Bought a prepaid debit card for a trip to Chicago last month, then realized I had no way to track my spending without an app

Got to the hotel and tried to check my balance on their website, but it kept erroring out and I ended up overdrawing on a $50 card for a $3 soda - has anyone else found these cards are basically useless for actual budgeting?

3 comments

3 Comments

aaron_mitchell1mo ago

$3 overdraw on a $50 card is some next level scam behavior.

valc911mo ago

This is the exact reason I stopped messing with those prepaid cards, they always find new ways to screw you over. Did you actually try calling their customer service number or did you just give up after the website failed? I'm asking because most of those companies hide their real support behind a maze of automated menus, and even if you get through they just blame your phone or your Internet connection. The whole "loading money onto a card" thing sounds great in theory but they make it nearly impossible to check your balance without their stupid app, which usually doesn't work on older phones anyway. It feels like they design the system to fail so people just give up and lose track of what they spent.

daniel_gonzalez1mo ago

@valc91 did their support ever give you a straight answer about the $3, or just run you in circles?