Learn more about the READY debit® Card

"Prepaid" Visa cards are fairly new—you may have only recently heard about them.

In some ways your READY debit® Prepaid Visa® Card is similar to a credit card: you can make purchases online or by phone, you can pay at the gas pump, book a flight, get money from an ATM, and so on. And you don't have to carry a load of cash when you travel—your money's protected by Visa's Zero Liability™ policy.

But with a prepaid card—unlike a credit card—you can't spend more money than you've got. For many of us, that can be pretty helpful. Credit card companies spend billions of marketing dollars each year, trying to convince us that we all need to borrow more money—so we can spend money we don't have, on stuff we don't need! And many lenders are willing to let their customers fall very deeply into debt. You don't need that sort of financial "help"! Your READYdebit® Prepaid Visa® Card will help you stick to your spending plans—and save toward a great family vacation or a new kitchen!

You can also use your READYdebit® card account to pay your bills online. With the READY debit® online bill pay service you can pay anyone—the power company, the cable company, even the babysitter. Anyone you could pay with a check can be paid using our online bill pay service.

How do I get my money onto the card?

There are several ways.

Direct deposit is best. Every payday, your wages are deposited automatically onto your READY debit® Card. Totally free, totally fast. No waiting in line, no check-cashing fees. Read more about direct deposit.

We offer two easy ways to add cash to your READYdebit Visa® prepaid card. With Visa ReadyLink and Green Dot MoneyPaks your cash is available on your card in minutes. More information on loading money to your card.

You can also transfer money from a checking account or savings account.

What are the fees?

Our fees are low! In fact, we even offer some features for free that other prepaid card issuers charge their customers.

Fees		Basic		Select		Platinum
Card issuance		$9.95		$9.95		$9.95		This is a one-time fee, and is not charged until you make your first deposit.
Monthly service		$4.95		$9.95		$14.95		A great deal—and a whole lot better than check-cashing fees, wire-transfer fees, interest payments, late fees, ... Your first monthly fee is charged one month from the day you order your card.
Secondary Card		Not Available		$10		Free		Two cards can access the same account by adding a secondary card. Call 866.465.1645 to set this up.
Signature transactions		Free		Free		Free		Other companies charge $1 or more per transaction
PIN transactions		$0.95		Free		Free		Other companies charge $1 or more per transaction
Negative Balance Fee		Free		Free		Free		Really!
Direct deposit		Free		Free		Free		Save time and money-sign up for free direct deposit to your READYdebit card account.
Loading cash & deposits via bank ACH transfer		Free		Free		Free		You can load cash to your card with Visa ReadyLink and Green Dot MoneyPaks. Each store charges a fee to complete the transaction.
ATM withdrawal		$2.25		$2.25		$2		Remember that the ATM owner may charge a fee, as well. Be careful with these—they can add up. Many stores will offer cash back when you make a purchase—buy a pack of gum and skip the ATM fees.
U.S. ATM Balance Inquiry		$0.50		Free		Free		Check your balance often-it's an important part of good money management.
Online customer service		Free		Free		Free
Automated phone support		Free		Free		Free		Check out our FAQ for answers to many questions.
Live customer service		1 free call per month, then $2 each				Free
Online bill pay		Free		Free		Free		A great way to pay your utility bills, rent or even your babysitter.
Bank teller cash advance		$5		$5		$5		Save a few bucks and use an ATM instead.