6 Best Prepaid Debit Cards

A prepaid debit card can serve as a budgeting tool or an all-out replacement for a bank account. No prepaid card is completely fee-free, but the best prepaid cards offer convenience while charging few fees.

Dozens of prepaid debit cards are available, but not all are worth using. We’ve rounded up the best ones, none of which charge a fee for customer support phone calls (which some other cards do).

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Here are our top prepaid debit cards based on fees and features.

Bluebird, issued by American Express, offers more than the average prepaid debit card, and you can load and spend money without paying fees.

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

• ATM withdrawals: No-fee access to about 40,000 MoneyPass network ATMs; $2.50 fee at other ATMs, plus any ATM operator fee.

• Reload methods: Direct deposit, debit card transfer, card-to-card transfer, mobile check deposit (with a third-party fee for instant processing), cash load at Family Dollar, Walmart or other stores. (Retailers other than Family Dollar may charge up to $3.95.)

• Other services: Separate “set aside” accounts for savings and up to four subaccounts for family members.

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

The Serve Prepaid Debit card, issued by American Express, offers a vast ATM network with no-fee withdrawals and an extensive, no-fee cash reload network.

As an American Express card, Serve has limits when it comes to the number of places it’s accepted, and it doesn’t allow cash back at retailers.

• General fees and features: $6.95 monthly fee (though the fee is waived in several states); no fees for online activation or inactivity.

• ATM withdrawals: No fee at about 40,000 MoneyPass network ATMs; $2.50 fee at other ATMs, plus any ATM operator fee.

• Reload methods: Direct deposit, checking or savings account, from one Serve card to another, debit or credit card transfer, mobile check deposit (with a third-party fee for instant processing), cash loading at more than 45,000 locations such as CVS, Dollar General, Family Dollar, Rite Aid, Walmart and some 7-Eleven stores (other retailers may charge up to $3.95).

• Other services: Purchase protection, emergency assistance and subaccounts available.

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

The ONE VIP prepaid debit card rewards cardholders for spending with certain merchants and Black-owned businesses and on certain subscription services, and provides the opportunity to use rewards to either get cash back or make charitable donations.

The monthly fee is higher than average but can be lowered with direct deposit, and the rewards and unique features could make the card worth it for some.

• General fees and features: $4.95 monthly fee with direct deposit or $7.95 without direct deposit; no fees for online activation or inactivity.

• ATM withdrawals: $2.95 per withdrawal, plus any ATM operator fee.

• Reload methods: Direct deposit, mobile check deposit (with a third-party fee for instant processing), bank account, cash loading at certain merchant locations (merchants may charge a fee).

• Other services: Rewards for spending with certain merchants, online retailers and subscription services, including Black-owned businesses; reward redemption options include cash back and charitable donations.

• Downsides: No free ATM network or free cash loading.

FamZoo is a family-friendly prepaid Mastercard that provides a way for parents to give their kids a debit card that the parents can control. Even children younger than 13 can get a card to use. Four cards are free on the monthly plan, but more can be added for a one-time $3 fee per card. From the website or app, you can send allowances, split payments, see balances and activity across all cards, and set up text and email alerts.

• General fees and features: You can prepay $59.99 for two years of FamZoo — that works out to $2.50 per month. Other prepayment plans also offer a discount. If you don’t prepay, the fee is $5.99 for a monthly subscription. There are no costs for activation or inactivity.

• ATM withdrawals: No charge from FamZoo, but ATM withdrawals will still cost you: Since FamZoo doesn’t have any of its own ATMs, third-party ATM operator fees can apply.

• Reload methods: Direct deposit; bank transfer; PayPal, Apple Pay, Venmo and Cash App transfer; add cash at retailers like 7-Eleven and Walgreens that participate in the Reload @ the Register and Mastercard rePower networks (about $5 retail fee).

• Other services: Multiple accounts under one plan, free and instant FamZoo card-to-card transfers, ability to lock (to prevent spending and card-to-card transfers) and unlock FamZoo cards, budgeting tools.

• Downsides: No free ATM network; maximum monthly fee is higher than average for cards that don’t charge a per-purchase fee; no mobile check deposit feature.

Greenlight stands out for a feature that other prepaid cards lack: store-specific spending controls. Parents can preapprove where their kids spend money, so $300 earmarked for school supplies can only be spent at a campus bookstore, for example. The prepaid card also offers real-time activity alerts, free card-to-card transfers for allowances and the ability to remotely lock lost cards.

