The 5 best prepaid debit cards of 2021

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The best prepaid debit cards of 2021

Prepaid debit card	Standout feature	Monthly fee	Next steps
	Free reloads	$6.95	American Express® Serve® Prepaid Debit Account
	Cash back	$7.95	American Express® Cash Back Serve Prepaid Debit Card
	Low fees	None	Bluebird by American Express Prepaid Debit Card
	Good for families	$2.50 to $5.99	Open a card
	Low fees	None	Open a card

A prepaid debit card is a good tool if you don’t have a checking account but don’t want to carry around cash. It can also be useful if you have kids, and you want to teach them about money and monitor what they spend.

A good prepaid debit card should be affordable. This means it should be free or low-cost to register for a card and to reload the card with more money. Ideally, the monthly fees are low, there’s a free ATM network, and you don’t pay a fee each time you use the card.

Learn more about our top picks

Sign-up fee	None online, $3.95 in person
Monthly service fee	$6.95
Reload fee	None
No. of free ATMs	30,000

American Express® Serve® Free Reloads Prepaid Debit Account

Why it stands out: You can reload your American Express® Serve® Free Reloads Prepaid Debit Account for free at over 45,000 places nationwide, including businesses like CVS, Walmart, and Dollar General. It’s also free to add money from a bank account or via direct deposit.

Look out for: Monthly fee. This card charges a $6.95 monthly service fee, and there’s no way to waive it. (Fees are not charged for residents of New York, Texas, or Vermont, though.) Before choosing Amex Serve FREE Reloads over another prepaid debit card, check whether you’d actually be saving money by avoiding reload fees but paying a monthly fee.

Sign-up fee	None online, $3.95 in person
Monthly service fee	$7.95 (none in NY, TX, VT)
Reload fee	Up to $3.95
No. of free ATMs	30,000

American Express® Cash Back Serve Prepaid Debit Card

Why it stands out: Earn 1% cash back on an unlimited amount in purchases, and the money will go back into your Serve account. If you set up direct deposits onto your card, you may be able to receive your paycheck up to two days early.

Look out for: Monthly fee. American Express charges a $7.95 monthly service fee, and there’s no way to waive it. (Fees are not charged for residents of New York, Texas, or Vermont, though.) You’ll have to spend at least $795 per month to earn $7.95 in cash back and cancel out the monthly fee.

Sign-up fee	None
Monthly service fee	None
Reload fee	Up to $3.95
No. of free ATMs	30,000

Bluebird by American Express Prepaid Debit Card

Why it stands out: There’s no fee to open a Bluebird by American Express Prepaid Debit Card, and there are no monthly service fees. You may have to pay up to $3.95 to reload your card at certain retailers, but you can reload for free at Walmart. You can also use over 30,000 MoneyPass ATMs for free around the US.

If you set up direct deposits, your paycheck could appear on your card up to two days early. The Bluebird card also gives you access to roadside assistance.

Look out for: Mobile check deposits. If you deposit a check with your mobile app, it takes 10 days to process. To deposit the check immediately, you’ll pay 1% on a government check or paycheck and 5% on other checks, with a $5 minimum fee.

Sign-up fee	None for the first 4 cards, $2 for each additional card
Monthly service fee	$2.50 to $5.99
Reload fee	Up to $4.95
No. of free ATMs	30,000

Famzoo Prepaid Debit Card

Why it stands out: The Famzoo Prepaid Debit Card is a good option if you want to help manage your kids’ money without adding them to your bank account. Assign each kid a card and put money for allowance, birthday gifts, or money for other purposes onto their cards. You can also track each card’s balance and purchases from your app, as well as lock cards.

The family plan is $5.99 per month, or $2.50 per month if you pay upfront.

Look out for: Monthly fee. You can lower your overall costs by paying in advance rather than monthly, but you can’t waive the fee altogether.

Sign-up fee	None
Monthly service fee	None
Reload fee	None, but a retailer may charge you
No. of free ATMs	None

Movo

Why it stands out: There’s no fee to sign up for a Movo, and the company doesn’t impose a monthly fee. It also doesn’t charge you for reloading your card, although the third party where you reload the card may charge you.

Look out for: No free ATM network. You’ll pay a $2 fee when you use a Visa Plus or Visa Plus Alliance ATM, and you may have to pay more fees if you use machines in other networks.

