It’s getting harder and harder for prepaid card issuers to be sneaky about their fees. Earlier this year the Pew Charitable Trusts issued a report detailing the lack of uniformity when it comes to prepaid fee disclosures and proposed a model disclosure box to make it easy for consumers to compare the fees associated with… Continue reading Visa Attacks Prepaid Fee Confusion
Tag: Stored-value card
Which Plastic Is the Best? Debit Cards, Credit Cards or Prepaid Cards?
Long gone are the days when credit cards were the only choice for people in need of plastic. Here are some other options: Imagine walking into a restaurant and being told that a menu is not needed because there’s only one dish being served. From time to time that happens — set price, or prix… Continue reading Which Plastic Is the Best? Debit Cards, Credit Cards or Prepaid Cards?
Consumer Advocates: Credit CARD Act Saves $12.6 Billion Annually
“The CARD Act has been hugely successful in banning the biggest unfair credit card gotchas like retroactive interest rate hikes and excessive penalty fees,” says Linda Sherry, Director of National Priorities at Consumer Action. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has calculated that the law saves consumers $4 billion per year in fees alone, while another estimate puts the total savings from banned interest charges and fees closer to $13 billion each year.
Job Corps Debit Card Use Squanders Millions
As part of the mission to better prepare young people for employment, the Job Corps picks up the tab for certain travel expenses, including checked baggage fees and meals. In order to cover those expenses, the Job Corps issues prepaid debit cards to the young people it assists. In the period between July 2011 and June 2012, the Job Corps purchased over $21 million via prepaid cards in order to pay for travel and other expenses for young people traveling to and from 125 Job Corps centers across the country.
Prepaid Card Use Continues To Grow
That’s according to Madeline Aufseeser, a senior analyst with Aite Group, a consultancy that monitors the prepaid card industry. That $200 billion will translate to a whopping five percent of all retail sales in America.
AmEx Serve Cards Announcement Hits Green Dot
When American Express announced earlier this week that its prepaid Serve cards can now be purchased at 4,100 Walmarts nationwide, the stock market reacted. But as a story on ABC News points out, Wall Street was mostly interested in what the partnership means for Green Dot, a major player in the prepaid card industry. And… Continue reading AmEx Serve Cards Announcement Hits Green Dot