Prepaid debit cards offer the functionality of a traditional bank debit card without having to open a bank account or agree to a credit check, and there’s a wide variety of cards and issuers to choose from.
Typically, prepaid debit cards don’t have an annual fee, but many charge monthly fees (usually under $10 per month). Alternatively, several cards offer a “pay-as-you-go” option and charge a fee for each transaction instead of charging a monthly fee.
We list the best prepaid debit card options below.
What We Recommend
Many of the features and fees of the cards listed below are similar, but the American Express Bluebird Prepaid card is our top recommendation. This card won’t incur any fees unless you choose to reload it at a retailer other than Walmart (if so, you may pay up to $4 per reload).
The American Express Serve FREE Reloads Prepaid card has the potential to only cost about $7 per month if you sign up for your card online and reload your card at one of the participating retailers on the list.
American Express prepaid cards also have the highest maximum balance limit of any of the cards on our list — $100,000. It’s best to choose a high-limit card if you plan to use the card in place of a bank account or frequently reload the card and accept direct deposits.
All of the cards following the top three on our list have additional fees that may include activation, monthly, and/or transaction fees. Many of the cards listed below also charge for both in-network and out-of-network ATM transactions.
The best card for you will be determined by your individual needs and spending/saving habits.
Note that direct deposit (for payroll checks, tax payments, and government benefits) is one of the main features of prepaid debit cards. All of the cards below offer direct deposit at no charge. For more deposit options, our previous research features the best prepaid debit cards with mobile deposit.
Comparison Table
Use the table below to compare your options, or select any card name to find more details in the list below.
Note that you can sort the table using the arrows at the top of each column.
Card Name | Activation Fee | Monthly Fee | Transaction Fee | Maximum Balance |
---|---|---|---|---|
American Express Bluebird Prepaid | None | None | None | $100,000 |
American Express Serve FREE Reloads Prepaid | Free online; about $4 in stores | About $7 | None | $100,000 |
Paypal Prepaid Mastercard | None | None | None for purchases; $1.95 for ATM | $15,000 |
Western Union Netspend Prepaid | None | About $10 ($5 with $500 in deposits per month) | $1.50 pay-as-you-go | $15,000 |
Mango Prepaid Mastercard | None | $5 (No charge with $800 in direct deposits) | None for purchases; $3 for ATM | $10,000 |
Akimbo Prepaid Mastercard | None | None | $1 per transaction for ATM and PIN | $9,999 |
BB&T (Truist) Prepaid Debit | None | $5 ($3 with $1,000 balance) | None | $10,000 |
Walmart MoneyCard | $6 | Up to $6 (no fee if you load $1,000 per month) | None | $10,000 |
Brinks Prepaid Mastercard | None | About $10 ($5 with $500 in direct deposits) | $1 for signature purchases; $2 for PIN purchases | $15,000 |
Green Dot Prepaid Visa | About $2 | About $8 (no fee if $1,000 per month in deposits) | None in the U.S. | $10,000 |
Load & Go Prepaid Visa | about $4 | None | $1.50 per purchase | $10,000 |
Kroger Prepaid | None; $1.50 to purchase temporary card in store | About $5 | None | $10,000 |
PNC SmartAccess Prepaid Visa | None | About $5 | None | $10,000 |
Vanilla Prepaid Mastercard or Visa | None | None | $0.95 for all purchases; $1.95 for ATM | $9,999.99 |
Fifth Third Bank Access 360 | None | Up to $7 (waived with $500 in deposits monthly) | $2.75 for out-of-network ATMs | $10,000 |
Netspend Prepaid Visa or Mastercard | None | About $10 | None for purchases; $2.50 for ATM | $15,000 |
Control Prepaid Mastercard | None | $8 ($5 with $500 monthly deposits) | None for purchases; $2.95 for ATM | $15,000 |
RushCard Prepaid Visa | None | $6 with direct deposit; $8 without direct deposit | $1 pay-as-you-go; $2.50 out-of-network ATMs | $10,000 |
The List
Our list is in order beginning with the overall best options based on their fees, features, reload availability, and direct deposit policies.
