by Michal on March 4, 2010
| The Mango(TM) MasterCard® Prepaid Card |
|---|
 | - FREE Prepaid MasterCard
- $0 Activation Fee
- FREE Direct Deposit
- FREE unlimited purchase / signature transactions
- FREE account management online or with your mobile phone
- FREE to check your balance with your mobile phone
- No monthly fee when you load $500/month
- Send money with your mobile phone
- Load cash at tens of thousands of retailers nationwide
- No credit check, no bank account needed, no overdraft fees
|
| Intro APR | Intro APR
Period | Regular
APR | Annual
Fee | Balance
Transfer | Credit
Needed | | * | * | * | See Terms* | Yes | N/A |
|
The Mango™ MasterCard® Prepaid Card is available to those with bad credit or no credit. The Mango Card is a convenient way to manage your money and it’s much safer than using cash. The Mango Card is not a credit card, which means you can spend only the money you have. With a prepaid debit card, there are no overdraft fees. There are also no interest charges or late fee charges. You balance on the card is determined by how much money you put onto the card.
The card offers a neat feature which allows you the convenience of managing your account from you cell phone. Your prepaid card comes with YAP, which is a service that allows you to transfer money right from your phone. A simple text message transfers the money you have loaded onto your prepaid card. You can also send a text message to check your Mango Account balance, so you always know when it’s time to reload your prepaid card.
How To Add Money
You can load money onto the account be signing up for direct deposit. This will allow you to have your paycheck automatically despoisted into the account. Instead of receiving a paper check from your employer your check will be electronically deposited into the account and it will be available to you right away. There is no charge to sign up and you can sign up at any time, even after you are already a customer. When you open a new account you have the option to fill out a direct depsoit form to get the service started or you can sign up via the website.
You can also load cash onto your Mango MasterCard Prepaid Card by purchasing a Green Dot® MoneyPak®, which is a way to convert your physical cash to electronic cash when loaded onto your prepaid debit card. With money loaded on your prepaid debit card, you can shop online or in stores with no high fees and no interest. You can get a MoneyPak® at one of tens of thousands of retailers nationwide from the Prepaid Product Section. It’s easy to load all you do is just follow the direction on the package and Green Dot will add the money to your Mango Card. Your funds will be instantly available. MoneyPak® is available such places like Kmart, CVS, Walmart, Walgreens, and RiteAid.
You also have the option to transfer your money from a bank account to your Mango™ MasterCard® Prepaid Card account. To transfer your account funds to your prepaid card, you will need to login to your bank account, select transfer, and then enter your Mango Account number when asked where you’d like to send your money. If you don’t know your Mango Account number just login to your Mango Account and click “Send Money”. (Note: Your Mango Account number is NOT your Mango Card number.)
How To Get A Card
All you have to do is sign up online to get a card. Your Mango Card will arrive in the mail 7-10 days after you order it. To activate your card, just call the number on the card or go to the web site. Once you activate your Mango Card, you can begin using it immediately. From there you load your card either through the direct deposit or through a cash deposit.
Mango™ MasterCard® Prepaid Card Fees
Keep in mind there are still fees associated with using a prepaid card. For a complete list review the Terms and Conditions or the card.
| Fee Type | Amount |
|---|
| Activation Fee | FREE |
| Transaction Fee (Signature or PIN) | FREE |
| Shipping & Handling | FREE for a limited time (Reg. $5) |
| Monthly Fee | FREE with $500 load/month (Reg. $5) |
| Load cash at retailers with the Green Dot® MoneyPak® | Green Dot® charges a $4.95 fee |
| ATM Withdraw cash | $2 |
| ATM Check balance | $0.50 |
| Online account statements | FREE |
| Online account management 24/7 | FREE |
| Customer service calls | FREE |
Here’s a summary of the MangoMoney card:
- FREE Prepaid MasterCard
- $0 Activation Fee
- FREE Direct Deposit
- FREE unlimited purchase / signature transactions
- FREE account management online or with your mobile phone
- FREE to check your balance with your mobile phone
- No monthly fee when you load $500/month
- Send money with your mobile phone
- Load cash at tens of thousands of retailers nationwide
- No credit check, no bank account needed, no overdraft fees
Apply Now!
