Western Union:
A cardholder can sign up online for the card with a MasterCard logo, and
then take their card fee of $19 to a local western union. When the fee has
been paid the card is sent. It is personalized, with no transaction fees.
Loading is $3.95 with a minimum of $30 and a max of $950. WU has one of
the highest load limits of a $950 load, with a $9,500 monthly max. Other
fees range from cash withdrawal to overdraft. There is a monthly $4.95
maintenance fee.
Rush Card: Russell
Simmons is the spearhead behind this debit card. The target audience is
the black minority in urban areas. The card carries the Visa logo, and a
$19.95 card activation fee. All purchases are charged a $1 transaction
fee. Cardholders are charged $3 for ATM withdrawals, and $10 to replace a
lost or stolen card. The good feature of this card is that the card is
issued, and then you can decide if you want to activate the card. You are
only charged a maintenance fee if the account is not used for a long
while.
Visa Buxx: This is the
card that is being targeted to parents of teenagers. It is direct from
Visa. The fees vary according to which bank or service the parents choose.
The average was $10 sign up fee. The parent must tie a credit card or bank
account for easy reloading of the account. Parents have to have a separate
account for each person they want to have a card. There are no transaction
fees even for loading by bank account or ATM withdrawals. There is a $2.50
fee if a credit card is used to reload. There is a $2 fee is the account
becomes inactive. They do seem to charge for customer service calls. The
preferred method for this company is by Internet.
Greendotonline.com:
this company carries both the MasterCard and Visa logo on a variety of
products available around the country in retail stores. The card’s
available for $10, at local retailers, such as Walgreen’s. To reload the
card, it cost $4.95 at the store. Cardholders are charged $4.95 per month
for maintenance. For variety, they do offer the most, but they do want
everything handled online. Any calls to customer service are charged a fee
by the minute.