1. American Express Bluebird Prepaid
- Features:
- Activation fee: None[1]
- Reload fee:
- Transaction fee: None[1]
- Monthly fee: None[1]
- Balance limit: $100,000[2]
- Transaction limits:
- $15,000 per month in retail/online purchases and bill payments[2]
- $750 per day in ATM withdrawals[2]
- $2,500 per transaction and per month for Send Money transfers[2]
- $15,000 per month in transfers to a linked bank account[2]
- $2,500 per day and $5,000 per month in cash reloads[2]
- $5,000 per day and $10,000 per month in mobile check captures[2]
- Account requirements:Â Bluebird uses Ingo Money for mobile check deposits, which you can link to your bank account. Money held in Bluebird accounts is eligible for FDIC pass-through-insurance.[3]
- Apply
2. American Express Serve FREE Reloads Prepaid
- Features:
- Activation fee: Free online or about $4 in stores[4]
- Reload fee:
- Transaction fee: None[4]
- Monthly fee: About $7 monthly[4]
- Balance limit: $100,000[5]
- Transaction limits:
- $15,000 per month in retail/online purchases and bill payments[5]
- $750 per day in ATM withdrawals[5]
- $5,000 per day and $10,000 per month in mobile check captures[5]
- $2,500 per day and $5,000 in cash reloads[5]
- $10,000 per month and $100,000 per year for all combined Add Money transactions[5]
- $100,000 per year for direct deposits[5]
- Account requirements: Serve uses Ingo Money for mobile check deposits (requires Debit Account for mobile deposits)[6]
- Apply
3. PayPal Prepaid Mastercard
- Features:
- Activation fee: None[7]
- Reload fee: Up to $4[7]
- Transaction fee:
- Monthly fee: None[7]
- Balance limit: $15,000[8]
- Transaction limits:Â
- Account requirements: Requires PayPal Cash Plus account for mobile deposits[9]
- Apply
4. Western Union Netspend Prepaid Mastercard
- Features:
- Activation fee: None[10]
- Reload fee: About $4[10]
- Transaction fee: $1.50 per transaction[10]
- Monthly fee: About $10 monthly (reduced to $5 if you deposit $500 or more per month)[10]
- Balance limit: $15,000[11]
- Transaction limits:
- Account requirements: Must have active Card Account for direct deposits[12]
- Apply
5. Mango Prepaid
- Features:
- Activation fee: None[13]
- Reload fee: None for Green Dot reloads (third-party fees apply if you reload a different way)[13]
- Transaction fee:
- Monthly fee:
- Balance limit: $10,000[14]
- Transaction limits:
- Account requirements: Card funds are held in an FDIC-insured Card Account[14]
- Apply
6. Akimbo Prepaid
- Features:
- Activation fee: None[15]
- Reload fee: Up to $6[15]
- Transaction fee: $1 each for ATM transactions and PIN purchases[15]
- Monthly fee: None[15]
- Balance limit: $9,999[16]
- Â Transaction limits:
- Account requirements: Akimbo uses Ingo Money for mobile check deposits; must have a Card Account or linked bank accont for mobile/direct deposits[16]
- Apply
7. BB&T (Truist) Prepaid Debit Card
- Features:
- Activation fee: None[17]
- Reload fee: Up to $7[18]
- Transaction fee:Â None[17]
- Monthly fee: $5 monthly (reduced to $3 with $1,000 balance)[17]
- Balance limit: $10,000[17]
- Transaction limits:
- Account requirements: Must have active deposit account for mobile and direct deposits[20]
- Apply
8. Walmart MoneyCard
- Features:
- Activation fee: $6[21]
- Reload fee:
- Transaction fee: None[21]
- Monthly fee: Up to $6 per month (waived if you loaded $1,000 or more in the previous month)[21]
- Balance limit:Â $10,000[22]
- Transaction limits:
- Account requirements: Must have a Green Dot deposit account for deposits[23]
- Apply
Note: Our previous research features more details on the Walmart MoneyCard.