Other prepaid debit cards we considered that didn’t make the cut

Here are some other prepaid debit cards we looked at and our reasoning for not choosing them as our favorites:

• Walmart MoneyCard: This is a good option if you shop at Walmart frequently, because you’ll earn cash back – but cash back is limited to $75 per year.
• Fifth Third Access 360 Reloadable Prepaid Card You might like this card if you live near a Fifth Third branch, but branches only exist in 10 US states.
• Wells Fargo EasyPay Prepaid Card: This card is a decent option if you live near a Wells Fargo branch and ATM, but there’s a $5 non-waivable monthly service fee.
• Greenlight Prepaid Debit Card: This is another worthwhile option for families, but there’s no way to deposit cash, and there isn’t a free ATM network.
• Netspend Prepaid Debit Card: You can receive your paycheck early with Netspend, but its fees are higher than what you’ll pay with our top picks.
• Starbucks Rewards Prepaid Card: Purchases will earn you Starbucks rewards, but you can’t make ATM withdrawals with this card.

Are these companies trustworthy?

Normally, we compare companies’ Better Business Bureau trustworthiness grades. But not all of our favorite prepaid debit card companies have been graded by the BBB, so we aren’t factoring scores into our trustworthiness review.

None of these companies have any recent scandals, so you may decide you feel comfortable using them. But to figure out whether you’ll have a smooth relationship with a company, you may want to ask family or friends about their experiences or read online reviews.

Methodology

We looked at a dozen prepaid debit cards before selecting our favorites. We chose cards that were useful for a large number of people. (For example, we didn’t pick the Starbucks Rewards Prepaid Card because you have to frequently shop at Starbucks to get the most out of the card.)

We chose prepaid cards that are relatively easy to use. You should be able to use a card at ATMs and have several convenient options for reloading money onto the card. If a prepaid debit card had a special perk like cash back or a budgeting feature, we took that into consideration, too.

Finally, we picked cards that are relatively affordable. Almost every prepaid card comes with some fees, but we chose ones that are pretty manageable. We looked at monthly service fees and charges for signing up for a card, reloading money, and using an ATM.

Frequently asked questions

What’s a prepaid debit card?

With a prepaid debit card, you load money onto a card and use it to spend money. For example, if you put $1,000 on the card, you can spend up to $1,000 before your transaction is denied due to lack of funds.

There are several ways to reload the card with more money. Most companies let you put cash on the card at places like Walmart, or you can deposit a check at an ATM and have the funds go onto the card. Some allow you to set up direct deposits so funds from your paycheck can go directly onto the card. Certain companies even allow you to link your prepaid debit card to a checking account so you can transfer funds.

It sometimes costs a fee to reload your card. Fees vary by company, and some have free options.

You don’t need a bank account to use a prepaid debit card, but you do need a bank account for a regular debit card.

How is a prepaid debit card different from a regular debit or credit card?

A prepaid debit card is similar to a regular debit card, but there are some key differences. A regular debit card is attached to a checking account, but you don’t need a checking account to have a prepaid card. For this reason, a prepaid card can be useful for people who don’t have bank accounts but still receive cash or checks.

Unlike a credit card, a prepaid debit card doesn’t usually require a credit check to qualify. If a company does require a credit check, it’s a soft inquiry, which doesn’t affect your score. This also means getting a prepaid card won’t affect your credit score one way or another.

With a credit card, you charge money to the card and pay it off later. A prepaid debit card spends the money you’ve already loaded onto the card, so you don’t have to worry about any payments down the road.

How do you get a prepaid debit card?

You can usually order a prepaid debit card online. But if you need access to a card immediately, you can visit a retailer – such as Walmart, CVS, or Kroger – and get one.

What are the pros and cons of prepaid debit cards?

A prepaid debit card might be the right fit for you, just be aware of the tradeoffs and limitations.

Are there any good alternatives to prepaid debit cards?

Online checking accounts are worthwhile alternatives to prepaid cards, as long as you’re comfortable banking digitally.

Many online banks don’t charge you for signing up, and there are no monthly fees. Most have free ATM networks, and unlike with some prepaid debit cards like Netspend, you won’t pay a fee each time you swipe your card.

Opening an online checking account can also help you get a foot in the door at banks that offer other products, such as high-yield savings accounts and loans.

Here are some online banks and banking platforms that don’t require any money to get started and don’t charge monthly fees:

• Ally
• Axos
• Capital One 360
• Chime
• Discover
• Varo Varo Checking Account

Online banks are just as safe as brick-and-mortar banks, as long as they have FDIC insurance. (All the banks listed above do have insurance. Chime is a banking platform, and your deposits are insured by its partner bank.) But if you don’t want to bank online, you may decide a prepaid debit card is a better fit.

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