Debit and Prepaid Card Reviews

With prepaid cards, you can make purchases anywhere credit and debit cards are accepted, without applying for a credit card or attaching a bank account. It’s like using cash without having to carry it. Simply deposit funds into your prepaid account and use your prepaid card like you would any credit or debit card.

Prepaid cards are often called prepaid credit cards or prepaid debit cards, but they’re actually quite different. Unlike a credit card, you can’t build credit or carry a balance and pay it off over time with a prepaid card. Unlike a debit card, you don’t need to connect — or even have — a savings or checking account to use a prepaid card. Prepaid cards are ideal for controlling spending and avoiding debt, but they offer few rewards and some even charge fees.

Our Bankrate experts rated the best prepaid cards based on several factors. Startup, monthly and per-transaction fees, along with conveniences like direct deposit, savings incentives and mobile app management tools are the key criteria we used. You can compare offers and find expert recommendations in our prepaid credit card reviews below.