The golden age of the credit card is over. In today’s society, the best prepaid cards are considered to be our new plastic card for many consumers. They offer a sense of freedom and control that we cannot get from traditional banking institutions which may charge us with high fees or interest rates on debts incurred throughout the year.
In recent years, as more people have woken up to the potential dangers of using their personal bank accounts online—such as identity theft or hacking where one would lose all their money—they’ve turned towards having a secure source of cash available without seeking approval from issuers.
The best prepaid cards are a great option for people who don’t have access to bank accounts and find it difficult or impossible to get approved. Unlike credit cards, prepaid cards can be used without any type of additional account setup because the user doesn’t need an existing checking account in order for the card to work.
While there are often some upfront costs associated with these types of prepaid products, they offer benefits that traditional debit/credit cards cannot provide such as being able to load up money at one time instead of having to withdraw from your own savings over time.
If you are using a prepaid card, below are some of the mistakes you should avoid at all times:
Not protecting your prepaid card pin.
If the PIN for your debit card is written on it, you are doing a disservice to yourself. The risk of someone finding and using this information outweighs any benefits that could be gained from writing the code down.
When cards are lost or stolen, having an easily guessable number as one’s pin will make getting access all too easy for criminals looking to commit fraud
Protecting a card’s PIN might seem like a given but many people don’t actually take this basic security practice seriously enough. Some even go so far as to write their codes on them which is considered such a big no-no.
Reloading the maximum account.
Loading the maximum amount on your card at all times can seem convenient, but it might not be for everyone. For example, if you use the prepaid card often then loading a high sum is advisable.
However if you only sporadically use it and don’t want to risk overspending or running out of money in case an emergency arises (e.g., hospitalization), keep the balance low so that there are less risks involved with using your prepaid card by mistake.
Loading up as much cash onto our cards seems like such a good idea – after all we have just about everything covered! However this isn’t always true: while having loads of funds available when needed sounds great in theory, one must also consider their spending habits as well before deciding on the amount they should load.
Not reading the fine prints.
Many people are not aware of the importance that reading through a card’s fine print entails. While it may be unfortunate to note, many individuals don’t take time out to read prepaid cards’ important information before using them and this is something you should avoid at all costs.
You have to keep in mind that fees for example will also appear on your account if they’re stated in the fine print so make sure you know what’s expected from these types of products.
Prepaid cards are a perfect choice for people who want to avoid giving their personal and financial information, but still enjoy the convenience of paying with plastic. They’re also great if you have no credit history or bad credit because it’s as easy to get one as using one.
The best thing about prepaid debit cards is that they let you skip all those pesky forms asking for your social security number just so someone can give you some money in return – what could be simpler than that?
