Pre-paid credit cards are a great way to manage and monitor your spending, and there’s no better place to use them than online. You can shop for anything from groceries and gas to clothing and electronics on the web if you have a prepaid card. Most people use these cards as a way to budget their spending, because they’re only able to spend what’s on the card at one time.
In this guide, we review the Best Prepaid Credit Card For Online Purchases, best prepaid credit cards to build credit, prepaid debit cards with no fees, and best prepaid credit cards for travel.
Best Prepaid Credit Card For Online Purchases
NetSpend Prepaid MasterCard
- No overdraft fees
- No credit check required
- No minimum balance required
- No monthly fee
- No ATM fees to use the card worldwide, even at foreign ATMs. There is a flat $2.50 fee for each withdrawal in the US, however.
- You can use your card anywhere MasterCard is accepted and there are no foreign transaction fees.
NetSpend Prepaid Visa Card
The NetSpend Prepaid Visa Card is a prepaid card that comes with a MasterCard logo, so you can use it anywhere that accepts MasterCard. It has no annual fee and no minimum balance required, making it one of the best cards for people who don’t want to worry about paying interest or having their credit checked.
AccountNow Prepaid Visa Card
The AccountNow prepaid card is a good choice for people who want to avoid overdraft fees. It’s also a good choice for those who don’t have a bank account, because it can be used like an ordinary checking account and comes with all the features you would expect from any other checking account. That includes bill pay and direct deposit.
It’s also a good option for people who want to pay bills online, since it has its own website where you can manage your finances in detail and make payments through their website or via text message (if you’re using their app).
Netspend Prepaid Visa RushCard
- Netspend Prepaid Visa RushCard
Netspend Prepaid Visa RushCard is a prepaid card that you can use to pay bills, shop online and withdraw cash. It has no activation or monthly fees, and it offers free direct deposit and free online bill pay. It also comes with an auto-replenishment option where you can choose to automatically add money to your card every certain amount of time when your balance gets low (i.e., $50 every 30 days). This is great if you want peace of mind knowing that there’s always money on the way from someone else paying for those necessities that don’t get paid through your paycheck. The card doesn’t have an annual fee either! Withdrawing cash at ATMs takes up one of three withdrawal transactions on each day so make sure not to exceed this limit as otherwise there will be a $2 fee per transaction after the three are used up for that day.*
Walmart MoneyCard Prepaid Visa Card
The Walmart MoneyCard Prepaid Visa Card is a no-fuss way to pay online, in person and make bill payments. It’s available at Walmart stores and can be reloaded in any amount with cash or credit/debit card. You don’t need a bank account or credit history to use this card, which makes it ideal for people who don’t want to give up their personal information for a prepaid product.
You can use the Walmart MoneyCard Prepaid Visa Card anywhere Visa debit cards are accepted, such as online shopping sites like Amazon and eBay. For in-store purchases, you can shop at any merchant that accepts Visa debit cards (including gas stations).
The card has no annual fee and doesn’t require a deposit or credit check so you’ll never pay an upfront fee just to get your hands on one—but it does charge $2 per month if you don’t load $500 onto your account within 90 days of opening the account (after that time period ends).
RapidPay Card from Western Union
If you need to make an online purchase, the RapidPay Card from Western Union is a great option. You can use this card to pay bills and make online purchases.
Here’s how it works: you load money onto the card at any Western Union location or by using cash transfer options through their website. The funds will be available immediately after loading them onto your RapidPay Card so that they are ready for use when needed.
The popular prepaid cards on the market today.
- NetSpend Prepaid MasterCard
- NetSpend Prepaid Visa Card
- AccountNow Prepaid Visa Card
- Netspend Prepaid Visa RushCard (a prepaid card that can be used at Walmart)
- Walmart MoneyCard Prepaid Visa Card (another option for use in Walmart stores)
And finally, if you’re looking for an online-only prepaid credit card that works seamlessly with your phone and computer, consider the RapidPay Card from Western Union.
best prepaid credit cards to build credit
If you’re at the start of your credit journey or need to rebuild your FICO, getting approved for a credit card can be difficult. The trouble is, a credit card, and responsible usage, may be exactly what you need to improve your credit score.
Fortunately, some card issuers provide secured credit cards for bad credit. These cards usually skip the credit check since you’ll be providing a refundable deposit that will serve as your credit limit.
Top Prepaid Credit Building Cards
This round up of the 9 best prepaid credit cards to build credit presents the top options to get you on track.
1. Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card
The Capital One Quicksilver card is a great option when you’re in search of a card to build credit that has no hidden or annual fees. Plus, it comes with rewards which is something most secured cards don’t offer. You can earn 1.5% cash back on every purchase with no limits.
To get started, a refundable security deposit of $200 is required. That will start you with a credit line of $200. If you use the card responsibly and pay the card off in time, you could receive a higher, deposit-free credit line after six months and even get your initial deposit back. Plus, Capital One reports your history to the credit bureaus so you can start improving your credit score.
2. Applied Bank Secured Visa® Gold Preferred® Credit Card
Most credit cards — particularly those that cater to lower credit scores — have extremely high interest rates. Applied Bank’s secured card has the lowest rate of all the best prepaid credit cards to build credit reviewed at 9.99% APR fixed. Meaning, your rate won’t increase if you make a late payment.
To activate the card, a $200 to $1,000 deposit is required. However, you can increase your credit limit to as much as $5,000 by continuing to make deposits.
3. BankAmericard® Secured Credit Card
Bank of America’s BankAmericard works just like a standard credit card. However, you won’t have to wait on a credit pull for approval. As long as you pay a refundable security deposit of $200 to $5,000, your credit line will match the deposit. Over time, Bank of America will review your account. If your credit usage is responsible, you may qualify for a refund of your security deposit.
4. Citi® Secured Mastercard®
Citi’s Secured Mastercard will help you get closer to a credit score you can be proud of as it reports to all three credit bureaus each month. You can watch your progress with free online access to your FICO score. A minimum security deposit of $200 will get you the same amount as your credit limit.
The Flexible Payment Due Dates feature allows you to pick your own due date. For the best chances of success, be sure to spend responsibly and make payments on time. Keep on track by setting up account alerts and scheduling Auto Pay each month to cover your statement balance.
5. OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card
According to OpenSky, one in five cardholders raise their credit score by 70 points or more in six months. It’s the primary reason a secured credit card is a great way to rebuild credit.
Since no credit check is made, you’ll need to turn over between $200 and $3,000 to serve as collateral for the credit limit. OpenSky reviews your activity, potentially qualifying you for a credit increase or an OpenSky Gold Unsecured credit card in six months — without a deposit required. In the meantime, your activity is reported to the credit bureaus, helping you improve your score.
6. Discover It® Secured Credit Card
Discover has a lower threshold of credit worthiness for the bulk of its cards. If you still don’t think you can get approved, the Discover it Secured card is a good alternative. The best part is, it includes many of the same features Discover’s standard unsecured cards have to offer. All you need to do to get started is apply — without a credit check — and provide an amount as collateral for the credit limit, starting at $200.
While you build your credit, Discover will monitor your activity to potentially offer a credit limit increase without asking for another deposit. In the meantime, you can get started earning rewards on your spending, such as 2% cash back at restaurants and gas stations — up to $1,000 in purchases each quarter. And earn an unlimited 1% cash back on everything else.
7. Secured Sable ONE Credit Card
If you plan on carrying a balance, the Secured Sable One card has one of the lowest interest rates of the best prepaid credit cards to build credit at only 12.49% APR. No credit check or previous U.S. residency is required, making it ideal for foreigners who have recently moved to the country. Plus, you have the ultimate flexibility to choose your deposit amount. This means your credit line can be just a few hundred dollars or thousands, based on the deposit.
You can also earn 2% cash back on your spending at Amazon, Whole Foods, Uber, Uber Eats, Spotify, Netflix and more. All other spending earns 1% cashback. You’ll start building credit history since Sable ONE reports your activity. And if you’re goal oriented you’ll appreciate the option of becoming unsecured as soon as four months plus a $25 bonus if you achieve a credit score of 700 or more in the first twelve months.
8. The First Progress Platinum Elite Mastercard® Secured Credit Card
For a secured card with more benefits and perks, the First Progress Platinum Elite Secured Mastercard could be the answer. You’ll need to provide a deposit of $200 to $2,000 when you apply, but you’ll be approved for a card that’s accepted nearly everywhere. You can use this card for car rental deposits, travel and more. And when you pay off your balance, you’ll receive your deposit back.
9. Surge Secured Mastercard®
The Surge Secured Mastercard reports to all credit bureaus to ensure your responsible activity is rewarded. You can even access your Vantage 3.0 score from Experian for free using the mobile app.
