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+ Summary: Best prepaid debit cards

• Bluebird past American Express : Cheapest.

• Movo Virtual Prepaid Visa : Cheapest.

• Fifth Third Admission 360° Reloadable Prepaid Menu : All-time for ATM withdrawals.

• FamZoo Prepaid Carte : All-time for parents.

• Greenlight Prepaid Mastercard : All-time for parents.

• Walmart MoneyCard : Best for shopping at Walmart.

• Chinkle : Best cheap prepaid alternative.

What are prepaid debit cards?

A prepaid debit card can serve as a budgeting tool or an all-out replacement for a bank account — and the best prepaid cards offering convenience while charging few fees.

Prepaid cards are easy to become. There's no credit check, and they're oft available even if you can't become a bank account because of a bad cyberbanking history. Dissimilar with a credit bill of fare, you load funds onto prepaid cards earlier employ.

Some companies too offer mobile-optimized banking accounts that don't require a squeaky-clean cyberbanking or credit history — and they often cost less than prepaid cards. Skip ahead to read virtually these low-fee alternatives.

Prepaid debit cards vs. regular debit cards

You don't demand a banking concern account to go a prepaid debit card, but it'southward a requirement for a regular debit carte, which is linked to your checking business relationship. For prepaid debit cards, you load the carte with money when yous become it, and so use information technology to make purchases. For regular debit cards, the funds for your payments are taken directly from your checking account as you make payments.

Nerdy tip: If you need to build credit or have been denied a bank account, a prepaid debit card might not be the best option: Secured credit cards help build credit , and if you tin can't get a regular checking account, try second risk checking . These accounts provide another shot at mainstream banking and its perks.

Why trust NerdWallet: Our writers and editors follow strict editorial guidelines to make sure our coverage is fair and accurate, so you can cull the financial accounts that piece of work best for you. See our criteria for evaluating banks and credit unions .

Here are our acme prepaid debit cards based on fees and features. Scroll downwardly for more detail on each account.

CHEAPEST
NerdWallet rating Read review	Bluebird by American Express No monthly fees Gratuitous ATM network Great budgeting features
	Movo Virtual Prepaid Visa Carte du jour No monthly fees Instant transfers betwixt cards
BEST FOR ATM WITHDRAWALS
NerdWallet rating Read review	Fifth Third Access 360° Reloadable Prepaid Card One of the biggest free ATM networks among prepaid cards $4 monthly fee that'due south piece of cake to waive
BEST FOR PARENTS
	FamZoo Multiple subaccounts for kids Costs $ii.50-$5.99 per month
	Greenlight Subaccounts for kids Store-specific spending controls Monthly fee from $4.99
All-time FOR SHOPPING AT WALMART
	Walmart MoneyCard three% greenbacks back at Walmart.com and in the Walmart app and other cash back rewards Multiple subaccounts for family members 2% APY on upwards to $i,000 in savings account
Best ALTERNATIVES TO PREPAID
NerdWallet rating Learn More than at Chime, Deposits are FDIC Insured	Chime No monthly fees Has a savings component

Bluebird by American Express

Cheapest

Bluebird , issued past American Express and in partnership with Walmart, offers more than the average prepaid debit menu, and you can load and spend money without paying fees.

Merely Bluebird does accept limits when it comes to merchant acceptance, and information technology doesn't allow cash back at retailers.

• General fees and features: No monthly fees and no costs for online activation or inactivity.

• Purchases: No fees.

• ATM withdrawals: Free at ATMs in the MoneyPass network; $2.l fee at other ATMs, plus any ATM operator fee.

• Reload methods: Straight deposit, debit menu transfer, bill of fare-to-card transfer, mobile check deposit (with a third-political party fee for instant processing), greenbacks load at Walmart or other stores. (Retailers other than Walmart may accuse up to $iii.95.)

• Other features: Check writing, split up "set-aside" accounts for savings and upward to iv subaccounts for family members.

• Downsides: No cash dorsum at retailers. The card is issued by American Express, which isn't accustomed everywhere that Visa and Mastercard are.

