FAQ

A prepaid card is similar to a bank debit card. With a prepaid card, you're in control of your available balance because you control how much money is added to the card. Once you load your card with funds, you can use it to make purchases both online and in-store.

If you have a Mastercard, you can use your card everywhere Debit Mastercard is accepted, including online and in-store, and withdraw cash from your card from ATMs worldwide. Limitations apply, see Cardholder Agreement for details.

If you have a Visa, you can use your card everywhere Visa debit cards are accepted, including online and in-store, and you can withdraw cash from your card at anytime from ATMs worldwide. Limitations apply, see Cardholder Agreement for details.

No. Unlike gift cards, CARD.com card accounts are designed to be reloaded for continued use.

No. You do not need to have an existing bank account to open a CARD.com card account. If you do have a traditional bank account, you can use it to load your CARD.com card account with a bank transfer.

Yes. See Add Money for all of the ways you can load and reload your card.

Prepaid Mastercard cards can be used everywhere Debit Mastercard is accepted, online and in-store.

Prepaid Visa cards can be used everywhere Visa debit cards are accepted, online and in-store.

Choose your favorite design from the gallery and complete the online form. There is no credit check or upfront fees (this is not a credit card), and your enrollment can be approved in seconds with verified ID^*.

If we are unable to verify your identity, we will not open a Card account for you.

You must be 18 to sign-up.

We request your Social Security number to verify your identity to comply with the USA PATRIOT Act.^*. CARD.com takes the privacy and security of your personal information very seriously.

If we are unable to verify your identity, we will not open a Card account for you.

Not a problem! This is not a credit card, so there is no credit check. You are using your own money at all times.

You should receive your card within 14 business days. If you haven't received your card after 14 business days, please call Account Support at (866) 345-4520.

You should receive your card within 14 business days. Once you successfully activate your card and load funds to your card account, you may use it immediately.

First, you'll need to activate your card and load funds so you have money to spend.

If you have a Mastercard, you can then use it everywhere Debit Mastercard is accepted, online and in-store. Certain restrictions apply. See Cardholder Agreement for details.

If you have a Visa Card, you can use it everywhere Visa debit cards are accepted, online and in-store. Certain restrictions apply. See Cardholder Agreement for details.

Activate online at CARD.com/activate or by calling (866) 345-4520

Yes. Our limits are available in your Cardholder Agreement. Please login to view your Cardholder Agreement.

There is no minimum balance. Please log in and refer to your Cardholder Agreement to see your maximum balance.

This varies by transaction. Please log in to view your spending limits in your Cardholder Agreement.

If you attempt to make a purchase with an insufficient balance, the transaction may be rejected. You will not incur overdraft or purchase transaction fees when this happens; however, if the transaction is approved, you are responsible for any amount that is over your available balance.

You can check your account balance by logging in at CARD.com/start, using our mobile app, or by calling (866) 345-4520.

If your card account has been blocked due to a merchant return and we are able to match a corresponding transaction to your return (the purchase was made on the same CARD.com card account as the return), we will release the block on your card account. If we are unable to match the return to a corresponding transaction, the card will remain blocked and you will be asked to call Account Support at (866) 345-4520.

Yes! You may have up to three (3) primary card accounts for many reasons, such as a coffee fund, keeping entertainment expenses separate from the household, vacation funds, or even for a rainy day!

With our new pricing plan, you get all the benefits the Family of Cards Plan offered, plus you could be eligible for a waiver of your Monthly Maintenance Fee if you make Qualifying Direct Deposits in an aggregate or a lump sum of $1,000.00 or more in the previous rolling 30-day period across any of your Card Accounts.

You can still have up to three (3) Card Accounts, with three (3) different designs, for one Monthly Maintenance Fee.  If you are already making Qualifying Direct Deposits of an aggregate of $1,000.00 or more in previous 30-day period, we will waive your next Monthly Maintenance Fee of $9.95, and you will pay $0 instead. If you continue to receive Qualifying Direct Deposits across any of your Card Accounts, your fees will continue to be waived.