To apply, you’ll need to have a checking account. You’ll start small with Surge — a refundable deposit of $300 is required and will serve as your credit limit. Your purchases will earn 1% cash back, putting a bit of the annual fee back into your pocket.
prepaid debit cards with no fees
If you are looking for a similar yet effective alternative to a debit card, a prepaid card may be your solution. Prepaid cards allow you to load money onto them to make any purchases at any location. Essentially, they function similarly to debit cards, without having any connection to a bank account. This makes prepaid cards a great option if you have poor banking history. Prepaid cards are handy, but you must be careful. Some of them come with fees that can add up and cause you to spend more money. Below, we’ve listed the top ten reloadable prepaid cards with no fees. We also get into the specifics of prepaid cards, how they work, and what benefits you can receive from using them. Use this detailed guide to pick the right prepaid card for you.
What Is a Prepaid Card?
A prepaid card is a method of payment that you can use to make everyday purchases, such as gas, groceries, clothing, and more. However, before you can use a prepaid card to make a purchase, you must “load” it with money. Almost all major banking institutions, such as Visa, MasterCard, and American Express offer prepaid cards. The concept of prepaid cards seems fairly simple and easy, but you must be careful to read the card’s rules and requirements before you acquire one. For example, some cards require you to pay a number of fees to keep it activated, including annual or monthly fees. You may also find cards that require you to load it with a specific amount of money. The good news about prepaid cards is that there typically aren’t any limitations on what you can buy or where you can buy from. Some prepaid cards will even allow you to withdraw money at an ATM, send money to other people, and receive rewards for making purchases. More importantly, if you’re concerned about your credit history, you will not need to pass a credit check in order to obtain most prepaid debit cards.
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How Do Prepaid Cards Work?
The first step to using a prepaid card that you’ve acquired is to load money onto it. While some cards may let you choose the amount of money that you put on the prepaid card, other cards may require you to load the card with a specific amount. Once you’ve done this, you can use the card to make purchases at any location, both in-person and online, that accepts cards as a method of payment. When you’ve used all of the money on the card, reloadable prepaid cards will allow you to put more money on them so that you can continue making purchases.
What Can I Use Prepaid Cards for?
Essentially, you can use a prepaid card to purchase anything that accepts a card as a method of payment. Prepaid cards are also great for emergency uses and vacations. If you are traveling far from home and don’t want to risk losing your debit or credit card, you can bring a prepaid card to make purchases. Prepaid cards are also a good tool for children. If you have a teenager who doesn’t quite need a bank account yet, you might consider giving them a prepaid card that they can use for necessary purchases. Or, if you give your children allowances, you can also load their allotted allowance money onto the card. Prepaid cards offer plenty of benefits, and you can truly use them how you deem fit. Further below, we talk more about how you can benefit from using a prepaid card.
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The 10 Best Zero-Fee Reloadable Prepaid Cards
Below, we discuss the ten best reloadable prepaid cards that don’t have any annual, monthly, or reloading fees. Any of the cards we listed are fantastic options if you are looking for a prepaid card that will be reliable. In fact, most of them come from big-name banking institutions, such as Visa®, American Express®, and Mastercard®. Check out some of these cards’ best features, and decide which one will work best for your needs.
Chime Credit Builder Secured Visa® Card
When it comes to reloadable cards, chime has to be our #1 pick for several reasons. The card has no annual fees, no interest, it’s easily reloadable from your mobile phone using the chime app, and best of all it helps you build credit by reporting your balances to all the major credit bureaus. Chime doesn’t check your credit before you apply for their visa card which makes card approval easy and seamless.
Bluebird® Prepaid Debit Card
The Bluebird® prepaid card is a highly recommended prepaid debit card that offers users plenty of benefits without the annoying fees. This card is a great option for parents who want to teach their children money management skills, as it does not allow you to go into a negative balance. You can also load the card with money via direct deposit, money transfers, checks, or at a cash register at a Walmart location.
Some of the other pros to this card are that you can opt to receive alerts when the balance begins to run low, and you can withdraw cash at any MoneyPass ATM in the country. However, with the Bluebird card, you cannot get cash back at a retailer. Additionally, some extra perks from the card will cost you a small fee.
Netspend® Visa® Prepaid Card
The NetSpend Visa Prepaid Card is one of the best no-fee prepaid cards. With this card, you will not have to worry about overdraft fees, activation fees, credit checks, or minimum balances. The NetSpend mobile app allows you to manage the money on the card with ease, and you can load money onto the card via direct deposit or checks. One of the best features about this card is that it is insured by the FDIC. This means that it is a safe card to use to make purchases. NetSpend also makes it easy for customers to replace their card, in the event that it gets lost or stolen.