A Greenlight account can have up to five subaccounts, so it works for a family. Given low purchase and withdrawal limits, it’s best as a family budgeting tool instead of a bank account replacement.

• General fees and features: $4.99 to $9.98 per month, depending on selected plan (more expensive plans include features like investing education and identity theft protection); no costs for activation, inactivity or account closure.

• ATM withdrawals: No fees from Greenlight, but ATM withdrawals will cost you: Since Greenlight doesn’t have any of its own ATMs, third-party ATM operator fees may apply.

• Reload methods: Direct deposit, debit card transfer, bank transfer, transfer from Invest Account (if applicable).

• Other services: Up to five subaccounts, no international ATM withdrawal fee (though ATM operator may charge a fee).

• Downsides: No checks or cash can be deposited; no free ATM network; the daily ATM withdrawal limit is $100, a fraction of the average limit for prepaid cards.

The Walmart MoneyCard offers its shoppers up to $75 per year in cash-back rewards: 3% for purchases made at Walmart.com and in the Walmart app, 2% at Walmart fuel stations and 1% at Walmart stores. The app, which gets decent ratings, is required to get fee-free cash reloads at Walmart stores. Walmart MoneyCenters and Customer Service desks also offer fee-free cash withdrawals. Among the best prepaid debit cards on this list that charge a monthly fee, only the Walmart MoneyCard offers the option to have the fee completely waived.

This prepaid, reloadable card is family-friendly. You can order an account for free for up to four additional people who are at least 13 years old. The Walmart MoneyCard offers a free “Vault” savings feature. On the card enrollment anniversary, savings will earn 2% APY (compounded annually) on up to $1,000.

Because it’s not part of an ATM network, you’ll pay $2.50 for ATM withdrawals in addition to any operator fees.

• General fees and features: $5.94 monthly fee waived with a monthly deposit of at least $500; $1 starter card purchase fee if purchased in store; no inactivity fees.

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

• Reload methods: Add cash at Walmart stores using the Walmart MoneyCard app; mobile check deposit; add funds from checks cashed at Walmart stores; $3 to reload cash at a Walmart store; up to $5.95 to reload elsewhere.

• Other services: Up to four free additional accounts; savings account with 2% APY for first $1,000; option to lock and unlock your card using the app; text and email alerts.

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

If you’re considering a prepaid debit card because you have a less-than-great bank account history, consider a second

chance checking account. These give you an opportunity to have a bank account, even if you’ve been rejected by banks because of past issues such as having an account closed due to unpaid overdraft fees or other problems.

Chime says: “Chime is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided by The Bancorp Bank, N.A. or Stride Bank, N.A., Members FDIC.”

Prepaid cards are a tool you can use to help you stay within budget or even as an alternative to a bank account. Unlike with credit cards, you load funds onto prepaid cards before use.

Prepaid cards are easy to get. They’re sold at retail stores (usually for a fee) and some can be ordered online. There’s no credit check, and they’re often available even if you can’t get a bank account because of a bad banking history.

Some companies also offer mobile-optimized banking accounts that don’t require a squeaky-clean banking or credit history — and they often cost less than prepaid cards.

You don’t need a bank account to get a prepaid debit card, but it’s a requirement for a regular debit card, which is linked to a checking account. When you get a prepaid debit card, you load the card with money, then use it to make purchases. With regular debit cards, the funds for your payments are taken directly from your checking account as you make purchases.

Here are answers to common questions about prepaid debit cards.

A prepaid debit card can serve as a budgeting tool or be a replacement for a bank account. The best prepaid cards offer convenience and don’t charge many fees.

There’s no credit check required to get prepaid cards, and they’re often available even if you can’t get a bank account because of a bad banking history. You load funds onto prepaid cards before using them for purchases. Generally, you can also use a prepaid debit card to withdraw cash from ATMs.

Prepaid cards are sold at retail stores (usually for a fee) and some can be ordered online.

The methods for adding money to a prepaid card vary from card to card. But generally, the options include adding cash at a retail register (often for a fee), adding funds using an app to make a mobile check deposit, and by direct deposit, card-to-card transfer or bank transfer.

We looked at 36 reloadable prepaid debit cards offered by some of the biggest banks, credit unions and prepaid debit card issuers. Where multiple card plans existed, only the basic monthly fee plan was considered.

We analyzed four categories for each card: general fees and features, purchases and withdrawals, reload fees and options, and other services such as bill pay and savings accounts. The cards that made this list had the best combination of these categories. Some cards in this roundup have 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 above have overdraft fees.