When you are shopping this merry season, be it for gifts or the big feast, be alert when using your prepaid debit card. Almost all prepaid cards have fees, although there are many ways to avoid those fees if you are paying attention and use your card wisely. We have listed below six major ways that you can save on annoying prepaid fees:

• Pay bills with a FREE Online Bill Pay system that comes with a card like AccountNow Visa and avoid per transaction bill pay fees.
• Direct Deposit your payroll or government benefits checks on to a prepaid card such as ReadyDebit Platinum Visa and avoid cash loading fees.
• Direct Deposit your payroll or government benefits checks on to a prepaid card like the Mango MasterCard to avoid a monthly maintenance fee.
• Get “cash over” on a retail purchase when using a prepaid card with FREE Point of Sale transactions like the NetSpend Premier Visa and avoid ATM withdrawal fees.
• Manage your card account online and with mobile text or email alerts with an EXACT Prepaid MasterCard and avoid mailed paper statement fees.
• Avoid an activation fee by choosing a prepaid card that doesn’t have one – like the Walmart MoneyCard Visa.

Obviously, there are other potential fees to avoid not listed here, although these are some of the most popular. Check all shop and compare prepaid debit cards or any other financial instrument you are considering to use so you get what works best for you.