PayPal Prepaid Mastercard® Card
If you’re looking for a prepaid card that is quick and easy to use, the PayPal Prepaid Mastercard® Card is a great option. PayPal has dominated the online banking world by providing effective technology and processes. This card is especially easy to use if you already have a PayPal account. To add more money to the card, all you have to do is move money from your PayPal account onto the card, which you can do online. This card offers perks that most others don’t, including cash back offers and deals from the stores that you like to shop at. This card is insured by the FDIC.
Brink’s Money Prepaid Mastercard®
If you’re in need of a prepaid debit card quickly, you will appreciate the quick activation process for the Brink’s Money Prepaid Mastercard® Card. When you load money onto the card using direct deposit, you are granted quick access to your money. You will also enjoy the convenience of the mobile app, which allows you to manage your money at any time of the day. Additionally, this card is insured by the FDIC, so you can be sure that your money is protected. This card is also free of pesky monthly fees, allowing you to save your money.
MOVO® Virtual Prepaid Visa® Card
The MOVO® Virtual Prepaid Visa® Card is amongst the best prepaid debit cards because it is an excellent economical choice. One of the benefits to this card is that you can withdraw cash from any ATM that accepts Visa cards. Additionally, you can have easy online access to manage your card through the Movo mobile app. This app makes it easy to add more money to the card via PayPal or direct deposit. Overall, this card has no fees that you need to worry about. However, you must be conscious of using your card regularly. If you don’t use the card for three months, Movo will charge you a $4.95 monthly fee until you resume using the card.
Starbucks® Rewards Visa® Credit Card
With a maximum balance of $10,000, you will enjoy the flexibility of the Starbucks® Rewards Visa® Prepaid Card. With this card, you are not limited to making purchases at Starbucks. In fact, you can use it anywhere that accepts Visa as a payment method. This card does not have any monthly or activation fees, and if you’re an avid Starbucks drinker, you can link your card to your Starbucks rewards account. Unfortunately, the downside to this card is that you cannot withdraw money from an ATM. You will also see a 3% fee if you use the card outside of the United States, so we don’t recommend this prepaid card for travel purposes abroad.
Fifth Third’s Access 360° Prepaid Card
The Fifth Third’s Access 360° Prepaid Card is a great prepaid debit card that gives you the option to go without paying fees, but you must be careful. This prepaid card does come with a $4 monthly fee, but you have two options to waive that fee: open a checking account with Fifth Third, or deposit a minimum of $500 a month onto the card. However, there are no activation or inactivity fees to worry about. One of the coolest features about this card is that you are allowed to have joint owners. This makes it a great card for parents and children.
best prepaid credit cards for travel
You can trust the integrity of our balanced, independent financial advice. We may, however, receive compensation from the issuers of some products mentioned in this article. Opinions are the author’s alone. This content has not been provided by, reviewed, approved or endorsed by any advertiser, unless otherwise noted below.
When you’re planning a trip, most likely you’re thinking about the cost. After that, you’re probably wondering what the best card to use is so you can get the most points for your trip.
But here’s the problem with using a credit card while you’re traveling—you can end up going overboard (yes, pun intended) on your spending.
Trust me, I went to Turks & Caicos a few years ago, and there’s something about the beautiful weather, white sandy beaches, and crystal clear water that make you throw all caution to the wind when you’re ordering $10 drinks all day.
So I have an alternative option for you—use a prepaid card.
Yep, they’re mainstream now, and for the right person and the right situation, they make a ton of sense for use while traveling. In this article, I’ll review some of the best prepaid travel card options you can find. Let’s first start by recapping what a prepaid card is, in case you aren’t aware.
Overview: Best Prepaid Debit Credit Cards For Traveling
Best Prepaid credit cards for Individual Travelers
Netspend Visa Prepaid Card
Not only is this one of the best prepaid cards for traveling, but it’s also one of the most popular overall prepaid cards. Beware, though, as it comes with some pretty hefty fees and it may not make sense if you’re using it for one trip.
Features
The Netspend Visa Prepaid Card offers four different ways to load your card with cash: direct deposit, mobile check load, reload locations (over 130,000), and money transfers from other Netspend cardholders. That’s a huge value-add for someone who is traveling, as it makes it much easier to be able to get cash loaded onto your card wherever you are.
