For upon |The Rush Card, or RushCard Prepaid Debit Card, is best for consumers who don’t qualify for a checking account or a credit card but who need many of the same conveniences those accounts offer.
Since it’s a prepaid card, you can get it even if you have no credit or terrible credit — there’s no application process.
And unlike a secured credit card, you don’t have to make a deposit equal to your credit line.
Because there’s no borrowing activity or monthly payments with prepaid cards, they can’t help you establish or rebuild your credit, unlike the secured cards we review.
This card also doesn’t offer any rewards.
Rush Card Monthly Fees
The big catch with prepaid cards is the fees they charge in exchange for the convenience they provide.
Issuers don’t make money on interest, unlike with credit cards; they have to earn money somehow.
For maximum savings, review all the fine print before you use your card.
The Rush Card has two fee structures.
Under the first, designed for consumers who want to make unlimited purchases, the monthly fee is $5.95 if you use direct deposit and $7.95 if you don’t.
We don’t think this fee is so bad, since many checking accounts still charge monthly fees in 2018, especially if you can’t maintain a minimum monthly balance above a certain threshold.
We could do without the first-time card-funding fee, though.
Under the second fee structure, you pay $1.00 per purchase — a fee you wouldn’t pay with a debit or credit card.
This option, like the first, has a funding fee.
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If you make more than 6 to 8 purchases per month, the first fee structure is best.
Other RushCard Fees
There is no fee to pay bills with your RushCard or to withdraw cash from it using an in-network ATM.
If you withdraw cash over the counter or with an out-of-network ATM, however, the fee is $2.50.
Get cash back with no fee at a store cash register when you use your PIN.
And there is no fee to add money to your card after the first load, though the Rush Card’s partners that load cash for you may charge their own fees.
Partners include CVS, 7-Eleven, Walgreens, Western Union, Ace Cash Express, and more.
You can also add money to your card via PayPal.
There’s no fee to check your balance or to talk to a customer service agent by phone.
Checking your balance at an ATM costs $0.50.
Your money is protected against loss or theft by Visa’s Zero Liability Policy – report the loss within 2 days to best minimize your liability.
And this card doesn’t allow overdrafts, which means you don’t have to worry about overdraft fees either.
The money on your card is FDIC insured, so you’re protected even if RushCard were to go out of business.
Given the Rush Card’s many fees, you may achieve savings with a second-chance checking account, if you qualify.
If not, evaluate some of the competing prepaid cards to see which one best meets your needs for the lowest cost.
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