6 Easiest Prepaid Debit Cards to Get for Teens

If your child is already a teenager then you know by now that they want a little bit of financial independence, whether the money they have comes from you or from various little jobs they do around the neighborhood, so today we’re going to take a look at 6 easiest prepaid debit cards to get for teens.

Now, everyone knows that while cash is awesome, having a little plastic card in your pocket can be a bit safer on some occasions. Plus, you get the added benefit of being able to make online purchases which are extremely convenient, especially for the always-connected teenagers. Of course, instead of thinking just what they would buy with these cards, teenagers could be looking into 15 easiest debate topics for high school.

There’s a problem, however, since teenagers can’t really get their hands on a credit card or regular debit cards that are attached to bank accounts. Therefore, prepaid debit cards have become quite popular among those that can’t get a credit card.

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To get things started, we should mention that a prepaid debit card is different than the cards you’re used to. It acts likes a checking or savings account, without the risk of kids running up a debt. In short, you deposit money on the card and then it becomes accessible to your teenager. Depending on the card, they can use it to buy things in brick and mortar stores, online and even to check online on what they’ve spent their money.

The prepaid debit card looks like a regular card, it carries the brand logo and acts like any other card. Your teenager will only be able to use the money that’s been deposited on the card, so they’ll have to be careful with what they have there.

These prepaid debit cards can be purchased at retail stores, and some can be found already loaded with a certain amount, which you’ll obviously have to cover at the register. Alternatively, you can order one online or get one from the bank.

The biggest disadvantage of this type of cards is the number of fees attached to them. While there are many perks to owning such a card, you need to be careful about the various “hidden costs,” those fees that are not that visible at first glance. Some cards will charge you for calling customer service, or when you reload the card, even when you activate it.

In order to create our list, we took a look at  ConsumerReports that took a look at the available options and gave out ratings for each based on their value, fees, transparency, convenience, and safety. Since the latter noticed two different types of prepaid debit cards – ones that are used in addition to a bank account and ones that are used as a substitute for a bank account, we decided only to focus on the second type since teenagers are supposed to be the recipients.