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09/22/2019
The (Mostly) Bad News About Prepaid Cards
The Ascent
Make sure you fully understand the fees before you get a prepaid card, as it might not be your best option.
There seems to be a prepaid card for everything. There are gift cards, transit cards, phone cards, and retail cards -- just to name a few. The big player in the bunch is the prepaid credit card. The term prepaid credit card is actually a misnomer, given that no one grants you credit when you purchase a prepaid card.
If you were to glance at a prepaid card, chances are you wouldn’t be able to tell it apart from an ordinary, bank-issued credit card. There is, however, a world of difference between the two.
Prepaid cards work like a bank debit card. Each time a purchase is made, the amount is withdrawn from your balance. However, unlike a debit card, a prepaid card is not tied to your bank account.
In fact, many people who use prepaid cards do so because they don’t have a bank account. Instead, they sign up for a card online or pick one up at a retail store, "load" it with cash, and use it to make purchases. Each purchase decreases the amount of money left on the card.
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