7 in 10 Prepaid Cards Are Hiding Fees

AUSTIN, Texas, May 26, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Just 3 out of 10 surveyed prepaid debit cards are fully disclosing their fees to consumers, according to new research by CreditCards.com. The study reviewed the fees printed on the packaging of 10 widely available prepaid cards sold at big retailers, drug stores and payday lenders. For more information, go to:

http://www.creditcards.com/credit-card-news/prepaid-cards-fail-to-disclose-fees.php

American Express Bluebird, American Express Serve and Green Dot Visa Gold were the only cards analyzed to meet the proposed disclosure guidelines set forth by the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). Payday lenders, ACE Cash Express (ACE Elite card) and Speedy Cash (Opt+ card) were the biggest offenders in terms of not disclosing fees. In fact, their cards were offered without any fee disclosures until specifically requested.

"What's concerning is that many consumers are turning to reloadable prepaid debit cards to avoid overdraft fees related to checking accounts," said Matt Schulz, senior industry analyst at CreditCards.com. "However, due to lack of disclosure, consumers are being charged with excessive fees for infractions they didn't even know existed," Schulz added.

Knowing the details for a card's fee structure can make a big difference in terms of monthly expense. For example, a user with Green Dot Visa Gold making 20 purchases a month, four ATM withdrawals and four cash reloads could pay as much as $35.75 in fees. But knowing how fees are structured, the same user could cut the monthly cost to $5.95, the amount of the monthly service fee. And even that fee can be eliminated with direct deposit of a paycheck, bringing monthly costs to $0.

The CFPB listed 13 fees that prepaid debit cards should show on their packaging as part of their proposed regulations.Typical fees charged by issuers include a monthly fee, ATM withdrawal non-network fee and cash reload fee. Other potential fees include ATM balance inquiry, inactivity fee, additional card or lost card fee, foreign transactions, international ATM use, paper statement, liquidation check, declined transaction fee, stop payment fee and bill payment fee.

Methodology

To compare how well prepaid cards disclose their fees, CreditCards.com selected a cross-section of general purpose reloadable cards available at large retailers, grocery stores, drug stores, dollar stores and payday loan offices. The cards were evaluated using the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's proposed model for debit card packaging. The model form lists 10 specific, recurring fees and calls for the disclosure of three unspecified "incidence based" fees that a card might charge, such as for foreign transactions, a replacement card, or a request for a paper statement.

About CreditCards.com:

CreditCards.com is a leading online credit card marketplace, bringing consumers and credit card issuers together. At its free website, consumers can compare hundreds of credit card offers from America's leading issuers and banks and apply securely, online. CreditCards.com is also a destination site for consumers wanting to learn more about credit cards. Offering advice, news, features, statistics and tools, CreditCards.com helps consumers make smart choices about credit cards. In 2015, over 27 million unique visitors used CreditCards.com to find the right credit card to suit their needs.

For More Information:
Katie Yates
VP, Corporate Communications 
[email protected] 
917-368-8677

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SOURCE CreditCards.com

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