Best reloadable cards

[FireMedic1]

@Anonymous @ptatohed I didnt go that far into it. Googled no monthly fee. Looked like the best one. Im working.

[Anonymous]

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@CYBERSAM wrote:

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@Carloscda40 wrote:

What card would you guys recommend?

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Reloadable cards are actually a bad idea, they sound good but far from it. They decline frequently and fees are ridiculous. You are much better off with gift card that works with VISA/MC/AMEX!

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I don't think that is always true, as we saw Bluebird doesn't have bad fees if you can use the free reloads, but I agree some cards do.

Regular gift cards can cost ~ 1% to buy, and using multiple for a big bill would sometimes raise suspicion.   Plus if you can't just swipe them and have to hand them to someone, they also look less than official.   Great for MS if you can though!

[Anonymous]

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@Horseshoez wrote:

I'm having a difficult time understanding why someone would opt for a reloadable card versus using either a debit card or a secured credit card (or both).

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You COULD give a loaded reloadable card to someone as a gift/payment which you wouldn't want to do with a debit or secured card.  But I think the short answer is that they are for the unbanked or underbanked who wouldn't have a debit card and might have trouble getting a secured card.

There could also be "privacy" issues if you were rather that a particular transaction was hard to track, and cash to the provider was not an option.

[tricie17]

Navy Federal CU Visa Go (free everything).

[Anonymous]

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@tricie17 wrote:

Navy Federal CU Visa Go (free everything).

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Cash reloads can be up to $5.95

[chrisw1968uk]

I have proper credit and debit cards but also have a Netspend card that I use for online gaming or any purchases where the vendor is one that i have not heared of previously - then i just transfer in enough money to cover the transaction, so i don't get scammed. No monthly fees and $3.95 to reload

[NoMoreE46]

I have kept my Amex Bluebird. Years ago, this came product came with free checks.  I used these BB checks to pay for daycare.  I would fund as needed and never needed to follow up on the checks.  (Daycare would take weeks to deposit them.) To fund, one needed provide Amex the amount of the check with the check number and write a validation code on the check.  It was quite a safe way to write checks.  With these, I really never  had to worry about any lost, stolen/washed checks.

I would fund my BB card as well when travelIing.  One of my credit cards was compromised at a drive thru while vacationing.  I will use the BB at places I determine to be of high risk such as drive thru or self service fuel station.

[MikeyMagic]

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@Horseshoez wrote:

I'm having a difficult time understanding why someone would opt for a reloadable card versus using either a debit card or a secured credit card (or both).

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I've had a Netspend reloadable VISA card for over a decade and I'll tell you why. Back in the late 90's early 2000's I destroyed my credit AND was reported to Chexsystems so I couldn't even get a bank account anymore. I went years without anything then I got the Netspend prepaid Visa card and have had it ever since. I deal with cash a lot playing poker and yeah there are fees but I like to be able to go to a CVS for example and load $1500 or $2000 right into my card anytime. I have gotten used to it and even as I am now restarting my credit journey, I use Netspend as my bank to pay my Cap One unsecured Platinum Mastercard and will do the same for my Discover IT Secured Card.

I will though very soon most likely open a Chase checking account to get in with Chase for hopefully later credit card offers and to finally open a "normal" bank account once again. All that stuff from Chexsystems is long gone off any reports and my Credit Bureaus are clean. Took a long time but that's what happens when you graduate college 25 years ago and go crazy with maxing out cards, not paying, writing bad checks, getting evicted and ignoring collection notices for years. 

Hope this helps.

[chrisw1968uk]

I have just discovered that I can reload my Netspend card from my debit card, it happens immediately and there are no fees

[Anonymous]

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@chrisw1968uk wrote:

I have just discovered that I can reload my Netspend card from my debit card, it happens immediately and there are no fees

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Right, but this is one of the niche cases, where, as you say, you use it when you aren't sure of the site/merchant etc.   If all otherwise looked fine, if you have a debit card, you could use that directly instead of going the extra step.