Debit cards let you deposit your money into an account and spend it as you see fit. In contrast, you can’t deposit money on a credit card; you can only use credit that you then have to pay back. Even a “secured credit card”-for instance where you have to put $500 down as collateral to cover your charges-does not allow you to add your own money and withdraw it interest free. Rather, your deposit is only securing your line of credit and is not accessible to you until you close the credit card. Your line of credit could be increased beyond your initial collateral deposit as you develop a good payment history.You have many ways to add money to a prepaid card, such as using a money transfer agent or purchasing a Greendot MoneyPak at a broad swath of participating retailers nationwide.
Debit cards can curb your impulse spending. The reason for this is simple psychology. It’s your money, and you can only make purchases on the card if you have enough funds in your card account to cover your purchases. Unlike writing a check which might bounce, you can’t get overdrawn. And unlike paying with a credit card that only limits your spe rcbalance nding, based on the spending limit of the card, you can’t borrow money that you don’t have. You don’t have to worry about going further into debt and having to make monthly installment payments to pay back the charges. Odds are you will think twice about every purchase and will be more mindful of your budget You can even set up a direct deposit to your debit card for all or part of your payroll or benefits payments.
Some debit cards let you check your purchase history and balance online, by calling a customer service number, by using an ATM machine, or even using text messaging on your mobile phone. In today’s economy, more and more people are finding it harder to get a credit card. But it is easy to get a prepaid debit card with a Visa or MasterCard logo on it. All you have to do is pass an identity check which helps prevent fraud. An identity check basically establishes your name, birth date, and address matches your official identity usually matched against your social security number. With a debit card, you’ll have the flexibility of a credit card yet peace of mind that you will not be going into debt.
If a retailer does not accept personal checks, it likely will accept a debit card as a form of payment for products or services. Just ask or look for a sign that reads that MasterCard or Visa cards are accepted. While debit card purchases technically run on a different network than credit cards, these networks are still run by MasterCard or Visa. If you write a check and don’t have enough funds in your bank account to cover the amount of the check, you can get overdrawn. This can mean hefty overdraft fees for every bounced check, sometimes as much as $30 per check. A check card (a debit card that is tied to your checking account) can still put you at overdraft risk depending on the bank. Most reloadable prepaid cards, however, will not allow you to become overdrawn and thus can’t hit you with an overdraft fee.