Movo Virtual Prepaid Visa Card

cheapest

Nearly prepaid debit cards either charge you each month or each time you brand a purchase, merely the Movo Virtual Prepaid Card does neither. The exception is if you go more than iii months without action; and then a $4.95 inactivity fee is charged per calendar month until at that place's activity. A "virtual" element lets you buy things online, and you can request a physical menu for in-person purchases, ATM withdrawals and cash dorsum at retailers.

• General fees and features: No monthly fees and no costs for activation; $4.95 inactivity fee.

• Purchases: No fees.

• ATM withdrawals: $2 at ATMs in the Visa Plus Alliance network; additional operator fees may utilize at out-of-network ATMs.

• Reload methods: Directly eolith; banking company business relationship transfer; instant card-to-card transfer; mobile check eolith (with a tertiary-party fee for instant processing); greenbacks load at retailers with Visa ReadyLink, MoneyPak and Reload @ Register locations, such every bit Walgreens or Safeway (for a fee set past the retailer).

• Other services: Online bill payments are free. For a fee, you can besides create one-time secondary virtual cards ("Greenbacks Cards") with their ain carte numbers. These cards tin can protect your main business relationship number during transactions. Movo can be used with Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay.

• Downsides: Free ways to reload the carte, such as banking concern transfers, tin accept upwardly to five business organisation days; no complimentary ATM network.

» Looking for a traditional spending account?  Check out NerdWallet's best free checking  accounts.

Fifth 3rd Access 360° Reloadable Prepaid Card

All-time for ATM withdrawals

Fifth Third's Access 360° prepaid debit card takes part in Allpoint'due south massive U.S. network and has access to over 50,000 ATMs. This bill of fare is available in the xi states where at that place are Fifth 3rd branches, which is the only place you lot can become the card.

• General fees and features: $4 monthly fee that's waived if you have $500 or more in deposits monthly or a Fifth Third checking business relationship; no costs for activation or inactivity.

• Purchases: No fees.

• ATM withdrawals: Complimentary at Fifth Third ATMs and ATMs in the Allpoint ATM network; costless at Presto! ATMs inside Publix stores and at 7-Eleven ATMs listed on the banking company's website or mobile app; $ii.75 fee at other ATMs, plus any ATM operator fees.

• Reload methods: Direct deposit, bank transfer, greenbacks load at 5th Third branch or ATM.

• Other services: Card can take joint owners.

• Downsides: There'southward no access to a nationwide retail network for calculation greenbacks; the card's non available in every state; and the card doesn't have a separate savings feature.

FamZoo Prepaid Card

best for PARENTS

FamZoo is a family-friendly prepaid Mastercard that lets parents go virtual bankers for their kids, even those younger than xiii. Four cards tin be office of ane monthly programme, only more can exist added for a onetime $iii fee per card. From the website or app, y'all can send allowances, dissever payments, see balances and activity beyond all cards and set up up text and email alerts.

• General fees and features: You can prepay $59.99 for 2 years of FamZoo — that works out to $ii.fifty per month. Other prepayment plans as well offer a discount. The fee is $five.99 for a monthly subscription; no costs for activation or inactivity.

• Purchases: No fees.

• ATM withdrawals: No charge from FamZoo, simply ATM operator fees can apply.

• Reload methods: Direct deposit; depository financial institution transfer; PayPal transfer; PopMoney transfer (for a fee); add cash at retailers like seven-Xi and Walgreens that participate in the Reload @ the Register, MoneyPak and Mastercard rePower networks (up to $6 retail fee).

• Other services: Multiple accounts nether one plan, free and instant FamZoo carte-to-carte transfers, power to lock and unlock FamZoo cards, budgeting tools.

• Downsides: Not function of whatsoever ATM network; maximum monthly fee is higher than average; no mobile check deposit characteristic.