A “Qualifying Direct Deposit” is a deposit that is electronically transferred to your Card Account from a payroll or benefits provider. Typically, only recurring ACH payments from a payroll and benefits source qualify. Tax refund deposits, Adding Cash, INGO check funds transfers, or card-to-card transfers are not qualified deposits.

With our new pricing plan, you get all the benefits that the Single Card Plan offered, plus you are eligible for up to three (3) Card Accounts, with three (3) different designs, for just one Monthly Maintenance Fee.  If you make Qualifying Direct Deposits in an aggregate of $1,000.00 or more each in the previous 30-day billing cycle across any of your Cards, your Monthly Maintenance Fee will continue to be waived. That means you can have up to three (3) Card Accounts and pay no Monthly Maintenance Fee.

Yes, you are eligible for a Monthly Maintenance fee waiver even if your Qualifying Direct Deposits are split between multiple Card Accounts.  For example, if you received Qualifying Direct Deposits of $300 on your first card, $300 on your second card, and $400 on your third card, for an aggregate of $1,000 across all your Card Accounts in the prior 30-day billing cycle, we will waive your next Monthly Maintenance Fee.

The biggest benefit is that you’ll know you always have access to your funds if one of your Cards is lost, stolen or compromised.  If you have two or three Cards, make sure to leave one at home. If anything happens to your Card, you’ll be able to transfer money to your other Card Accounts and have access to your funds.  If you only have one Card Account, you will have to wait until the Card has been shipped to you after reporting it lost, stolen or compromised.

You can also use them for budgeting.  Some customers like to use one Card Account for small purchases like buying coffee, and give themselves only so much allowance per month.  Others use one Card Account as a rainy-day fund, or a vacation fund. Transfer money using Card-to-Card transfers, and you won’t have to worry about spending what you’ve saved up.

Lastly, you can match your Card design to fit your mood and style.  Keep some funds on each, and choose which fits each morning.

You can close your account by contacting [email protected] or by calling 866-345-4520 and requesting that your card account be closed.

Log into your card account, hover over the settings/tool icon, and click on "Account" and then "Communications". From there, you can personalize which text alerts you would like to receive^§.

You can change your address by going to the Account page, and editing your address directly.

If you cannot complete the step above, we may need additional documentation to verify your address. In that case, please visit our Secure Documents Center, and select "I need to update my address". You will be asked to upload a clear copy of an unexpired government-issued photo ID, as well as a copy of another document such as a utility bill that shows the address to which you are requesting the change.

A PIN (Personal Identification Number) is a 4-digit numeric code used to identify and authenticate yourself at an ATM or for any PIN-based purchase.

You will receive a PIN when you activate your card. Please remember this number, and do not, for any reason, share it with anyone. Please note that we will never ask you for your PIN.

You can change your PIN by logging into your CARD.com Account PIN Page, or by navigating to the Account tab in our mobile app. You can also call (866) 345-4520 and change it over the phone via our Automated Support Services.

Enrolling in Direct Deposit is the most convenient way to reload your card, because all (or part) of your pay or benefit payments can be automatically deposited onto your Card Account – easily and automatically. Not only that, by enrolling in Direct Deposit, you can get paid up to 2 days earlier^‡! Learn how

Plus, we'll waive the Monthly Maintenance Fee if you've deposited $1,000.00 or more through Direct Deposit in the prior 30-day period. NOTE: If in the following 30-day period the minimum Direct Deposit load of $1,000.00 is not met, then you will see the Monthly Maintenance Fee charged to your card account. Direct deposit refers to ACH payments received from a payroll or federal benefits source, excluding tax refund deposits. For more information, see the Cardholder Agreement.

To enroll in Direct Deposit, you must either have an employer, receive government benefits, or be receiving a tax refund. Also, the name associated with the Direct Deposit must be the same as the name associated with the card account.

• Employer Paycheck: Automatically deposit all (or part) of your paycheck directly to your card account. You will need to give your employer the bank routing number and your Direct Deposit account number. You can find this information at CARD.com/add-money/direct-deposit when logged in.
• Government Benefits: If you are receiving government benefits, you can have them automatically deposited onto your card. You will need to give your benefits provider the bank routing number and your Direct Deposit account number. You can find this information at CARD.com/add-money/direct-deposit, when logged in.