9. Brink’s Money Prepaid Mastercard
- Features:
- Activation fee: None[24]
- Reload fee: $4[24]
- Transaction fee:
- Monthly fee:
- Balance limit: $15,000[25]
- Transaction limits:
- $5,000 per day in pin- and signature-based purchases[25]
- $325 per transaction and $940 per day in ATM withdrawals[25]
- $5,000 per day in over-the-counter cash withdrawals[25]
- $1,500 per day, $2,500 per week, and $3,500 per month in account-to-account transfers[25]
- $7,500 per 24-hour period and $15,000 per 30-day period in reloads[25]
- Account requirements: Must have a Card Account for direct and mobile deposits[26]
- Apply
10. Green Dot Prepaid Visa
- Features:
- Activation fee: About $2[27]
- Reload fee: About $6[27]
- Transaction fee: None for U.S. transactions[27]
- Monthly fee: About $8 monthly (waived if you loaded $1,000 or more in the previous month)[27]
- Balance limit: $10,000[28]
- Transaction limits:
- Account requirements: Must have an active Card Account for deposits[29]
- Apply
11. Green Dot Load & Go Prepaid Visa
- Features:
- Activation fee: About $4[30]
- Reload fee: Up to $6[30]
- Transaction fee: $1.50 per purchase[30]
- Monthly fee: None[30]
- Balance limit: $10,000[31]
- Transaction limits:
- Account requirements: Must have active Card Account for deposits[31]
- Apply
12. Kroger Prepaid
- Features:
- Activation fee: None, though there is a $1.50 charge if you purchase a temporary card in-store[32]
- Reload fee: Up to $5[32]
- Transaction fee: None[32]
- Monthly fee: About $5 monthly[32]
- Balance limit: $10,000[33][34]
- Transaction limits:
- Account requirements:Â Kroger uses Ingo Money for mobile check deposits[35]
- Apply
13. PNC SmartAccess Prepaid Visa
- Features:
- Activation fee: None[36]
- Reload fee: Up to $4[36]
- Transaction fee: None[36]
- Monthly fee: $5[36]
- Balance limit: $10,000[37]
- Transaction limits:
- $5,000 per day and $10,000 per 30-day period in total deposits and reloads[37]
- Account requirements: Must be linked to active PNC deposit account[36]
- Apply
14. Vanilla Prepaid Mastercard or Visa
- Features: No annual fees[38]
- Activation fee: None[38]
- Reload fee: About $4[39]
- Transaction fee:
- Monthly fee: None for active accounts; $4 if account is inactive for 90 days[38]
- Balance limit:Â $9,999.99[40][41]
- Transaction limits:
- Account requirements:Â MyVanilla uses Ingo Money for mobile check deposits[38]
- Apply
15. Fifth Third Bank Access 360
- Features:
- Activation fee: None[43]
- Reload fee: None[43]
- Transaction fee: $2.75 for out-of-network ATMs[43]
- Monthly fee: Up to $7 (waived with $500 or more deposit per month)[43]
- Balance limit: $10,000[44]
- Transaction limits:
- Account requirements: Must be linked to active Fifth Third deposit account[43]
- Apply
16. Netspend Prepaid Visa or Mastercard
- Features:
- Activation fee: None[46]
- Reload fee: About $4[46]
- Transaction fee:
- Monthly fee: About $10 monthly ($6 fee after 90 days of inactivity)[46]
- Balance limit: $15,000[47][48]
- Â Transaction limits:
- Account requirements: Netspend uses Ingo Money for mobile check deposits; must have an active Card Account for deposits[46]
- Apply
17. Control Prepaid Mastercard
- Features:
- Activation fee: None[49]
- Reload fee: $4[49]
- Transaction fee:
- Monthly fee: $8 (reduced to $5 with $500 monthly deposits)[49]
- Balance limit: $15,000[50]
- Transaction limits:
- Account requirements: Must have Card Account to access all features[51]
- Apply