Greenlight Prepaid Mastercard

best for PARENTS

Greenlight stands out for a characteristic that other prepaid cards lack: store-specific spending controls. Parents can preapprove where their kids spend money, then $300 earmarked for schoolhouse supplies tin can simply be spent at a campus bookstore, for example. The prepaid card too offers real-time activity alerts, free bill of fare-to-bill of fare transfers for allowances and the ability to remotely lock lost cards.

A Greenlight account tin have upwardly to 5 subaccounts, then it works for a family. Given low purchase and withdrawal limits, it's best as a family budgeting tool instead of a depository financial institution business relationship replacement.

• Full general fees and features: $iv.99 to $9.98 per calendar month, depending on selected plan (more than expensive plans include features like investing didactics and identity theft protection); no costs for activation, inactivity or business relationship closure.

• Purchases: No fees.

• ATM withdrawals: No fees from Greenlight, but ATM operator fees may utilise.

• Reload methods: Direct deposit, debit menu transfer, bank transfer.

• Other services: Upwards to five subaccounts, no international ATM withdrawal fee.

• Downsides: No checks or cash can exist deposited; the daily buy maximum per family unit account is $1,000 and daily ATM withdrawal limit is $100, which are much lower than average for prepaid cards.

Walmart MoneyCard

BEST FOR SHOPPING AT WALMART

The Walmart MoneyCard offers its shoppers up to $75 per twelvemonth in cash-back rewards: iii% for purchases made at Walmart.com and in the Walmart app, 2% at Walmart fuel stations and one% at Walmart stores. The app, which gets decent ratings, is required to get fee-free cash reloads at Walmart stores. Walmart MoneyCenters and Client Service desks also offer fee-costless cash withdrawals.

This prepaid, reloadable card is family-friendly. Y'all can order an account for free for up to four additional people who are at least 13 years erstwhile. The Walmart MoneyCard offers a gratuitous "Vault" savings characteristic. Savings will earn 2% APY on upwards to $1,000 on the card enrollment anniversary.

Because information technology's not role of an ATM network, y'all'll pay $2.50 for ATM withdrawals in improver to any operator fees.

• General fees and features: $five.94 monthly fee waived with a monthly deposit of at to the lowest degree $1,000; $ane starter card purchase fee if purchased in store; no inactivity fees.

• Purchases: No fees.

• ATM withdrawals: $2.50 fee, plus whatsoever operator fees.

• Reload methods: Gratis from your existing bank business relationship; costless to add greenbacks via the Walmart MoneyCard app at Walmart stores; gratis mobile cheque deposit; free to add funds from checks cashed at Walmart stores; otherwise, $3 to reload cash at a Walmart store; up to $v.95 to reload elsewhere.

• Other services: Up to four free additional accounts; savings account with 2% APY for outset $1,000, and chances to win monthly greenbacks prizes; pick to lock and unlock your card via the app; text and electronic mail alerts.

• Downsides: Fee to use ATMs; limited methods for reloading funds.

Earn more with the all-time savings accounts

Find out which accounts pay more and aid yous build your savings faster.

Low-fee alternatives to prepaid cards

The difference between prepaid debit cards and checking accounts is starting to blur, equally many have similar features and services.

Mobile-optimized cyberbanking accounts fit in this middle ground — like most prepaid debit cards, many accept no credit check; unlike prepaid cards, many are linked to a banking concern account.

Chinkle

TOP Culling TO PREPAID

at Chime, Deposits are FDIC Insured

Chime isn't a prepaid debit carte du jour or a traditional bank account only a free "spending account" in the Visa payment network. This account has many of the same functions as a checking account, but it doesn't come up with paper checks. Through the app, though, you can request that checks be mailed to a recipient, even yourself, for free.

Yous tin too open a linked Chime savings business relationship and gear up automatic transfers.

• General fees and features: No monthly fee and no costs for activation or inactivity; no credit check. Cash withdrawal and third-party fees may apply.

• Purchases: No additional charge.

• ATM withdrawals: Free at over 60,000 ATMs in the Allpoint, MoneyPass and Visa Plus Brotherhood ATM networks; $2.fifty at other ATMs, plus whatever ATM operator fee. Cash withdrawal and third-party fees may use.