by Michal on February 25, 2010
When it comes to rewards credit cards, there are so many to choose from that you might not know where to start. These cards offer different reward percentages on different purchases with different redemption options. Ugh. As an initial matter, figuring out how you will use the card most will help you pick the best card for you. For example, if you are a big spender when it comes to gas, then a gas rewards card would be ideal for you. But that’s just the start. Recently, Discovercard released an artilce on how to maximize your rewards program, and we thought it was worth sharing with you some of the ideas in the article.
Understand How The Rewards Program Works
First and foremost, you need to understand how the program works. Many of the programs have limitations and caps on how much you can earn, and you should know this before you decide to participate. Some cards, for example, might offer 5% cash back and might advertise as such. This sounds great until you realize you have to spend $10,000 before you start earning the 5%. If you are someone who rarely uses your card, it might take you a long time before you start seeing that 5%. Other cards might have a cap on how much cash back you can earn or the rewards might expire. In addition, some programs reserve the right to “change the rules” if you are late on a payment or exceed your credit limit.
Seek Out Cards with Double or Triple Point Offers
If you’re earning just 1 point for every $1 your spending, you can probably do better. Take for instance the American Express Premier Rewards Gold Card that offers triple points on airline purchases and double points on gas and groceries. It’s been said that some cards are scaling back on their rewards programs, but the Amex card proves there are ways to earn more. Look for cards that offer these type of points and you will rack up points a lot faster.
Use The Affiliate Programs To Your Advantage
Many credit cards have a virtual shopping mall that give you extra rewards and discounts when you shop there. It is an online store that consists of a variety of the popular stores that the card company has partnered up with. As an incentive to get you to shop there, some cards will give anywhere from 5% to 20% cash back rewards for using their online store, and even additional discounts depending on which store your shopping. When looking for a card that works for you, be sure to see who the companies are that the card company is affiliated with. Look for companies that you already do a lot of shopping at. For example, if you often shop at the Best Buy online store you should pick a card that has then as an affiliate. That way you will possibly get an extra discount at Best Buy and earn cash back.
Save Up Your Points – Resist the Urge To Spend Them
Try to resist the urge to spend your points as soon as you earn them so you can get more bang for your buck. If you spend your points as soon as you rack them up, you might be missing out on a better reward. This is because card issuers usually have a tiered rewards program, and the more points you have the greater the rewards. The Starwood Preferred Guest Credit card from American Express is an example of a card that has a tiered rewards program with more points earning you stays at better hotels.
Use A Business Card
If you own a business it might be to your advantage to have a business credit. Often the business cards offer higher rewards on business purchases and tailor the card to business products. For example the Discover Business Card offers 5% cash back bonus on all office supplies. If you buy a lot of business supplies for your company, this will save you 5% on a lot of purchases. Business cards are also known for raising the cap for rewards on their business cards. Business credit cards also typically offer tremendous benefits such as 0% introductory rates on balance transfers and purchases, cash back, gas rebates and other rewards. For small and home based companies, a business credit card can also be a convenient way to keep your business expenses separate from personal expenses.
Look For Cards With Sign Up Bonus Offers
Many cards offer an extra sign up bonus as an incentive to apply for their card. The bonus is usually either points for their rewards program or a cash back offer. There are some cards out there that offer $50 to $150 cash back after you make your first purchase. Other travel rewards cards like the Chase Sapphire Visa Card offers its members 10,000 points after your first purchase.
Pay Your Bills with Your Credit Card
Consider paying your bills with your credit card so you can take advantage of the rewards program offered by the issuer. Since your going to pay those bills anyway, you might as well earn points for the dollars you are spending. This is something to consider especially if you are not a big spender and you’re basically passing up free money. If you are a big spender, than this is one way you can maximize your rewards program. The more you spend, the more rewards your going to earn. It’s that simple!
by Michal on February 24, 2010
AccountNow Prepaid Visa® Card
- NEW! Now with the iAdvance(SM) loan option, no credit check needed.
