The AccountNow Prepaid Visa Card issued by MetaBank is a great card if you have poor credit and want to improve it. The card is also ideal for those with no credit history, for those who don’t want to take on any new debt, and for those who want to control spending with money management. A prepaid credit card is like any other credit card, except that you deposit funds and then spend funds with the card.
The MetaBank AccountNow Prepaid Visa Card is instantly approved, has no activation fee, is FDIC insured, has no late/overdraft fees, and best of all, has a $25 cash bonus when you use direct deposit (part or all of your paycheck). That is free money added to your card. There is no credit bureau check when you apply, and your approval is virtually guaranteed.
A great feature of this card is the free Credit Builder. This is a tool to improve your credit history. Sign up for the Credit Builder program, and then pay your bills using the free online bill pay. Your payments are reported to the credit bureau PRBC, and you build up a history of payments and creditworthiness. You can pay utilities, cable, insurance and many types of bills. PRBC is a credit reporting agency like Experian, Equifax and Trans Union, but it doesn’t charge consumers to view its data or scores, and does not sell its mailing lists. It creates a bill payment score as you build your bill payments. The company will only release your bill payment information with your permission under the FAIR Credit Reporting Act.
The AccountNow Prepaid Visa Card issued by MetaBank is easy to use everywhere Visa is accepted. You simply add money to the card, and then shop, use the ATM or pay bills online. The free direct deposit feature is best, and gets you that $25 bonus to your account. How does this work? You set up a recurring direct deposit and make a minimum of two deposits of $100 or more for the bonus.
But you can also add money to your card at more than 135,000 locations nationwide. A helpful search feature is found at www.accountnow.com to find the closest locations. Simply go to a store location with cash and your card number, and add the money instantly. There is no AccountNow Prepaid Visa Card fee, but there is a store fee. MoneyGram (at WalMart, CVS and Albertsons) charges $3.95; Green Dot Money Pak (at WalMart, Kmart, Walgreens, 7-Eleven and others) charges $4.50-$4.95; and Western Union charges $4.50.
Visa ReadyLink is becoming available at a growing number of sites (7-Eleven and some grocery stores are participating, for instance). You swipe your AccountNow card, enter the amount you want to load to your card and give the cash to the cashier, who will process the transaction. For all deposits, you will receive a receipt with transaction number.
There is no minimum amount necessary to add to your card, but there is a daily maximum ($950 for cash and no more than $9,500 cash in one month; $6,000 for direct deposit). Deposited money will be available instantly.
You can check your balance information using the free SMS text alert service or by calling customer service. Request your transactions and balance anytime and receive alerts when you deposit money to your account. That is convenient and useful.
What are advantages of the MetaBank AccountNow Prepaid Visa Card? You only spend money you have, and don’t overextend yourself or take on more debt like you would with a credit card. There are no finance charges or late fees. It is FDIC insured. You don’t need a bank account to open the card. And in fact, using the card is safer than cash. Your MetaBank AccountNow Prepaid Visa Card is protected against fraud with Visa’s Zero Liability coverage. You are protected if your card is lost or stolen, or someone makes an unauthorized charge to your card. That doesn’t happen with cash!
So are there any fees? Yes. All prepaid credit cards have annual and/or monthly fees. However, the AccountNow Prepaid Visa Card has among the lowest of prepaid card fees. There is no activation fee, but there is a monthly fee of $9.95. There is an ATM fee for cash withdrawals of $2.50 or $1.00 ATM fee to obtain your balance. If you choose to use certain optional services (not necessary but optional to you), there may be some fees. Withdrawing cash at a bank ($4.95), expedited delivery of your card ($40.00), bill payment stop fee ($20.00), replacement cards ($10.00), paper statements instead of online ($2.95) or international ATM use ($4.95) will all incur fees. These fees may change, and you should always check the most current fee schedule when you apply for the card. It is possible that the card will only cost you $9.95 per month if you take advantage of all of the free offered services.
If you typically cash your paycheck at stores or banks, you pay an average of 2.25% in fees. But if you deposit your paycheck with MetaBank’s AccountNow Prepaid Visa Card, there is no fee – it is a free direct deposit. No more standing in lines at the check-cashing store, no more check-cashing fees, no more worries over loose cash. The money you deposit to your card is FDIC insured, and you can easily manage all of your purchases and expenses while building credit.
Parents like the AccountNow Prepaid Visa Card for their children who are away at college or for their children to use during a school trip, for instance. Parents can be sure there is no out-of-control credit card spending, but that their children have the money they need for essential purchases. It can help students learn money management, too.
The MetaBank AccountNow Prepaid Visa Card is serious about protecting your privacy and security. It uses encrypted and secure websites, will automatically log you out after a 15 minute period of inactivity and will monitor possible fraudulent activity. The privacy statement will be provided when you apply.
The MetaBank AccountNow Prepaid Visa Card is the card to consider if you have poor credit or have no credit history. This card will help you build your credit history while offering convenience and low fees. MetaBank and FDIC are behind this card, and you can feel confident and secure. |