To be eligible for early payday and get paid up to 2 days faster^‡, simply enroll in our Direct Deposit program. CARD.com will apply your payroll or benefits payment direct deposit load within hours of receipt.

You may be paid up to 2 days faster^‡ than you would normally. Once we receive notice that your eligible payroll or benefits payment has been received, we will process your direct deposit load within the next processing window. You will have access to directly deposited funds on the business day of the posting for the Direct Deposit.

How early we can provide your payroll or benefits payment deposit depends on how far in advance your payroll or benefits provider initiates the payment file for processing. In some cases, you may be paid up to 4 days earlier. There are limited windows that we may process deposit files, but we can assure you that we will process your eligible payroll or benefits payment within the next processing window following receipt of the information from your payroll or benefits provider.^‡

You can find your card account information by going to CARD.com/add-money/direct-deposit when logged in.

No. Making a direct deposit intended for another person is not authorized, as is depositing checks made out to someone else. Doing so will cause your card account to be blocked immediately. Additionally, cardholders are not authorized to provide their bank routing number and Direct Deposit account number to anyone other than their employer, their personal bank account, or their own account at a different financial institution.

Please contact your employer or government benefits provider for guidance on how to change your Direct Deposit amounts.

You'll have access to your money as soon as the funds are electronically deposited to your card. We do not place holds on any direct deposits, so as soon as your employer releases the funds, you will have access to them on your card. Direct Deposit capability is subject to payer's support of this feature. Check with your payer to find out when the direct deposit of funds will start.

To learn more about filing your taxes, please visit CARD.com/tax-refund.

When you choose Direct Deposit, you won't need to wait for a paper check to be printed and mailed to you, which you'll need to cash or deposit.

By e-filing and choosing Direct Deposit, the IRS expects to issue 9 out of 10 refunds within 21 days, as opposed to 4-6 weeks for a check in the mail. It is possible that yours could require additional review and take longer.
On November 15, 2019 the IRS indicated that tax refunds are generally issued within 21 days after receipt of your tax return. See http://www.irs.gov/Refunds updated as of November 15, 2019. Current refund timeframes may vary as determined by the IRS. See http://www.irs.gov/ for current information on estimated IRS refund processing timeframes.

The IRS issues most refunds in less than 21 calendar days. It is possible yours could require additional review and take longer. You can check your refund status on the IRS website or on the IRS2GO App.
On November 15, 2019 the IRS indicated that tax refunds are generally issued within 21 days after receipt of your tax return. See http://www.irs.gov/Refunds updated as of November 15, 2019. Current refund timeframes may vary as determined by the IRS. See http://www.irs.gov/ for current information on estimated IRS refund processing timeframes.

Yes, cardholders can deposit a joint tax return on their card. However, the cardholder's Social Security number and name MUST match the first Social Security number and name on the tax return, otherwise, the direct deposit load will be rejected.

Please log in and refer to your Cardholder Agreement to see your loading limits.

There are many convenient ways to add money to your card:

• Direct Deposit: An easy and free way to deposit your paycheck or government benefits to your card. Plus we'll waive your Monthly Maintenance Fee if you've direct deposited $1,000.00 or more in the prior 30-day period.
• Load Cash: Load your card with cash in minutes. Bring your card and your cash to a participating location and reload with Green Dot^® Reload @ the Register^TM or Western Union^®. Third party fees may apply, see List of all Fees for details.
• Bank Transfers: Add money from virtually any U.S.-issued bank account. If you have a checking or savings account, use it to add money to your card account.
• Check Deposit: Load check funds using our app^§ or load by cashing a check at Walmart. Third party fees may apply, see List of all Fees for details.
• Virtual Wallet Transfers: Transfer funds from a virtual wallet such as PayPal^TM or Google Wallet.
• Share Money from card to card: It's easy to share money between eligible cards. Please see Cardholder Agreements to see which cards are eligible.
• Tax Refunds: Get your tax refund faster than a paper check when you direct deposit your refund onto your card.