- Instant Guaranteed Approval* – no credit check, no security deposit
- $0 ACTIVATION FEE – when you load your card by direct deposit
- Free Direct Deposit – no more check cashing fees
- Free Online Check Writing – no need for expensive money orders
- Free Credit Builder† – bill pay transactions are reported to PRBC®
- No Overdraft Fees – no minimum balance required
- Reloadable – $10,000 balance limit
Apply Now!
AccountNow Prepaid Visa® Card
The AccountNow Prepaid Visa® Card is a reloadable card. Your available balance on the card is the amount you despot to the card. There is no minimum balance needed to keep the account open. You still get a monthly statement so you can view your account history. Since this is not a line of credit you will can not go into debt and you can not overdraft the account. You can apply for a card regardless of past credit problems or even if you have no credit at all. It is easy to apply for and can be done via the AccountNow website.
Reloadable and Easy to Use
This is a Visa card which means it is accepted anywhere that Visa is accepted. There are two ways in which you put money onto the card: direct deposit or add cash. Direct deposit is free and convenient. Your employer can have your paycheck transferred directly to your AccountNow card. You get access to your funds on payday, avoid the inconvenience and cost of check cashing stores, and don’t have to worry about carrying around a lot of cash. If you sign up for direct deposit you get a bonus of $25. You can also add cash to the card by going to one of the cash network stores. The amount of each value load must be at least $10.00 not to exceed $5,000.00 per day.
$25 Bonus with Direct Deposit
AccountNow currently is offering a $25 bonus for those that sign up for direct deposit (which is free). You have to set up a recurring direct deposit of $50 or more for two consecutive months. There are other terms and conditions, so make sure to read the fine print, but a $25 bonus is nice for a feature that’s free to begin with and gives you access to your paycheck or government benefits check faster than a paper check. I’m not sure how long this $25 bonus offer will last, so you can click here to go to AccountNow and make sure it’s still available.
How To Build Credit with AccountNow
Using an AccountNow Prepaid Visa® Card will help you build your credit history. You can pay your bills online for free with AccountNow and by doing so you will demonstrate your credit worthiness. AccountNow has a free credit builder program that reports your bill payment history to PRBC, a credit bureau. Also, as a member you can apply for the AccountNow iAdvance Line of Credit. The iAdvance Line of Credit is a short term loan program that is easy to get and cost less than a payday loan. When you pay back the loan, they will report your payment history to the major credit bureaus.
AccountNow Rates and Fees
With this card there are never any late fees, finance charges or overdraft fees. However, even though this card is a prepaid card and not a line of credit, there are still fees for using the card. You get unlimited bill paying and credit builder free of charge. To get a complete list of fees you should review the Terms and Conditions of the card. Below are some of the fees for the AccountNow card.
- Purchases: Free
- U.S. ATM Transactions: $2.50 plus ATM owner fee
- ATM Balance Inquiry: $1
- ATM Decline fee: $0.40
- International ATM Transaction: $4.95, plus ATM owner fee
- Online Bill Pay: FREE for standard processing
- Primary to Secondary Card Transfer: FREE
- Monthly Statement: FREE for Online, Paper $2.95
- Live Agent Call: FREE with recurring Direct Deposit (otherwise: 1 free call/month; $2 thereafter)
- Automated phone system inquiry: FREE with recurring Direct Deposit (otherwise: up to $.50 per inquiry)
- Monthly Maintenance: $9.95
| AccountNow Prepaid Visa® Card |
|---|
| - NEW! Now with the iAdvance(SM) loan option, no credit check needed.