The card also comes with a mobile app that features tools to help you manage your money on a day-to-day basis. The app has all the features you’d expect with a typical banking app, such as transaction information and the ability to take a picture of a check to deposit it. When you access your account online, you get even more features, such as budgeting tools. You can also get transaction alerts via text and get up to a $10 cushion if you overspend on the card.
Netspend offers some perks as well, which you don’t tend to see often with prepaid cards. The card has Payback Rewards, which is cash back and personalized offers when you use your card. You can get balance boosts for referring friends, and Netspend even offers you a savings account with a healthy APY.
Finally, the card comes with some added peace of mind, offering zero fraud liability and the ability to create virtual card numbers for shopping online. You can even customize the look of your card, which is pretty cool.
Fees
One of the most significant downsides to this card is the cost to own and use it. First of all, it costs money to get one at the store (it’s free if you order it online). Most stores charge around $3 just for the card. By default, you’ll pay up to $2 every time you use the card. Instead, you can opt to pay the $9.95 monthly fee to use the card. There’s no way to eliminate this fee, but you can get it dropped to $5 per month if you have $500 in total direct deposits per month.
Some of the other bogus fees include a $3.95 fee to reload your card at Netspend locations, a $2.50 ATM cash withdrawal fee, and a $5.95 fee if you don’t use your card for three months (90 days). There are a few other fees attached to the card, so check out Netspend’s site to learn more.
Four different ways to load your card
Money management tools, both online and via the mobile app
$10 buffer in case you overspend
Expensive to get if you don’t order it online
Past PR issues that lead to a negative brand perception
Bottom Line
The Netspend Visa Prepaid Card has its flaws—primarily the costs—but it’s a great overall product. It has features that few other prepaid cards have, and the savings account option sets it apart. If you can get past the fees and use the card enough to justify it, then it’s an excellent choice for traveling abroad.
Best for Traveling Families
FamZoo Prepaid Mastercard
Okay, so FamZoo is a little bit of a different option when it comes to prepaid cards. I met the founder, Bill, at FinCon a few years ago and he’s incredibly passionate about his product. It’s also really in-depth with features, so I’m going to cover the highlights for you.
Features
The primary goal of FamZoo is to teach kids about money and save time for busy families. But the product works great for traveling, especially with the family. FamZoo allows you to assign parent and child roles within the system of cards provided to you. This enables you as the parent to control the accounts and the money rules within them. This would be a nice feature if you wanted to send your kids off to go shopping while on vacation but wanted to limit their spending.
Some of the other convenience features include instant and scheduled transfers between cards, activity alerts (great for knowing what your kids are buying and where), the ability to lock and unlock cards, and purchase reimbursement.
On what FamZoo refers to as the Financial Literacy side of features, you’ll find a lot of beneficial tools. The first is Payment Checklists. I love this tool, as it gives you the ability to schedule tasks for the kids (or other cardholders) to do in exchange for money. You can also do this in reverse—meaning if they don’t complete the task they lose money. Imagine how busy you could keep your kids on vacation by establishing various Payment Checklists for them? You then split these payments into multiple accounts for them (savings, spending, etc.).
You can pay out interest to other cards and also set up a loan system—called IOUs. Growing up, my parents shelled out all kinds of money for ridiculous stuff for my sister and me while we were traveling. Instead of taking on the burden of purchases that will eventually end up at a garage sale, why not set up an IOU with your kids, so they have to work on paying you back?
As I said, FamZoo is loaded with features that most other prepaid cards don’t have, so check out their site for a full list of them.
Fees
If you pay monthly, FamZoo is $5.99 for the entire family (total, not per card). If you pay in advance, though, you can get up to a 58% discount, making it as low as $2.50 per month. There are no reload fees and no purchase fees when using the card in the United States. You will get tagged with up to a 3% foreign transaction fee if you use the card out of the country, however. There are also no fees for in-network ATM withdrawals (using the MoneyPass network). Out-of-network ATMs will get a fee, assessed by that individual operator. There are no inactivity fees, and replacing a card is also free until you get beyond the fourth family member—then it’s only $2. Overall, costs are incredibly cheap with this account.
Pros and Cons
Inexpensive prepaid card option
Ability to add family members and parent/child roles
Loaded with features that other prepaid cards don’t have
The mobile app feels outdated
Can become overly-complicated with so many features
Not a well-known card issuer (smaller issuers have folded in the past)