The READYdebit® Card is a prepaid card that offers some of the same benefits a traditional checking account offers, but without the possibility of overdrawing the account. Using the card is a safe alternative to using a checking account or even a credit card. The card is available to anyone regardless of their past credit history and the card is accepted anywhere Visa debit is accepted. The card offers two different billing plans and the card offers a variety of ways for cardmembers to add funds to the account. Here are some of the card benefits:
- Instant Account Number
- Free Credit Score
- Free Direct Deposit – paycheck, benefits, tax refunds
- Free Unlimited Purchase Transactions
- Free Online Bill Payment & Check Writing
- No Overdraft Fees or Balance Minimums
- 100% Guaranteed Approval* – No Credit Checks
- Choose Your Card Color – Blue or Pink
READYdebit® Visa Prepaid Card
The READYdebit® Visa is not a line of credit which means everyone is eligible to apply for the card. Your card balance is determined by the amount of money you deposit on the account. Many people use the READYdebit Visa Prepaid Card as an alternative to a traditional checking account because there are no overdraft or negative balance fees. The card offers online bill pay which allows you to pay bills to just about any company, even those that will only accept paper checks. With this card you can’t build positive credit because this card does not report to any credit bureaus so it will not help or hurt your credit rating. If you are looking for a card that reports to a credit bureau there are other card options available.
Select vs. Basic Plan
The card offers two different plans and you choose the one that works best for you. The Basic Plan is $4.95 per month and the Select Plan is $8.95 per month. The Basic Plan has a lower monthly fee, but you pay .95 for “debit” purchases (those transactions you make when you enter in your PIN). You are not charged this fee if you do signature or credit transactions (those purchases where you don’t use your PIN). With the Basic Plan, you can use your card as a credit where you provide a signature and you are not charged a fee. When you use the card as Debit and use your PIN, then you are charged .95 per PIN transaction. With the Select Plan you pay a higher monthly fee, but there is no fee for using your card for “debit” or “credit” purchases. With the Select Plan, you can also have a Secondary Cardholder for a one time fee of $10. This is not available with the Basic Plan. With the Select Plan, when you have your paycheck direct deposited to your account, you can use the Online Bill Pay for FREE. Without Direct Deposit, this service is $4/month for each month you use it. See the fees below to see what each card charges.
Loading Money
The best way to load funds to the card is to sign up for direct deposit. It’s free, easy, and saves you money becuase you will avoid check cashing fees. You can deposit your tax refund, SSI and other benefit payments to your READYdebit Card. There are some restrictions when it comes to your balance, for example, your balance cannot exceed $10,000 at any time. You can add cash on your READYdebit card at tens of thousands of retail locations, including Wal-Mart, Rite Aid, CVS/pharmacy, Walgreens, Kroger, RadioShack, and many others. With this card you can use PayPal transfers and ACH transfers. You should plan on 1-3 business days for us to receive and post the funds. This card does not accept Wire Transfers, Western Union, or Money Gram transactions.
READYdebit® Visa Fees
To get a complete list of the READYdebit® fees you should review the card holder agreement. Below are some of the fees associated with the card:
| FEES | BASIC PLAN | SELECT PLAN | EXPLANATION |
|---|---|---|---|
| Card issuance | $9.95 | $9.95 | This is a one-time fee, and is not charged until you make your first deposit. |
| Monthly service | $4.95 | $8.95 | Your first monthly fee is charged one month from the day you order your card. |
| Secondary Card | Not Available | $10 | Two cards can access the same account by adding a secondary card. |
| Signature transactions | FREE | FREE | Other companies charge $1 or more per transaction |
| PIN transactions | $0.95 | FREE | Other companies charge $1 or more per transaction |
| Overdraft | FREE | FREE | |
| Direct deposit | FREE | FREE | |
| U.S. ATM withdrawal | $2.25 | $2.25 | Remember that the ATM owner may charge a fee, as well. Be careful with these—they can add up, if you're not careful. |
| Online bill pay | $4 | Free with direct deposit | For the Select plan, it's $4 per month for unlimited use without direct deposit—billed only in the months that you use the service. For the Basic plan it is $4 any month the service is used. |
100% Approval Guaranteed
The only requirement to obtain a READYdebit® Visa Prepaid Card is that they can validate the information you when you open your account. Even if you’ve been turned away or rejected by banks you can still get a READYdebit card. There is no credit or chexsystems checks to worry about. Federal law requires you to provide personal information like your name, address, phone number and social security number. You can easily apply online at anytime and be approved right away.