• Log into the bank account from where you'll be transferring your money from, and set up a link to an external account. This option may be listed under Settings, Accounts, Transfer Funds or Withdraw, depending on your bank. Reference their help section for detailed instructions.
• Next, choose “Checking” from your bank's available selections and enter your CARD.com routing and direct deposit account numbers.
• Within 2-3 business days, your bank will make two small deposits to your card account. View these transactions by logging into your CARD.com online account.
• Log back into your bank account and navigate to where you added your card account. From there, enter the two deposit amounts from your bank. You will now be able to transfer funds to your card from your bank account!

Visit CARD.com to find a reload location near you.

Download our mobile app, tap the "Load Checks" tab, and follow the instructions.^###

It's easy. Position the camera at a slight angle so there are no shadows on the check. Be sure the check is framed properly so it fits just inside the guidelines—not too far to the left or right. Don't hold the check in your hand. Lay it on a solid-colored background so that none of the numbers are covered up. Be sure the lighting in the room is good. If the check is too dark, it won't be readable. Finally, make sure the check is not crumpled in any way.^###

In addition to your traditional printed payroll and government checks, Ingo^TM accepts attorney checks, cashier's checks, handwritten payroll checks, insurance checks, money orders, rebate checks, refund-anticipation checks and two-party or personal checks. They will allow loads of almost any kind of check up to $2,500.00. You can't load checks that aren't made out to you, including conditional-endorsement checks, counter checks, credit card checks, customer-appreciation certificates, gift certificates, starter checks, traveler's checks, and warrants. View Ingo's FAQs to learn about full limitations.^###

Ingo Money uses systems and technology to protect your personal information and won't share your information with outside parties except as set forth in the Ingo Privacy Policy, or with your permission. To comply with government regulations of the financial industry, Ingo uses your Social Security number only to verify your identity. For more information, go to www.ingomoney.com/privacy-policy.^###

All checks submitted to Ingo are subject to approval. There are a number of reasons why your check might not have been approved. For instance, if the payee name on the check doesn't match the name on your Ingo account, if the check was written on a closed account, or if Ingo has had bad checks in the past from the person who gave you the check. Your check may also be declined if the amount of the check will cause you to exceed the daily, weekly, or monthly load limits for your card or will cause you to exceed the maximum balance allowed on your card.^###

You decide. If you choose the no-fee option, your funds will be loaded to your card in 10 days, as long as the check is approved and not returned unpaid. If you need your money sooner and select to pay the fee, your money will be available if your check is approved^### after a short review by Ingo that can take as few as 2 minutes or, in rare occasions, as long as an hour.

Plus, we'll waive the Monthly Maintenance Fee if you deposit $1,000.00 or more through Direct Deposit in the prior 30-day period. NOTE: If in the following 30-day period the minimum Direct Deposit load of $1,000.00 is not met, then you will see the Monthly Maintenance Fee charged to your card account.

Please contact Ingo Customer Service at 229-276-3990.^###

You can cash preprinted payroll or government checks.

1. At a participating Walmart, cash a preprinted check up to $1,000.00 (a max fee of $3.00 applies).
2. Immediately load your prepaid card ($3.74 reload fee applies) and typically funds will be available in minutes.

Important to remember: These services are not available in all states or stores. Reloads can't exceed card limits. Your receipt is proof of your reload.

You can cash a preprinted payroll or government check and easily load all or part of your cash directly to your card from the convenience of any register at a participating Walmart (not available in all states or stores).

You can add cash directly to your card at ACE Cash Express^®, CVS/pharmacy^®, Dollar General^®, Kmart, Rite Aid^®, 7-Eleven^®, Walgreens and Walmart (not available in VT) stores nationwide.

Just ask the cashier to add cash directly to your card at the register. A reload fee of up to $4.95 applies. Keep your receipt. Reload and card balance limits apply. See Cardholder Agreement for details. The retailer that receives your cash will be responsible to transfer the funds for deposit into your CARD account.

Your money is typically available on the card within 15 minutes.

You can reload cash directly to your card at a Western Union agent location by completing a prepaid loading form and handing your prepaid card and cash to the agent. Fees and limitations will apply.

