How to Avoid Getting Screwed By Netspend Pre-paid Debit Card

Pre-paid debit cards pitch convenience,security and the ability to function like your average debit card

1. Read every word of the pre-paid cardholders agreement. Netspend is a popular pre-paid debit card that has had complaints of questionable business practices.

2. Do not pump gas with the card at the pump. Walk in and pay with the attendant so you will enter the transaction as a PIN purchase. If you use the pump, they will charge a $50-60 hold to your account making the funds unavailable. That is a lot when you have only loaded $200 for a field trip and have spent $30 of the $200 on gas!

3. Do not lose it. The card can be used if being swiped and entered as a credit card therefore requiring no pin. Netspend does not protect you for unauthorized charges. They will claim they do on their site, but then the fine print says only for purchases made after you call to block the card. So if a charge gets through their blocking system, which is pretty rare and requires a malfunction in their system, you are only covered then.

4. Be prepared for random freezing to your account that require you to fax ID and SSN card copies and also render your loaded money unusable. The mentioned complications associated with Netspend can rip you off because you are without your money for days because of unethical holds and difficult policies. These are pretty much the steps to avoid for the most post getting ripped off by Netspend Pre-paid debit card.