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Netspend® Visa® Prepaid Card review: A last resort prepaid card

 /  10 min
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Snapshot

3.0

Bankrate rating
Info Icon
Rating: 3 stars out of 5

Bottom line

The Netspend Prepaid Visa card is an option if you have poor credit, don't want a bank account or have access to one — but its high rates and numerous fees could make other prepaid or secured credit cards more appealing.

BEST FOR NO ACTIVATION FEE

See Terms
Apply nowLock

on Netspend's secure site

See Rates & Fees

Regular APR

N/A

Annual fee

Up-to $9.95 monthly*

3.0

Bankrate score

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Netspend® Visa® Prepaid Card Overview

  • Credit Card With Dollar Sign Icon

    Rewards

  • Credit Card Search Icon

    Rates and fees

  • Congrats Icon

    Other cardholder perks

Netspend Visa Prepaid pros and cons

Pros

  • Checkmark Icon

    No credit check or minimum balance is required to use this card.

  • Checkmark Icon

    If you apply online, you won’t need to pay an application fee, mitigating some of the card’s costs.

  • Checkmark Icon

    You can access a high-yield savings account to help your savings grow passively.

Cons

  • Most card activities are subject to high fees, making this a less convenient and potentially costly option.

  • Recent customer reviews have highlighted poor customer service and experiences.

  • Like all prepaid cards, this card won’t help build your credit.

How the Netspend Visa Prepaid card works

Why you might want the Netspend Visa Prepaid card

Why you might want a different card

How the Netspend Visa Prepaid compares to other cards

Image of Netspend® Visa® Prepaid Card

Annual fee

Up-to $9.95 monthly*

Intro offer

N/A

Rewards rate

N/A

Recommended Credit Score

See Terms
Info Icon
Image of The secured Self Visa® Credit Card<sup>1</sup>
Bankrate Score
Apply now Lock Icon
on Self's secure site

Annual fee

*$25

Intro offer

N/A

Rewards rate

N/A

Recommended Credit Score

No Credit History
Info Icon
Image of Discover it&#174; Secured Credit Card

Annual fee

$0

Intro offer

Cashback Match™
Info Icon

Rewards rate

1% - 2%
Info Icon

Recommended Credit Score

No Credit History
Info Icon

Who is the Netspend Visa right for?

Bankrate’s Take — Is the Netspend Visa Prepaid card worth it?

How we rated this card

Document Icon
50+
cards rated
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500+
data points analyzed
Debt Icon
250+
fees tracked
Credit Card With Star Icon
40+
perks evaluated

Frequently asked questions

Written by
Brendan Dyer
Writer, credit cards
Brendan Dyer is a Bankrate editor who writes and edits content for rewards, travel, cash back and business credit cards. He’s passionate about informing readers about the most innovative ways to use their credit cards and how synergistic multiple cards can be in the right hands.
Edited by Editor II, Credit cards

* See the online application for details about terms and conditions for these offers. Every reasonable effort has been made to maintain accurate information. However all credit card information is presented without warranty. After you click on the offer you desire you will be directed to the credit card issuer's web site where you can review the terms and conditions for your selected offer.

Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, and have not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. The information, including card rates and fees, is accurate as of the publish date. All products or services are presented without warranty. Check the bank’s website for the most current information.