How Prepaid Credit Cards Work

The idea behind these types of cards is simple and clear in the sense that you just load money on to your card account and you use it later for your purchases, pay for goods online and even pay your bills. A prepaid card can be used to withdraw cash in ATMs widely distributed depending on the card you’re your using, paying merchants while purchasing in the locations having a Visa or MasterCard logo as means of payment.

For you to use the card, it is a must that you already have loaded money into your card account. When the cash becomes depleted, you have to reload the card again to be able to use it again.

The general mode of operation for these type of cards is that at anytime you use the card to make any purchases, the amount charged is subtracted from your card account balance. Once it becomes depleted, you can usually throw away the card and get another one or you can reload your previous card with cash and continue using it.

They offer a secure mode of carrying a cash equivalent.

These cards offer a convenient and secure way of carrying your cash. You can use these cards to pay for your purchases as long as the merchant payment network is using MasterCard or Visa. The cards ensure that you spend only the amount that you have loaded in your account. It can benefit those people who have a bank account and even those who don’t have a bank account.

For instance – instead of directing your paycheck to a bank account, you can direct it to your prepaid card account.

Since these cards come in different varieties, their cash reloading system also varies. Adding money to your card varies depending on the reload options provided by the card.

The following are some of the numerous ways that can reload a card with a cash balance.

  • Directly depositing your cash into the card account
  • Using participating retailer agents
  • Using authorized ATMs related to the particular card
  • By using your phone to make online deposits