Prepaid cards vs. debit cards:
A prepaid card is not linked to a checking account. Insteadit is pre-loaded with a balance of funds. Each purchase you make is deducted from that balance.
In most casesyou can’t spend more money than you have already loaded onto your prepaid card. Overspending or overdrafts can occur in some cases where a prepaid card may be linked with a checking account. While most Visa Prepaid cards are protected by Visa’s Zero Liability policysome prepaid cards have fewer consumer protections than debit cardsincluding those that apply if the card is loststolen or other unauthorized charges appear.¹
¹Visa’s Zero Liability policy does not apply to certain commercial card and anonymous prepaid card transactions or transactions not processed by Visa. Cardholders must use care in protecting their card and notify their issuing financial institution immediately of any unauthorized use. Contact your issuer for more details.
Prepaid cards vs. credit cards:
When you use a credit cardyou are borrowing money and building up a balance of debt you owe. With prepaid cardsyou’re spending money that has already been loaded onto the card. Unlike credit cardsprepaid cards don’t incur interest charges and don’t require a credit check to obtain.