You can use your card as a backup funding source for your PayPal account. Even if you don't have funds in your PayPal account, you can pay anywhere PayPal is accepted with the money in your CARD.com account. Just connect the accounts and check out using PayPal, wherever you see the PayPal logo. To link your card account, log into your PayPal account, click "Banks and Cards" on the left, click "Link a Bank", click "PrePaid", and enter your card account information.

Check your CARD.com balance to ensure there are adequate funds to complete the transaction. Then, look at your PayPal settings to ensure you aren't deducting from your card account as an ACH (bank account) transaction. Your card account number cannot be used for direct debits from merchants. If presented for payment, these preauthorized direct debits will be declined and your payment to the merchant or provider will not be processed. The bank routing number and Direct Deposit account number are for the purpose of initiating direct deposits to your card account only. Please ensure that your card is linked as a payment card on PayPal, not as a bank account. Contact PayPal for further assistance with your PayPal account.

Yes, you can take out cash fee-free from your card at any time from MoneyPass^® (in-network)  ATMs. Please refer to your Cardholder Agreement or Fee Schedule for out-of-network fee information.

If you used a MoneyPass ATM and still see a surcharge fee that has been charged by the ATM provider, please contact Customer Service at (866) 345-4520 and be prepared to provide the date and time of the transaction, the amount, and the name and address of the ATM provider.

Some merchants, especially gas stations, hotels and sometimes restaurants, will preauthorize or "hold" an amount that is higher than the actual purchase price. Your preauthorization transactions will appear along with all other transactions on our mobile app or at CARD.com/transactions. Please refer to your Cardholder Agreement to learn more about preauthorizations.

You can call your company's customer support number to verify that the payment has been received, or check your transaction history online on our mobile app, or at CARD.com/transactions.

Some merchants, especially gas stations, hotels and sometimes restaurants, will preauthorize or "hold" an amount that is higher than the actual purchase price. If the "held" amount is greater than the funds on your account, the card will decline. For example:

• Gas stations: Many gas stations preauthorize transactions for amounts ranging from $1.00 to $100.00 at the automated fuel pump because they do not know how much gas you will actually pump in advance of your transaction. If you purchase gasoline as a credit transaction at the pump, a hold amount may be placed on your prepaid card account for an amount of $100 or more, which may limit access to your account balance for up to 9 calendar days. To avoid such holds, we recommend that you purchase gasoline using a debit transaction or take your card inside to the cashier to pay for the gasoline.
• Hotels: When using your prepaid card to make reservations in advance, hotels generally preauthorize an amount equal to an overnight stay, or more, depending on the length of your stay. This will result in a hold on your account until the merchant sends us the final amount, or the hold expires, whichever comes first. When you arrive, the hotel will place another preauthorization on your account, often larger than the cost of your stay, to cover possible incidental expenses. If you cancel the reservation, or use a different card to settle your account, please make sure to ask the Hotel to cancel the preauthorization, otherwise the preauthorization will not be dropped until the hold expires
• Restaurants: Many times, restaurants will preauthorize the total amount of your purchase, plus 20%. For example, if your meal is $50.00, the restaurant will "hold" $60.00, so you must have $60.00 available, otherwise the card will be declined.

An authorization hold will typically drop off your prepaid card account automatically within 9 calendar days from the date of service or transaction if the merchant does not submit the transaction before that time frame. Hotel and rental car merchant holds may remain on your prepaid card account for up to 30 days from the date of the transaction date. It is important to note that hotel and rental car agencies may add additional amounts for incidentals and may authorize additional amounts based on your length of stay at a hotel or days of rental for a rental car. It is up to you to work with the merchant to release any holds that are no longer necessary if you have completed your stay at a hotel or returned your car rental. CARD.com will not release these outstanding authorizations without specific documentation sent to us directly from the merchant.

If you would like to have the authorization hold released early because the transaction was canceled or you have finalized the transaction, please have the merchant send a letter on their letterhead with the following details:

• Account Number
• Dollar Amount of the Transaction
• Authorization Code
• Merchant ID
• Date of the Authorization
• Reason for the Hold Release
• For a hotel stay, a copy of the final folio is also required

This documentation may be uploaded to us via our Secure Documents Center.

