mPower Visa Prepaid Card with direct deposit

How We Rated the mPower Visa Prepaid Card

Card Features Fees Disclosure Clarity BBB Rating Load Options Overall Rating

Rating Explanation mPower Visa Prepaid Card 4 GetDebit.com Editor The mPower Visa prepaid debit card works well for those looking for a lot of features in their card. If you want money management tools, cash back opportunities, credit builder, SMS text alerts, prescription and travel discounts and card to card money sharing, the mPower card may be great for you. The Better Business Bureau rates Cornerstone Marketing LLC (the Independent Sales Organization that markets and provides customer service to cardholders for the mPower card) excellent for customer service. The mPower card would receive our best rating for fantastic features although the fees can sneak up on an unsuspecting customer and be a little higher than some other cards. The mPower Visa prepaid debit card works well for those looking for a lot of features in their card. If you want money management tools, cash back opportunities, credit builder, SMS text alerts, prescription and travel discounts and card to card money sharing, the mPower card may be great for you. The Better Business Bureau rates Cornerstone Marketing LLC (the Independent Sales Organization that markets and provides customer service to cardholders for the mPower card) excellent for customer service. The mPower card would receive our best rating for fantastic features although the fees can sneak up on an unsuspecting customer and be a little higher than some other cards.

mPower Visa Prepaid Card Fee Examples

Want to know how much the mPower Visa Prepaid Card might cost you to use in a typical month? We have crunched the numbers for you! We also show how mPower Visa Prepaid Cardstacks up against some common alternatives so you can see if you would save money using this card. Please remember -- cost should NOT be the only reason why you pick a card -- make sure to consider the card's features (some cards have more features than a typical bank account).

To see different scenarios, change the following variables.

	Number of transactions each month	mPower Visa Prepaid Card	Bank of America "Regular" Checking	Check Cashing Store
Monthly Fee	Once per month	$	$	$
Cash paycheck (per month)	$	$	$	$*
ATM Withdrawals	0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20	$	$	$
Bill Payments	0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20	$	$	$
Online Purchases	0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20	$	$	N/A
In-Store Purchases***	0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20	$	$	N/A
Overdrafts:****	0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20		$	$
Total		$	$	$

Note: * Based on a U.S. Average check cashing rate of 4.54% (per the Brookings Institution),
**Using the Money Order fees from the U.S. Post Office (Some of the lowest available),
*** We assume that 1/2 of your in-store purchases will be made using your PIN,
****A LARGE portion of Americans experience at least 1 overdraft each Month. Also note that the Check Casher CANNOT buy items online, and must use cash for all purchases.

Fees Associated With The mPower Visa Prepaid Card*

Activation Fee:	$0.00	Card Limit:	$10000
Monthly Fee:	$0.00	ATM Withdrawal:**	$2.00
Signature Transactions:***	$0.00	ATM Balance Inquiry:	$0.75
PIN Transactions:***	$1.00	Bill Payments:	$1.00

The fees of the mPower Visa are well disclosed, although a little complex, so look over them carefully. One of the best incentives offered is the use direct deposit. You can get the Activation Fee refunded within 30 days of first direct deposit and the Monthly Maintenance fee waived. There are several disclosed fees that could be an annoyance if not careful like Bill Payment transaction fees, Expedited Card fees, Paper Statement fees, Customer Service fees and Lost Card fees. The card has some excellent features available. If you are looking for a card with lots of power rather than just low fees, this could be your card.

Notes:
* Fees verified as of 11/20/2011. Check the Current Terms & Conditions for a list of all the fees.
** Some ATM operators may charge a fee for use of their ATMs in addition to this fee.
*** To use your mPower Visa Prepaid Card in a "signature" transaction, select "Credit" when checking out at a brick and mortar merchant. Most internet transactions are automatically processed as "signature" transactions.

mPower Visa Prepaid Card Card Options

The mPower Visa comes in one design and one color, "black".

Here are GetDebit’s “Low Fee Tips” for this Card

Be aware of several fees that you might avoid with this card such as POS PIN cash advances, ATM balance inquiries or ATM withdrawal declines. Also, when closing an account, if a check for the balance is issued, be aware of the issue check fee. Customer service calls can also result in a charge although the first two IVR automated calls per month are free.

Tips for Using The mPower Visa Prepaid Card with direct deposit

• How to Dispute a Debit Card Charge
• Why Do I Need to Provide a Social Security Number to Get a Prepaid Debit Card?
• How to Refill Visa Prepaid Cards
• Using a Prepaid Visa Card — A Few Tips
• Can I Get a Secondary Card on a Prepaid Debit Card Account?