See our recent review of the O2USA prepaid Mastercard debit card

O2USA Prepaid MasterCard

The O2USA Mastercard prepaid debit card is made to function like a checking account for millions of consumers worldwide that don’t have a traditional banking relationship. The O2USA card also puts the purchasing power of MasterCard in your pocket, not to mention Zero Liability fraud protection as well as FDIC account insurance. There is no credit or background check, so O2USA guarantees you will be approved (see website for details).

Review of the O2USA Prepaid MasterCard

O2USA Prepaid MasterCard


Depositing funds on the O2USA MasterCard is a piece of cake, whether you choose direct deposit, the Green Dot MonePak/Reload Network or even a Bank Wire Transfer. You can also make paying bills and managing your account online a secure, simple and convenient process rather than taking time to make a trip to the post office or paying in person. You can save gas money AND postage!!! The O2USA prepaid MasterCard allows ATM withdrawals or PIN purchases (with cash over) at any Cirrus(R), Maestro(R) or STAR(R) automated teller our retail outlet. Also, when you check out the fee schedule, you will notice that the O2USA Master Card is quite competitive with other prepaid products. Check it out!

Here are some of the fantastic features and benefits of the O2USA Prepaid MasterCard debit card:

  • FREE Direct Deposit
  • Account Access Twenty-Four/Seven Toll Free
  • Ample Load Option via Bank Wire Transfer, Direct Deposit and over 50,000 Green Dot Retail Locations
  • FREE Wireless Text and Email Balance and Transaction Alerts
  • No Finance/Interest Charges that Typically come with a Credit Card
  • FDIC Account Insurance and MasterCard Zero Liability Protection
  • Worldwide MasterCard Acceptance and Access to Cash
  • Unlimited Bill Pay


How We Rated the O2USA Prepaid MasterCard

Card FeaturesO2USA Prepaid MasterCard Features
FeesO2USA Prepaid MasterCard Fees
Disclosure ClarityO2USA Prepaid MasterCard Disclosure
BBB RatingO2USA Prepaid MasterCard BBB Rating
Load OptionsO2USA Prepaid MasterCard Reload Options
Overall RatingO2USA Prepaid MasterCard Rating
Rating Explanation
O2USA Prepaid MasterCard 4 GetDebit.com Editor The O2USA Mastercard is a new product and appears to be competitive in the prepaid field. There are a few things to point out to potential customers like a rather expensive bill pay mechanism compared to other cards. No problem if you are not a heavy bill pay user. Also, PIN debit transactions have a nominal charge whereas signature purchases are free. Some benefits to note are the fact that there is no Activation Fee and customer service is also Free. The Better Business Bureau ranks the card issuer, First California Bank high in customer service issues, although the Independent Sales Organization (ISO) CardFlex Financial is not found in the BBB system. Overall, this is a competitive card and will serve high signature purchase transactors and those that like to manage their accounts online well.
The O2USA Mastercard is a new product and appears to be competitive in the prepaid field. There are a few things to point out to potential customers like a rather expensive bill pay mechanism compared to other cards. No problem if you are not a heavy bill pay user. Also, PIN debit transactions have a nominal charge whereas signature purchases are free. Some benefits to note are the fact that there is no Activation Fee and customer service is also Free. The Better Business Bureau ranks the card issuer, First California Bank high in customer service issues, although the Independent Sales Organization (ISO) CardFlex Financial is not found in the BBB system. Overall, this is a competitive card and will serve high signature purchase transactors and those that like to manage their accounts online well.

O2USA Prepaid MasterCard Fee Examples

Want to know how much the O2USA Prepaid MasterCard might cost you to use in a typical month? We have crunched the numbers for you! We also show how O2USA Prepaid MasterCardstacks 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 O2USA Prepaid MasterCard Bank of America "Regular" Checking Check Cashing Store
Monthly Fee Once per month $ $ $
Cash paycheck (per month) $ $ $ $*
ATM Withdrawals $ $ $
Bill Payments $ $ $
Online Purchases $ $ N/A
In-Store Purchases*** $ $ N/A
Overdrafts:**** $ $
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 O2USA Prepaid MasterCard*

Activation Fee:$0.00 Card Limit:$5000
Monthly Fee:$4.95 ATM Withdrawal:**$2.00
Signature Transactions:***$0.00 ATM Balance Inquiry:$1.00
PIN Transactions:***$0.50 Bill Payments:$10.00

Signature transactions are Free, for PIN POS purchases, the O2USA Master Card comes with a 50 cent per transaction fee. ATM transactions, card to card money transfers, bill payment and paper statements all come with fees, so be aware of your card usage. There is NO activation fee for this card, which is good and the monthly fee is competitive although apparently is not waived like several other prepaid cards offering direct deposit. The bill pay fee can be a little high if you only use the feature occasionally. Be aware that there are alternative cards that do not charge this fee.


Notes:
* Fees verified as of 01/24/2012. 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 O2USA Prepaid MasterCard in a "signature" transaction, select "Credit" when checking out at a brick and mortar merchant. Most internet transactions are automatically processed as "signature" transactions.

O2USA Prepaid MasterCard Card Options

Companion cards are available.

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

If you watch what you are doing, you can definitely avoid fees when using the O2USA MasterCard. Instead of taking cash out of an ATM, consider asking for "cash over" at a merchant when making a purchase. You can transact using a PIN purchase and incur a lower fee vs. and ATM withdrawal. Also, manage your account through text/email alerts and online rather than getting charged for a balance inquiry at an ATM. If you choose to use the bill pay feature, realize that it is a $10 monthly charge whether you use it once or several times. Get the most out of this fee if you use it. Do not ask for paper statements to be mailed as you can balance your account online and avoid a charge.

Tips for Using The O2USA Prepaid MasterCard