Prepaid cards are sold at most places that sell gift cards, plus online retailers and your own bank
You can buy a prepaid card at a drugstore, grocery store, or big-box retailer — look for them near the gift card display. Walgreens, CVS, Walmart, and Target all stock them. You can also order online from the card issuer's website, from Amazon, or from financial services sites like NetSpend or Green Dot. Some banks offer their own prepaid cards to existing customers. The card itself is usually free or costs $5 to $10 at the register, though you pay a separate fee to load money onto it.
The real cost is not the card — it is what happens after you buy it. Each prepaid card charges different fees for different actions: loading money, checking your balance, withdrawing cash, making purchases, or straightforward holding the card if you do not use it for a while. Before you hand over money, you need to know which fees explore to how you actually plan to use the card.
Key Takeaways
- Prepaid cards are available at drugstores, grocery stores, Walmart, Target, and online from the card issuer or Amazon, usually for $5 to $10 upfront.
- The card itself is cheap; the fees for loading, withdrawing, checking balance, and inactivity are where the real cost lives, and they vary widely by card.
- Read the fee schedule before you buy — some cards charge $1 to $3 per ATM withdrawal, others charge monthly fees if you do not use the card, and some charge fees just to check your balance.
- If you are building credit, a prepaid card does not report to credit bureaus, so it will not help your credit score the way a secured credit card would.
- Compare cards side by side using the fee disclosure document the seller must provide, which lists every charge in one place.
Retail stores where you can buy prepaid cards in person
Walk into any Walmart, Target, CVS, Walgreens, or most grocery stores and you will find prepaid cards in the checkout area or near the gift cards. The card costs $5 to $10 depending on the brand. You take it to the register, pay for the card itself, and then load money onto it — either at that same register or online later using the card number on the back.
The advantage of buying in person is that you can see the fee schedule before you commit. Most retailers print the full fee list on the back of the card packaging or on a sheet next to the display. Read it. If the card charges $3 per ATM withdrawal and you plan to get cash twice a week, that card will cost you $312 a year in fees alone.
Retail prepaid cards are usually issued by companies like NetSpend, Green Dot, Vanilla, or Movo. Each issuer sets its own fees, so a Green Dot card at Walmart may have different fees than a Green Dot card at CVS — check the packaging for each one.
Online options and bank-issued prepaid cards
You can order prepaid cards directly from the issuer's website — NetSpend.com, GreenDot.com, and Chime.com all sell online. Ordering online means you wait for shipping, usually three to five business days, but you can sometimes load money before the card arrives. Some online issuers offer lower fees than retail versions of the same card because they do not pay a retailer to stock them.
Your own bank may offer a prepaid card if you have a checking account with them. Banks like Chase, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo offer prepaid options, sometimes with lower fees for existing customers. Call your bank's customer service line or log into your online account to see what they offer.
Amazon also sells prepaid cards from multiple issuers and ships them to your address. The card arrives in an envelope, and you load money using your Amazon account or by visiting the issuer's website.
Understanding the fee structure before you buy
Every prepaid card issuer must provide a fee disclosure document — a one-page sheet that lists every fee in one place. Federal law requires this. You can ask for it at the register, find it on the card packaging, or read it from the issuer's website. Read this document before you buy. It will show you:
- Purchase fees (usually free)
- Monthly maintenance fees (often $0 to $5, sometimes waived if you load money each month)
- ATM withdrawal fees (typically $1 to $3 per withdrawal)
- Balance inquiry fees (some cards charge $0.50 to $1 to check your balance)
- Inactivity fees (charged if you do not use the card for 90 to 180 days, usually $2 to $5 per month)
- Overdraft or declined transaction fees
- Customer service fees (some cards charge to call support)
A card with no monthly fee but $3 ATM fees is expensive if you withdraw cash often. A card with a $5 monthly fee but free ATM withdrawals is cheaper if you use ATMs regularly. The fee disclosure shows you the math.
Prepaid cards versus secured credit cards for building credit
If you arrived here from the bad credit section, you may be wondering whether a prepaid card will help your credit score. It will not. Prepaid cards do not report to the three credit bureaus — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — so using one does not build your credit history or raise your score.
A secured credit card does report to credit bureaus. You deposit money as collateral, receive a credit line for roughly that amount, and make purchases on credit. When you pay the bill on time, the card issuer reports the payment to the bureaus, and your score rises. A prepaid card is just a spending tool; a secured card is a credit-building tool.
If you want to build credit, a secured card from a bank (Capital One, Discover, or your own bank) is the better choice. If you just need a card to spend money you already have without a bank account or credit check, a prepaid card works. Know which goal you are trying to reach before you choose.
Red flags and fees to avoid
Some prepaid cards are designed to extract as much money as possible in fees. Watch for these warning signs:
- Monthly fees above $5: Most prepaid cards charge $0 to $5 per month. If a card charges $10 or more, compare it to others before buying.
- ATM fees above $2: Some cards charge $3 or more per withdrawal. If you need cash regularly, this adds up fast.
- Balance inquiry fees: You should be able to check your balance free, online or by phone. If the card charges for this, skip it.
- Inactivity fees that kick in quickly: Some cards charge fees if you do not use them for 60 days. Others wait 180 days. The longer the grace period, the better.
- set up fees above $10: The card itself should not cost more than $10. If it does, the issuer is front-loading costs.
Compare at least two cards side by side using their fee disclosures. A card that costs $5 upfront but has no monthly fee and free ATM withdrawals is almost always better than a card that costs $1 upfront but charges $2 per ATM visit.
How to load money and start using your card
Once you buy the card, you load money onto it before you can spend. Most cards let you load money in multiple ways: online using your bank account, at the retailer where you bought the card, by direct deposit from your employer, or by transferring money from another prepaid card.
The first load usually takes one to three business days to show up on your card. After that, loads are often faster — sometimes when ready if you load at a retail location. Check the card's website or app to see which loading methods are available and how long each takes.
Once money is loaded, use the card like a debit card: swipe it at stores, use it online, or withdraw cash at ATMs. The money comes out of your prepaid balance, not from a credit line. When the balance runs low, load more money.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a prepaid card to build credit?
No. Prepaid cards do not report to credit bureaus, so they do not build credit history or raise your score. If you want to build credit, use a secured credit card from a bank instead. A secured card requires a deposit but reports your payments to credit bureaus.
What happens if I lose my prepaid card?
Contact the card issuer when ready — most have a customer service number on the back of the card or on their website. They can freeze the card to prevent unauthorized use and issue a replacement. Any money still on the card is usually protected, but the process varies by issuer, so call right away.
Do I need a bank account to buy a prepaid card?
No. You can buy a prepaid card with cash at any retail store. You do not need a credit check, bank account, or Social Security number. This is why prepaid cards are popular for people without traditional banking access.
Which prepaid card has the lowest fees?
This varies by how you plan to use the card. Some cards have no monthly fee but charge per ATM withdrawal; others charge a monthly fee but offer free withdrawals. read the fee disclosure for each card you are considering and calculate the total cost based on your actual usage.
Can I get my money back if I change my mind?
You can spend the money on the card or withdraw it as cash (subject to ATM fees). You cannot return the card for a refund of the money you loaded. The card itself may have a return window if you bought it at a retail store and have not used it yet — check the store's return policy.