- Instant Guaranteed Approval* – no credit check, no security deposit
- $0 ACTIVATION FEE – when you load your card by direct deposit
- Free Direct Deposit – no more check cashing fees
- Free Online Check Writing – no need for expensive money orders
- Free Credit Builder† – bill pay transactions are reported to PRBC®
- No Overdraft Fees – no minimum balance required
- Reloadable – $10,000 balance limit
|
| Intro APR | Intro APR
Period | Regular
APR | Annual
Fee | Balance
Transfer | Credit
Needed | | * | * | * | See Terms* | Yes | N/A |
|
by David on February 23, 2010
The Credit Card Act took effect yesterday, and I’m facing a real literary dilemma. As you can see from the title, we’ve chosen a Shakespearean reference to reflect our sentiments about the Act. But exactly which play to choose from was a tough call. Coming in as a close second was Macbeth, Act 5, Scene 5:
[The Credit Card Act is] but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more: it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.
The politicians and consumer advocacy groups (you know, the ones that no best how we should live our lives) will no doubt celebrate today. They will pronounce the Credit Card Act as long overdue; a real win for the little guy. And to be fair, the restrictions on a card issuer’s ability to raise interest rates will benefit some consumers and the expense of others. But here’s the reality about the Credit Card Act:
- Debt: If you were in credit card on February 21st, you were still in credit card debt on February 22nd.
- Bad Credit: If you have poor credit, your credit card options have been severely limited. Basically your options are down to a secured credit card or a prepaid credit card.
- Fees: Fees will likely go up as credit card issuers attempt to address the loss in revenue brought about by the Act.
- Rewards: One of the fears was that the Credit Card Act would really take a bit out of rewards credit cards. While card issuers have made subtle changes to rewards programs, adding fees for example, the rewards cards are still plentiful.
If you’d like to read other perspectives on the Credit Card Act, check out these articles:
by Michal on February 19, 2010
As a full time college student (for longer than I care to admit), I know first-hand the importance of managing your money. And a student credit card is an important part of the equation. From building credit at an early age, to handling unexpected expenses, credit cards can help us meet the financial demands of higher education. And the good news is that there are some solid student cards that offer everything from relatively low interest rates to rewards to 0% introductory rates. There are of course plenty of credit cards that have terrible terms and conditions. And that’s why I put together my list of 6 student credit cards that don’t suck.
Discover® Student Open Road(SM) Card
- Double Cashback Bonus automatically on your first $250 in purchases each month at any gas station and any restaurant.
- 5% to 20% Cashback Bonus at over 100 top retailers through our exclusive online shopping mall, ShopDiscover(SM)
- Up to 1% unlimited Cashback Bonus on all other purchases automatically
- Flexible redemption options: choose from Partner gift cards, merchandise, Discover® gift cards, credit to your Discover card account or an electronic deposit to your bank account
- Turn your Cashback Bonus into bigger rewards by redeeming for gift cards or eCertificates from over 100 brand-name Partners such as Bed, Bath & Beyond®, Red Lobster® and Lands’ End®.
Apply Now!
The Discover® Student Open Road(SM) Card is a cash back card that is aimed towards students. The card offers 0% for the first 6 billing cycles for all purchases. After the intro period is up the card has a variable rate of 11.74% plus the prime rate. The rate can vary monthly based on charges to the prime rate. The rewards programs gives you 5% on your first $100 each month that is spent on gas or auto maintenance. If you using the Discover site you can earn 5% to 20% at online retailers. In addition, the card gives 1% cash back on all other purchases.
Discover® Student Card – Monogram Collection
- 5% Cashback Bonus® in categories that change like travel, gas, groceries, restaurants, movies and many more.
- Unlimited cash rewards, automatically
- Up to 20% Cashback Bonus® when you shop online
- Double rewards with more than 100 Cashback Bonus Partners
- Customer Service in less than a minute, anytime you want
Apply Now!
The Discover® Student Card Monogram Collection lets you add a personal touch to your card by designing your card with the letter of your name on it. The card gives 0% for the first 6 billing cycles on all purchases as an introductory rate. After that, the variable rate is 11.74% plus the prime rate. Dues to changes to the prime rate your variable rate could change monthly. You can earn cash rewards on all your purchases. You automatically earn 1% unlimited Cash back Bonus on purchases after your total annual purchases exceed $3000. The purchases that are part of the $3,000 earn .25%. The card offers a 5% program, but you have to sign up for it in order to participate. Once signed up you can also 5% Cash back on category purchases. There are restrictions on this so read the terms and conditions to get all the details.
