Understand the fees you will pay

Common fees for prepaid cards

Monthly fee

A monthly fee is a fixed fee you pay each month. You pay this fee even if you don’t use your card. The fee is automatically deducted from your account balance. Some cards that charge a monthly fee may waive the fee under certain circumstances, such as if you arrange to have your pay or social security directly deposited into your prepaid account.

Transaction fee

A transaction fee is a fee charged every time you use the card for a certain type of transaction. Your card provider might charge transaction fees under a “pay-as-you-go” plan. Some cards charge you a monthly fee instead of a transaction fee. Other cards let you choose between a plan that charges transaction fees and one that charges a single monthly fee.

In-network / out-of-network ATM fee

Individual banks and ATMs belong to different networks. Your prepaid card provider may belong to one or more of these networks. An ATM may be in-network or out-of-network depending on your particular card and which network the ATM belongs to. Depending on the terms of your cardholder agreement, you may pay less or even be able to avoid ATM fees by using your prepaid card at in-network ATMs. 

Balance inquiry fee

You may be charged a balance inquiry fee if you check your prepaid card balance at an ATM, or if you call customer service to ask about your balance. Not all prepaid cards charge the same kinds of fees to check your balance. Most cards offer at least one free way to check your balance. For example, you might be able to check your balance online for free or request the balance information by email or text. Check your cardholder agreement to learn about the fees that apply to checking your balance. You may be able to avoid or keep down your fees if you know how to check your balance for free.

Cash reload fee

A cash reload fee is a fee for adding money to your card at a retail location. Generally, the retail location will charge a fee for reloading cash. Most prepaid cards provide other options for loading money to your card, such as direct deposit, without a fee. Direct deposit may save you money.

Paper statement fee

Some prepaid cards charge a fee if you request paper statements for your prepaid card. You may be able to go online to get a statement, or at least a list of your recent card purchases and other transactions, without a fee.

Decline fee

A decline fee is a fee charged if you attempt to use your card for something that costs more than the amount of money you have left on your card. Many prepaid cards do not charge decline fees.

Inactivity fee

An inactivity fee is a fee charged if you don’t use your card for a certain period of time. The length of time that triggers an inactivity fee varies. Not all prepaid cards charge inactivity fees.

Card-to-card transfer fee

You may be charged a fee if you transfer money between two prepaid cards. This is called a card-to-card or person-to-person transfer fee. However, some card providers allow you to transfer money between cards online without a fee.

Bill payment fee

Some prepaid cards let you sign up to pay your bills online through the card provider’s website. Your card provider may charge a fee each time you use the program to pay a bill.

If you plan to use your prepaid account to pay bills, compare these fees before you select a card. You may also want to consider whether there are less costly ways to pay your bills, such as paying them through the vendor directly.

Card replacement fee

Your prepaid card provider may charge a fee to replace your card if it is lost, stolen or damaged.

Additional card fee

Some prepaid providers let you get an extra card for another person you designate as an “authorized user” of your card. That card lets someone else spend your money, so you want to think carefully about whether to add an authorized user to your prepaid account. You may have to pay a fee for the additional card. 

Any new authorized users will have to register online or call customer service to verify their identity. 

Foreign transaction fee

A foreign transaction fee, is a fee your card provider charges when you use your prepaid card in a foreign country or to pay in a foreign currency. This fee is usually a percentage of your purchase, withdrawal, or other transaction, rather than a flat fee. This fee is also called a currency conversion fee.

Card cancellation fee

You can cancel a prepaid card at any time. You usually won’t pay a fee to cancel your card, but there may be a fee to get a check for the remaining balance on the card. To avoid the fee, you can spend or withdraw the remaining funds on your card before you cancel the card.