Data suggests that more than forty million Americans don’t have a bank account. The reasons can vary, but this has opened an innovative avenue in the US financial market. Prepaid debit cards have taken the market by storm, and have ensured that there’s always a convenient method of performing transaction. Upon activation, you can use the card anywhere.
Not only does this save time, but it can also help you streamline your finance.

The Rise Of No Fee Prepaid Debit Cards
As the name suggests, you can reload these debit cards at your convenience. You don’t need a bank account to use this facility. That’s why prepaid debit cards are an easy way to perform transactions.
Being a popular non-cash medium for transaction these days, prepaid cards help a lot of people.
These include daily wage workers and those who don’t trust the banking system.
Prepaid debit cards let the user control their money according to their needs. But, since this concept is new, banks sneak in hidden charges when the card is used.
So it’s important to do some proper research when you’re choosing a prepaid card provider. The aspects that you should take into consideration are duration, no-fee period, and minimum balance you can have on the card. Look around and see if there are any other features that are attractive to you.

Why Are Prepaid Debit Cards So Popular?
Using a prepaid debit card is more of a matter of convenience. The user can deposit a certain amount with the number of retailers at the same time. After that, the card works like a regular debit card, where you can swipe it to make a transaction.
Retailers provide a lot of benefits if you’re a prepaid debit card user. These offers increase if you already have a bank account. You can get cash back offers, free ATM transactions, easy payments utility bills etc. Online shopping becomes easier as well.
Considering the advantages, consumers prefer to have the ease of prepaid debit cards.

What Are The Drawbacks Of Using Prepaid Debit Cards?
As easy as using a prepaid debit card might seem, there are some downsides. It can be somewhat expensive since there are fees and charges that you’ll have to pay. Since the prepaid card industry is at a nascent stage, bankers tend to charge ridiculous amounts. There are charges on minimum balance, calls to customer care, and even activation fees.
These charges can range anywhere from $2 to $20.
What You Should Keep In Mind When Using A Prepaid Debit Card
There are popular prepaid debit card providers who don’t charge any fees. American Express, Bluebird, Kaiku, Visa etc. don’t charge their consumers for activation. Many of them also don’t charge fees for monthly maintenance.
You can do some research on these service providers. Then you can choose which prepaid card would serve you best. When you don’t have a bank account, this kind of research is even more important.
Once you’ve decided what your priorities are, a prepaid debit card can ease the burden by a lot.