How to Compare Prepaid Debit Cards Side by Side to See Which Is Best

The use of prepaid cards is growing nationwide.

Prepaid cards such as RushCard, NetSpend, Western Union and Green Dot are used for shopping, direct deposits, retrieving money from automatic teller machines (ATMs) and paying bills. Monthly maintenance fees, fees incurred when making purchases, international transaction fees, ATM fees and the limitation of daily deposits should be considered when comparing prepaid cards.

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Consider Activation Fees and Monthly Fees
- RushCard is a free prepaid card, though it offers a new pay-as-you-go service with a $3.00 activation fee and a monthly charge of $9.99. Its regular prepaid card has an activation fee of $19.99 without monthly fees. Green Dot prepaid cards, which may be purchased for up to $4.95, have a monthly fee of $5.95. However, a monthly charge is waived when 30 purchases are made in a month or $1,000 is loaded to the card.
Research Customer Service Rating
- It is important that you research customer satisfaction ratings with the customer service department for each prepaid card. If time permits, call a customer service representative to analyze their availability, how informative they are and how quickly they resolve matters. Is the online service for the prepaid card user-friendly? Visit the website for each prepaid card to discover how well the business is structured.
Identify ATM Withdrawal Fees
- ATM withdrawals for RushCards have a surcharge of $3.90, with an option for free ATM services. Green Dot allows customers to enter a zip code onto its website for a listing of free ATM providers.
Compare Special Benefits
- Special benefits offered by prepaid cards include card-to-card money transfers, card transfers to any account, online bill pay, online budgeting, direct deposit, income tax check deposit and quick availability of money loaded onto the card. RushCard offers a prescription card program, Facebook connect, a $5 refer-a-friend program and RushPath, a credit builder program. NetSpend offers 35-day accidental death and dismemberment coverage to prepaid card holders.

Western Union: Send Money, Money Transfer, Find Location, Transfer Money

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How to Compare Prepaid Debit Cards Side by Side to See Which Is Best

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Consider Activation Fees and Monthly Fees

Research Customer Service Rating

Identify ATM Withdrawal Fees

Compare Special Benefits

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