Hot take: those prepaid debit cards I laughed at actually saved me

I used to clown on those prepaid Visa cards you see at gas stations... figured they were just for people who couldn't get a real bank account. Then my buddy lost his wallet with his debit card inside and couldn't get a new one for like 4 days because his bank was slow. He told me he keeps $200 on a prepaid card in his glovebox for emergencies now. I tried it myself after my own card got skimmed at a pump in Phoenix last summer... and having that backup card meant I didn't miss a single bill payment. Has anyone else found a weird use for these things that actually works?

2 comments

2 Comments

robertb305d agoTop Commenter

Bought one for a trip to Mexico after my regular bank kept blocking my card for "suspicious activity" even though I told them I was traveling. Ended up using it for all my vacation spending so I didn't have to worry about my main account getting locked again.

fionaw545d ago

Same thing happened to me a couple years ago on a trip to Spain. My bank locked my card at the airport and I spent an hour on the phone with them while my husband stood there with our bags. So annoying. I ended up getting a prepaid travel card for the next trip and it was so much smoother. I just loaded what I needed before leaving and never had to worry about it getting frozen again. Also helped me stick to a budget since I couldn't overspend. Now I use one for every trip overseas, way less hassle.