Citi® Forward Card for College Students
- The Credit Card that Rewards You for Good Behavior.
- Up to a 2% Purchase APR Reduction When You Make a Purchase, Stay Under Your Credit Line, and Pay on Time 3 Billing Periods in a Row.
- 3,500 Bonus Points After $250 in Purchases are Made Within 3 Months of Account Opening.
- 2,500 Bonus Points When You Sign Up for Paperless Statements Within 3 Months of Account Opening.
- 5 Reward Points for Every $1 You Spend on Dining, Books, Movies and Music. 1 Reward Point You Spend on other Purchases.
- 0% APR for 6 Months on Purchases.
Apply Now!
The Citi® Forward Card for College Students takes a unique approach to interest rates and rewards. The Citi Forward actually lowers your interest rate over time if you pay your bill on time and don’t go over your credit limit. It also gives you rewards points for doing the same thing. Add to that a 0% intro APR on purchases for 6 months, and you see why the Citi Forward Card for College Students is one of our favorites.
Citi® mtvUTM Platinum Select® Visa® Card for College Students
- 0% APR on Purchases for 6 Months, If You Qualify, Based on Your Application and Credit History
- Earn 5 ThankYou® Points for Every Dollar You Spend at Restaurants, Bookstores, Record Stores, Movie Theaters, and Video Rental Stores
- Earn 1 ThankYou Point For Every Dollar You Spend on All Other Purchases
- Earn 25 ThankYou Points Every Month When You Pay on Time and Don’t Go Over Your Credit Limit
- Earn Up to 2000 ThankYou Points Twice a Year for Maintaining a Good GPA
- Redeem Points for Gift Cards, Travel, Electronics, Music, and More
- No Annual Fee
Apply Now!
The Citi® mtvUTM Platinum Select® Visa® Card for College Students is designed to give rewards to students who work hard in school. For example you can earn ThankYou Points for earning good grades, paying your bill on time and not exceeding your credit limit. The card also gives an introductory rate of 0% for the first 7 months on all purchases based on your creditworthiness. After the intro period the variable rate is between 12.99% and 16.99% plus the prime rate. The APR you receive is based on your credit. The rate can vary each month based on changes to the prime rate. When you are ready to redeem your points you can do so for things like: electronics, gift cards, music CDs, movie DVDs and airline tickets. Plus, you can redeem ThankYou Points for MTV and mtvU awards, such as VIP tickets to mtvU’s Spring Break or the MTV Video Music Awards (limited quantities available).
Facecard Prepaid MasterCard for College Students
- A safe alternative to credit card debt.
- Ability to use anywhere MasterCard debit cards are accepted, including ATMs.
- Instant and convenient access to funds and allowances.
- Have funds deposited directly onto your card-easier access to your paycheck.
- Safe and easy way to have funds when studying and travelling abroad.
- Receive Prewards, which are like coupons, put directly on your card.
Apply Now!
The Facecard Prepaid MasterCard for College Students is one of the few prepaid cards specifically designed for college students. Because Facecard is a prepaid MasterCard, there are no interest charges, over the limit fees, or late payment fees. There’s also no risk of going into debt.
Discover® Student Card – Clear
- Build your credit history
- 0% Interest on Purchases for 6 Months*
- No minimum income or cosigner required
- No Annual Fee
- Easy Online Account Management tools
Apply Now!
The Discover® Student Card – Clear allows you to earn cash rewards on all your purchases. The card gives 1% unlimited Cash back Bonus on purchases after your total annual purchases exceed $3,000. The purchases that are part of the $3,000 earn .25%. You can earn 5% Cash back Bonus on category purchases, but you must sign up for each 5% program. The card offers an intro rate of 0% for the first 6 months on all purchases. After the intro period the rate is variable and is equal to the prime rate plus 11.74%. The card also offers no annual fee.
