nFinanSe Prepaid Debit Visa Card

How We Rated the nFinanSe Prepaid Visa

Card Features Fees Disclosure Clarity BBB Rating Load Options Overall Rating

Rating Explanation nFinanSe Prepaid Visa 4 GetDebit.com Editor The nFinanSe Visa Card is a great card for many users. For example, if you plan to use your card to primarily make online and offline purchases, you will enjoy an almost free card each month (only needing to pay the low monthly fee). The low fees are one of our favorite features of the nFinanSe card. We'd rate the card five stars if nFinanSe had a BBB rating and if there were more features on the card (such as a credit builder). However, the lack of those items should not keep you from considering this card. And, in some ways, the less features, the less complicated. Finally, the lack of a BBB rating doesn't mean that the company is not serious about customer service -- it's just one way that we try to compare cards. The nFinanSe Visa Card is a great card for many users. For example, if you plan to use your card to primarily make online and offline purchases, you will enjoy an almost free card each month (only needing to pay the low monthly fee). The low fees are one of our favorite features of the nFinanSe card. We'd rate the card five stars if nFinanSe had a BBB rating and if there were more features on the card (such as a credit builder). However, the lack of those items should not keep you from considering this card. And, in some ways, the less features, the less complicated. Finally, the lack of a BBB rating doesn't mean that the company is not serious about customer service -- it's just one way that we try to compare cards.

nFinanSe Prepaid Visa Fee Examples

Want to know how much the nFinanSe Prepaid Visa might cost you to use in a typical month? We have crunched the numbers for you! We also show how nFinanSe Prepaid Visastacks 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	nFinanSe Prepaid Visa	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 nFinanSe Prepaid Visa*

Activation Fee:	$0.00	Card Limit:	$5,000
Monthly Fee:	$2.95	ATM Withdrawal:**	$0.99
Signature Transactions:***	$0.00	ATM Balance Inquiry:	$1.00
PIN Transactions:***	$0.00	Bill Payments:	$0.44

The nFinanSe Visa card has a relatively straightforward fee structure. There are very few surprises in their terms. Make sure to minimize the number of ATM withdrawals you make (as you'll get charged a fee by nFinanSe as well as by certain ATM operators). Also, avoid needing to purchase a replacement card by keeping track of your card carefully (you need to do this anyway to protect your account).

Notes:
* Fees verified as of 08/15/2010. 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 nFinanSe Prepaid Visa in a "signature" transaction, select "Credit" when checking out at a brick and mortar merchant. Most internet transactions are automatically processed as "signature" transactions.

nFinanSe Prepaid Visa Card Options

nFinanSe provides two kinds of cards: a prepaid Visa card, and the nFinanSe Discover card. Both are great choices and have similar fee structures. Each card has a slightly different appearance, so you may want to choose based on your taste.

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

The nFinanSe Visa Card (like all financial products), has fees that can be avoided if you are aware of them and use your card properly. Here are a few tips to minimize your monthly fees and costs associated with the nFinanSe Visa Card.

• First reduce the number of ATM withdrawals you make. If you need a few hundred dollars in cash for the week, take that whole amount in one withdrawal from the ATM (assuming you have enough funds in the account!). Don't withdraw $20 or $40 at a time (the fees add up FAST).
• Treat your card like a checkbook. Don't try to take money out when you don't have it (you won't get an overdraft charge, but you could get a ""decline"" transaction at an ATM).
• You really should use direct deposit if you can. Ask your employer (they should be able to set it up for you). Direct deposit is great. It reduces paper waste, and you get access to your pay much faster than waiting for a paycheck to cash.

Tips for Using The nFinanSe Prepaid Debit Visa Card

• Loading Funds on your Prepaid Card Using the Visa ReadyLink Network
• How to Load Money on a nFinanSe Discover Card
• How to set up Direct Deposit for a nFinanSe Visa Card
• Using a Prepaid Visa Card — A Few Tips
• Why Do I Need to Provide a Social Security Number to Get a Prepaid Debit Card?