Your preauthorization transactions will appear along with all other transactions on our mobile app and CARD.com/transactions.

You will be required to provide personal information that will allow us to confirm that you are the same person who ordered the card.

• Treat your card like cash.
• Never give your card number to anyone.
• NEVER give out your PIN number.
• If you regularly give money to family members, have them tell you a code word before initiating a transaction to be sure no one is using their identity as part of a scam.
• Verify the authenticity of retailers you do business with before giving them your card number over the phone or online.
• Do not email your card number to anyone on the Internet, even if someone offers you money or "winnings."
• If an offer seems too good to be true, it probably is.

1. Open your eWallet app (Apple Pay, Android Pay, or Samsung Pay)
2. Follow your app’s instructions to add a new card. Have your card handy.
3. Input the card information (16-digit card number, 3-digit CVV/security code, and your expiration date). Confirm the information.
4. Once your app has verified your card information, you can use it at any merchant enabled for your eWallet service.

eWallets use Near Field Communication (NFC) technology or Magnetic Secure Transmission (MST) to make payments. By tapping your NFC-enabled device on a card reader terminal at the merchant, the terminal reads and writes to the NFC chip in the device.

Magnetic Secure Transmission (MST) allows for the phone to be used for contactless payments at mag stripe terminals. It creates a magnetic field to communicate card information to the terminal – as if a card was being swiped – but through a tap of the phone.

Yes, eWallets increase transaction security through the use of a token. A token serves as a secure replacement for a physical 16-digit card number, or Primary Account Number (PAN), for use in digital payment transactions. Tokenization adds an additional layer of defense against fraud by masking your true card number. This may help reduce fraud because actual card numbers are not transmitted with the payment. Tokens, along with additional dynamic data, are used to process the payment securely.

You will see a tick mark with a success message on your device regardless of whether the terminal displays a success or decline transaction message.

You can suspend/delete token through your carrier’s service. Please contact them immediately.

Yes.

Yes, you will see a history of transactions you’ve made on your device.

You can have up to eight cards on any device.

Apple Pay is used at millions of grocery stores, boutiques, restaurants, and hotels that have NFC-enabled terminals that are updated to accept Apple Pay. Apple Pay can also be used online within Apps. For a list of merchants, please visit the Apple website: https://www.apple.com/apple-pay/where-to-use/.

Apple Pay requires an internet connection for setup, but does not require an active internet connection for a transaction at a merchant, as the token is stored on the device.

1. Open the Watch app on your iPhone, and go to the My Watch tab. If you have multiple watches, choose one.
2. Tap Wallet & Apple Pay.
3. Follow the steps to add a card. If a card is already on your iPhone, tap Add next to the card. To add a new card, tap Add Credit or Debit Card and enter your card information.
4. Tap Next.  Your card information will be verified.
5. After your card has been verified, tap Next. You may then start using Apple Pay with your Apple Watch.

^*Information courtesy of Apple.

To use your default card within the wallet, double-click the side button and hold the display of the Apple Watch within an inch of the contactless reader. You should then feel a gentle tap. 

If prompted at the terminal to provide the last four digits of your card, use the Device Account Number. For the Apple Watch, open the Watch app on your iPhone, tap Wallet & Apple Pay, then tap the card to see the Device Account Number.

^*Information courtesy of Apple.

You can have up to 10 cards on any device.

Samsung Pay will work with almost all point-of-sale systems, including magnetic stripe and EMV terminals for chip-based cards. 

Samsung Pay will not work with readers where you must physically insert your card into a slot such as those found at gasoline pumps and at ATMs. 

Yes, although you will only be able to make 10 payments without the device being on Wi-Fi or cellular data. You will also need to have an active internet connection to add a card and to access transaction history.

There is no limit to the number of cards you may have on the Android Pay wallet.

Android Pay is used at millions of grocery stores, boutiques, restaurants, and hotels that accept Android pay. For a list of merchants, please see the Android Pay website: https://www.android.com/pay/where-to-use/.

Yes, although you will only be able to make 10 payments without the device being on Wi-Fi or cellular data. You will also need to have an active internet connection to add a card and to access transaction history.