Netspend^® Visa^® Prepaid Card: Full Review [2025]

Great Card If

• You want a prepaid card with no credit check or bank account required.
• You need flexible ways to load money.
• You want to earn cash-back on targeted offers.

Don’t Get If

• You prefer to avoid fees.
• You want to build or improve your credit.
• You don’t want to manage a prepaid balance.

Netspend Prepaid Visa Card: Is It Worth It?

The Netspend Visa Prepaid card can be a practical way to make purchases and manage your finances without a traditional bank account. No credit check is required to open an account. You can load your prepaid balance with checks, direct deposit, and cash at more than 130,000 retail locations. Cash-back earnings are available on certain purchases.

However, a significant drawback of the card is its numerous fees, including reload fees, ATM withdrawal fees, and even inactivity fees if you don’t use the card for 60 days or more. Because it’s a prepaid debit card and not a credit card, it won’t help you build credit.

Netspend Prepaid Visa Card Top Benefits and Perks

No Credit Check

You can open a Netspend Prepaid Visa card without a credit check. Identity verification is required to activate the card, but it will not result in a hard credit inquiry, and your card usage doesn’t impact your credit score.

Numerous Ways To Add Money

You can add funds to your Netspend Prepaid Visa card with direct deposit, bank transfers, mobile check load, transfers from a debit card, PayPal, or Western Union, and cash reloads at more than 130,000 retail locations, including pharmacies and grocery stores.

If you set up direct deposit for paychecks or government payments, you may receive your money up to 2 days early for paychecks and up to 5 days early for government benefits. Timing depends on your employer or benefits provider.

Purchase Cushion

If your funds are a little too low to make a purchase, the Netspend Prepaid Visa card may approve a negative balance of up to $10 on your account, which you repay when you reload your card.

Cash-Back Rewards

The optional Netspend Rewards program offers personalized rewards based on your spending habits. It’s a hands-on rewards program that requires you to activate an offer and make a qualifying purchase.

Account Management

The Netspend mobile app (iOS or Android) and the online account center allow you to manage your account, including checking your balances and transactions, loading checks, transferring funds, tracking direct deposits, and finding nearby reload locations.

With Netspend’s anytime alerts, you can stay informed about when money has been loaded to your account and is available to spend, as well as when your card is used for purchases. You can also lock your card if it’s lost, stolen, or temporarily misplaced.

You can use the Netspend Prepaid Visa card anywhere Visa debit cards are accepted, and it is compatible with digital wallets, including Apple Pay and Google Wallet.

Best Ways To Earn and Redeem Your Netspend Rewards

The Netspend Prepaid Visa card offers Netspend Rewards, which earn cash-back on qualified purchases. You receive personalized offers, based on your purchases with the card, that you can activate. Offers can be for up to 10% cash-back. Cash-back rewards are automatically credited to your Netspend Prepaid Visa card after you make a qualifying purchase.

Alternative Cards to the Netspend Prepaid Visa Card

Walmart MoneyCard^® Prepaid Visa^® Card

If you’re a frequent Walmart shopper, the Walmart MoneyCard Visa card could earn you cash-back and offer additional benefits. The card earns up to $75 cash-back annually, with 3% at Walmart.com, 2% at Walmart fuel stations, and 1% at Walmart stores. It offers early direct deposit, with paychecks up to 2 days early and government benefits up to 4 days early.

The card has a $5.94 monthly fee, which can be waived when you make a direct deposit of $500 or more in the previous monthly period. Optional overdraft protection is available for up to $300 with eligible direct deposits.

PayPal Prepaid Mastercard^®

The PayPal Prepaid card integrates with your PayPal account, with flexible reloading options, including the ability to add money at the same 130,000 Netspend reload network locations available with the Netspend Prepaid Visa card. You can access funds up to 2 days early with direct deposit and move money from your PayPal balance to your prepaid card.

Like the Netspend Prepaid Visa card, the PayPal Prepaid card offers targeted cash-back rewards at participating merchants.