Netspend Prepaid Card Review

Where the Netspend prepaid cards fall short

It’s hard to recommend the Netspend prepaid cards at all, due to the high cost and myriad of extra fees. Compared to the best prepaid debit card options, the Netspend prepaid card lines fall short in just about every area.

If you’re looking at prepaid cards because you’re struggling to qualify for a traditional bank account, check out second-chance bank accounts, or our list of the best prepaid cards for better options.

So many, many fees

From the $20 overdraft fee and a $9.95 card purchase fee, the Netspend prepaid cards charge more fees than a lot of checking accounts and other prepaid cards I’ve seen.

Editor’s note: The Netspend Debit Account is better

Netspend’s prepaid cards leave a lot to be desired, but the Netspend Debit Account is actually solid.

For starters, the Netspend Debit Account has a $5 monthly fee, no minimum balance requirements, no purchase fees or inactivity fees — already off to a better start. The account also offers early direct deposit, up to two days early for payroll and up to five days early for government benefits.

And the shining star of the account: high savings rates. The Netspend Debit Account unlocks the Netspend Savings, which offers up to 6% APY on up to $2,000 — that’s an extremely competitive rate.

Overall, the Netspend Debit Account is significantly more affordable than its prepaid card lines and offers more banking perks.

Compare Netspend Prepaid Debit to other prepaid cards

Narrow down top prepaid debit cards by fees and features. Select Compare on up to four accounts for a side-by-side comparison.

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Finder Score	Fee	ATM withdrawal	Features	Rebate
Finder score 9.6 Excellent Revolut	Finder score 9.6 Excellent	$0 per month	$0	Starts at $0/month Upgrade to paid Premium or Metal plans for more perks International and travel perks 140+ currencies		Revolut is not a bank. Banking services are provided by Lead Bank, Member FDIC. Fees may apply. See revolut.com/en-US/ for details.	Go to siteMore info Compare product selection Compare	loading
Finder score Walmart MoneyCard	Finder score	$5.94 per month	$2.50	Earn up to $75 cash back on Walmart purchases each year Earn 2% APY up to $1,000 on your savings Up to 4 family accounts FDIC insured by Green Dot Bank		The Walmart MoneyCard prepaid debit card offers cashback rewards on Walmart purchases, but charges high ATM fees on every transaction.	Go to siteMore info Compare product selection Compare	loading
Finder score Netspend® Visa® Prepaid Card	Finder score	$9.95 per month (or $5 with a $500+ direct deposit, or $0 with pay-as-you-go)	$2	Get paid faster Easy loading Control your finances Card customizations Mobile app Savings account		With Netspend, you get a convenient way to manage your money on a prepaid card that is packed with features.	Go to siteMore info Compare product selection Compare	loading

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What is the Finder Score?

The Finder Score applies to 45+ kids' debit card options. It takes into account the card's fees, features, age requirements, ATM access and more — this gives you a simple score out of 10.

To provide a Score, we compare like-for-like debit cards. So if you're comparing the best kids' cards with no monthly fees, you can see how card stacks up against each other by features, opening deposits and other benefits.

Read the full breakdown

What we like about Netspend’s prepaid cards

While I won’t outright recommend this card to really anyone, there are some bright spots.

Cashback rewards

Called Netspend Payback Rewards, you can activate offers in your Netspend app and earn up to 10% cashback on select purchases.

The cashback offers are based on your activity, with Netspend stating it will send you more personalized cashback offers the more you use the card.

Reduced monthly fee plan isn’t bad

With at least $300 in direct deposits per month, you can get the Netspend Prepaid Card for just $5 per month, which is in line with the cost of many checking accounts and other prepaid cards in the market.

And if you plan to use this card at least six times per month, the monthly plan is the clear option for affordability, since the pay-as-you-go plan charges you $2 per transaction.

But if you can’t get that $9.95 fee reduced to $5, I highly suggest that you compare other options.

Customer reviews and ratings

Netspend, surprisingly, has a lot of good ratings, but they’re mostly for the Netspend Debit Account.

There are an astonishing number of reviews on Trustpilot: over 30,000. A common thread among the reviews is actually compliments on the customer support, with many people saying any issues they had were promptly resolved and the reps were polite. Another common praise is customers saying the early direct deposit feature with the Netspend Debit Account (not to be confused with the prepaid cards) is consistent and early.

We did find a few reviews of customers complaining about the pay-as-you-go prepaid plan, saying $2 per purchase is steep and a little extreme. A few others also comment on the multiple fees that you can rack up, including withdrawal, transfer and inactivity fees.