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.

Best Prepaid Debit Cards

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).

Why trust NerdWallet: Our writers and editors follow strict editorial guidelines to make sure our coverage is fair and accurate, so you can choose the financial accounts that work best for you.

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

Bluebird by American Express

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

But Bluebird is slightly more limited when it comes to the number of places it’s accepted, and it doesn’t allow cash back at retailers.

» Learn more about how prepaid debit cards work

Serve American Express Prepaid Debit Account

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.

ONE VIP Visa Prepaid Card

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.

» Related: Learn where to find Black-owned banks and credit unions

FamZoo Prepaid Card

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.

» Want a traditional spending account? Check out NerdWallet’s best free checking accounts

Greenlight Prepaid Mastercard

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.

Walmart MoneyCard

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.

» Want to build your savings faster? See our list of the best savings accounts

Low-fee alternatives to prepaid cards

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

This is especially true for mobile-optimized banking accounts: Like most prepaid debit cards, many require no credit check. There are also some that don't check your bank account history; unlike prepaid cards, mobile-optimized banking accounts come with some extra perks, such as advanced savings features, bigger ATM networks and check-writing privileges.

Chime®, for example, offers a free spending account in the Visa payment network, free access to a large ATM network and a number of ways to add cash to the account, including at retailers such as 7-Eleven and Walmart (the retailer may charge a fee) or at Walgreens for free.

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.

» Blocked from getting a bank account? Here’s what you need to know about ChexSystems

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-like options from fintechs: Apple Cash and Cash App

Here are a couple more prepaid debit card options, from financial technology companies.

Apple Cash: digital card

Apple offers Apple Cash, a digital card used to send and receive money from others in the Messages app, or to fund other Apple Pay transactions at stores and online. Apple Cash might be referred to as the “Apple debit card” because the Apple Cash balance is a prepaid balance that works like a debit card. Funds can be added to your Apple Cash balance using a debit or prepaid card, or with money sent to you via Messages.

Apple now provides Apple Cash virtual card numbers. A virtual card number allows consumers to use their Apple Cash like a prepaid debit card to pay for things online when Apple Pay isn’t an option.

» MORE: Learn more about Apple Cash and Apple Pay

Cash App debit card

Cash App offers its users a free debit card called a Cash App Card. The card allows a user to spend their Cash App balance, using the Cash Card the same way you’d use a prepaid debit card. While traditionally debit cards only link to a bank account balance, Cash App’s card balance is funded by an external funding source (usually a bank account or debit card, but you can also use a credit card or prepaid card).

» MORE: Check out top peer-to-peer payment apps: pros, cons and how to use them

Best prepaid debit cards: Summary of fees and ATMs

What are prepaid debit cards?

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.

» Learn more about how prepaid debit cards work

Prepaid debit cards vs. regular debit 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.

» More from NerdWallet: What is a debit card?

Frequently asked questions about prepaid cards

Here are answers to common questions about prepaid debit cards.

What is a prepaid debit card?

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.

What is a prepaid credit card?

A prepaid card is a card that’s pre-loaded with funds that you can spend. A prepaid card (aka prepaid debit card) is different from a secured credit card (what some people might refer to as “prepaid credit card”). Learn about the differences between prepaid debit cards and secured credit cards.

Where can you get a prepaid card?

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

How do you add money to a prepaid card?

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.

Which prepaid card is best?

The best prepaid debit card for you depends on your needs. If you’re a frequent Walmart shopper, the Walmart MoneyCard might be most useful to you, for example. Or if you’re a parent managing your kids’ allowances, you might prefer the FamZoo Prepaid Card. Whatever prepaid debit card you choose, look for low fees and features such as the ability to withdraw or add funds using methods that are convenient to you.

METHODOLOGY: Best Prepaid Debit Cards of 2024

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.

Prepaid debit cards that we considered included: ACE Elite Visa Prepaid Debit Card, American Express Serve, Bluebird by American Express, Green Dot Prepaid Visa Card, Mango Visa Prepaid Card, Netspend Prepaid Card, PayPal Prepaid Mastercard.