• Eolith methods: Complimentary through directly deposit, bank transfer and mobile bank check deposit; add together cash at retailers in the Reload @ the Register network (upwards to $5 retailer fee).

• Other services: Optional savings business relationship. Chime has two automatic savings programs: i where a percentage of every paycheck automatically goes into the savings business relationship and the other where your purchases are rounded upwards to the nearest dollar and the rounded-up change goes to savings (see below for more than data from Chime). Yous can also receive instant transaction alerts and lock your debit card if you lose it. Notation that a Chime Spending Account is required to open a savings business relationship.

• Downsides: The out-of-network ATM fee.

Chime says: "Chime is a financial engineering company, not a bank. Banking services provided by, and debit bill of fare issued by, The Bancorp Bank or Footstep Bank, N.A.; Members FDIC."

See more information from Chime

Chime says: "Round Ups automatically round up debit card purchases to the nearest dollar and transfers the round up from your Chime Spending Account to into your savings account. Save When I Get Paid automatically transfers 10% of your straight deposits of $500 or more from your Spending Business relationship into your savings account."

Best prepaid debit cards and alternatives: Summary

Account/card	Monthly fee	# of complimentary ATMs
Bluebird past American Express	$0	thirty,000+
Chinkle account	$0	60,000+
FamZoo Prepaid Card	$2.fifty to $4.33 if prepaid; $five.99 if billed	None
Fifth 3rd Access 360° Reloadable Prepaid Carte	$0-$4	50,000+
Greenlight Prepaid Mastercard	$4.99 to $9.98	None
Movo Virtual Prepaid Visa Card	$0	None
Walmart MoneyCard	$0-$5.94	None

METHODOLOGY

Nosotros looked at xl reloadable prepaid debit cards offered by some of the biggest banks, credit unions and prepaid debit card issuers. Where multiple card plans existed, but the basic monthly fee programme was considered.

We analyzed four categories for each carte: general fees and features, purchases and withdrawals, reload fees and options, and other services such equally neb pay and savings accounts. The cards that made this list had the all-time combination of these categories. Some cards in this roundup accept nonbank program managers that partner with banks. Regardless, all the cards' issuers are banks that insure consumers' money through the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. No cards higher up have overdraft fees.

ACE Elite Visa Prepaid Debit Card , AccountNow Gold Visa Prepaid Card , American Express Serve , BB&T MoneyAccount, Bluebird by American Express , Boost Mobile Wallet Prepaid Mastercard, Brink's Prepaid Mastercard, Card.com Prepaid Card, CashPass Prepaid Mastercard, Commerce Banking company mySpending Carte du jour, Control Prepaid Mastercard, Exact Prepaid Mastercard, FamZoo Prepaid Bill of fare, Fancard, FasterMoney, Fifth Third Access 360° Reloadable Prepaid Card, Fred Meyer Prepaid Menu, Green Dot Prepaid Visa Card , Greenlight Prepaid Mastercard, H&R Block Emerald Prepaid Mastercard, Mango Visa Prepaid Card, MOVO Virtual Prepaid Visa Card, MyVanilla Prepaid Card, Netspend Visa Prepaid Card , NexsCard Visa Prepaid Carte du jour, Opt+ Prepaid Visa Card, PayPal Prepaid Mastercard , PNC SmartAccess Prepaid Visa Card, Regions At present Visa Prepaid Card, RushCard Prepaid Visa Carte du jour , Starbucks Rewards Visa Prepaid Card, TD Connect Reloadable Prepaid Visa Bill of fare, Walmart MoneyCard , Western Union Netspend Prepaid Carte du jour.

We also looked at three culling, or non-traditional, accounts from financial institutions: Chinkle , GoBank , Moven .

What the ratings mean:

— Among the very best

— Very good; only minor caveats for most customers

— Good; issues that might make a departure to some customers

— Fair; make sure strengths and weaknesses are a skilful match for you

— Poor; go along with smashing caution

(or below) — All-time to avoid

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Source: https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/banking/best-prepaid-debit-cards

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