you can only spend the amount available on the card it’s important to know your balance before you make a purchase.

NetSpend Visa Balance Check

There are several ways to check the balance of your NetSpend Debit card.

• To check your balance for free, log into your online Account Center where you can see your balance, deposits and transaction history.
• Sign up for Anytime Alerts- using anytime alerts you receive a text message including your card account balance after each time you make a transaction. Also, if you are signed up for Anytime Alerts, you can text “BAL” to 22622 anytime and your account balance will be sent to your phone through a text message.
• You can also check your balance by calling 1-866-387-7363 as well as when using a participating ATM

NetSpend Customer Service

If your card is ever lost or stolen, you will need to contact customer service by calling their toll free number 1-866-387-7363. You can also log into your Account Center to report your card.

NetSpend General Information:

What Government Benefits Can I have direct deposited into my NetSpend Card Account?

• Social Security Payment
• Pension and other regular payments
• Supplemental Security Income
• Social Security Disability Insurance
• Veterans Administration Compensation and Pension
• Railroad Retirement Benefits
• Defense Finance and Account Service Payments
• State unemployment benefits (varies by state)

Can I transfer Money to Someone?

You can transfer money from your NetSpend card to friends and family members who also have NetSpend cards. This can be down through your Account Center. Otherwise, transfers are not able to be made.

How to I Dispute a Charge from a Merchant?

• Log into the online Account Center
• From the main menu select, “Help” and then “File a Dispute”
• You will need your PIN to access this service online.

The Upside Visa is a prepaid, reloadable debit card that can be used everywhere Visa is accepted. Since it’s a prepaid card, you can only spend the amount on the card eliminating over draft and NSF fees. The Upside caters to teens and young adults because of its features that allow a user to set a budget, pay bills, and learn financial responsibility using the card. Once you have obtained your card, it’s important to become familiar with the everyday functions you will need to know. These include checking the balance available on your card, how to log into your online account, and how to reach customer service.

UPside Visa Balance Check

You can find the balance remaining on your debit in several ways. For each procedure, you will need to have your cards serial number handy.

• You can check your balance online, by clicking here.
• You can check your balance by calling the balance check line at 1-866-845-6273
• You can use your cell phone’s internet browser to log into your account by going to m.upsidecard.com
• You can check your balance by using Upside’s Facebook Application

How to Log into your UPside Account

You will first need to set up your account, by clicking here. Be sure to choose a username and password that you will remember. Once you have created an account, you can log in by visiting this link.

How to Reach Upside Customer Service

You can reach Upside customer service 24/7 by calling 1-866-845-6273

Can I Use My Card to Withdraw Cash from the ATM?

ATM use is available for all accounts except for users on the Clear Plan. You are able to withdraw cash from any ATM with a Visa Debit sign. You will need to have your account set up and verified online beforehand. Setting up your account online will allow you to choose your PIN number, needed to withdraw cash from the ATM. Insert the card into the machine, enter your PIN and follow instructions presented.

The Wamart Money Card is one of the most popular prepaid debit card on the market. Walmart has been very successful in this space for a number of reasons including the convenience of their store locations, ease of use of the card, and low usage fees for their prepaid debit card.

Walmart Money Card Login

There is only one way to log into your Walmart Money card account, through he website by clicking here. You will need  to have set up your user ID and Password beforehand.

Enter your User ID and Password and click “login”

If you have set up your account yet, you can do so here.

Walmart Money Card Balance Check

You can check the balance of your Walmart Money Card in Several ways.

1.)    Over the phone. On the back on your gift card there is a 1-800 number that will get you to customer service. For most cards, that number is 1-877-937-4098. In order to check your balance you will need to have your prepaid debit card serial number handy.

2.)    By going online. You can always check your balance and see other information by logging into your account online.

Walmart Money Card Customer Service.

One of the reasons why the Walamrt Money Card has been so successful is because of their 24/hour customer service. Call anytime of day to get answers to the questions you have. 1-877-937-4098.

You can also visit the Walmart Money Card FAQ section to get answers to common questions including:

How does my Walmart MoneyCard work?

How old do you have to be to use the Card?

What if I have bad credit? Can I still get this Card?