About Green Dot Prepaid Cards
Green Dot Prepaid Cards are a convenient money-management solution for consumers looking for help sticking to their budget. Unlike a traditional credit card, Green Dot’s prepaid cards do not let you use more money than is on the card.
Overall Satisfaction Rating
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Pros
- No overdraft fees
- Use anywhere that accepts Visa
- Free deposits and retailer withdrawals
Cons
- $2,500 card maximum
- Various added fees
Bottom Line
With free deposits, transfers and withdrawals from retailers, Green Dot cards are a versatile financial option accepted at many places. But with many hidden fees and a $2,500 maximum, it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution.
Top Green Dot Prepaid Cards Reviews
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Green Dot is the greatest thing ever. It’s much easier to bank with and I get no late fees, hidden fees or phone calls. The alert message telling me how much is in my account is a...
Read full reviewI like not dealing with the bank. I was getting my paychecks put on the Green Dot card and it's easy to use. Also, I have the app where I can check my balance. A lot of times when...
Read full reviewWhat is Green Dot?
Green Dot Prepaid Cards are reloadable debit cards that serve as an alternative to traditional bank accounts and let you load your paychecks directly onto the card for free. The company provides an easy-to-use mobile app and flat-rate monthly fees, and the card is accepted anywhere in the U.S. that accepts Visa.
Prepaid cards are easier to get approved for than some other types of banking solutions, which makes them a good option for those with bad or no credit.
Other people who like the flexibility and control of prepaid cards include:
- People traveling across the country
- Parents giving kids an allowance
- People who want to manage their spending
- People who don’t like traditional banks
How do Green Dot cards work?
You can easily set up a Green Dot prepaid card to receive direct deposits from paychecks, government deposits or tax returns for free. You can also use the mobile app to deposit checks online.
Once you’ve put funds onto the card, it can be used like any other debit card. It can be used anywhere that accepts Visa, so it's accepted at many locations around the world. Many retailers, including Kroger and 7-Eleven, allow for free cash withdrawals when you check out.
How much are Green Dot cards?
Green Dot Prepaid Cards has a $7.95 monthly charge for users who deposit less than $1,000 on the card each month. There is no monthly fee for those who deposit more than $1,000 per month. It costs $3 to withdraw money from ATMs and around $6 to reload cash onto the card.
Green Dot Prepaid Cards also offer:
- Free direct deposit
- Free ACH transfers
- Free mobile check deposit
- Free mobile app
- Free withdrawals from select stores
Green Dot FAQ
How do I access my Green Dot account?
What prepaid cards work with Green Dot?
What bank is associated with Green Dot?
Is Green Dot a real bank?
How do I activate my Green Dot prepaid Visa card?
Do Green Dot cards have a chip?
Is Green Dot safe?
Green Dot prepaid cards are a good solution for customers who want more control over their spending without the hassle of using a traditional bank. Because the cards don’t help build credit, Green Dot Prepaid Cards aren’t the best long-term solution for building a better financial history. However, the reasonable monthly fees and free deposits, transfers and retailer withdrawals make the cards an affordable and straightforward solution that can be attractive to many.
Green Dot Prepaid Cards Reviews
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I needed to order a new card and I am getting ready to move so when I ordered the new card I gave them the address I would be at when the car was to arrive they did not tell me that I would have to have that new address on my ID to be able to receive the card. That isn't possible so I put my old address back on file they have now blocked my account it's been 5 days. It was only supposed to take 2. I have submitted documents 3 times the 2nd time the representative on the phone attached them to my file on the 2nd of November and told me they were fine.
On the 4th of November I got an email saying they were blurry and could not be read even though the address has been the same for 18 years. I then re submitted the same documents it's now been another 24 hours and still no lift on the block I have had no access to my money for 6 days now. My car insurance has been canceled. I missed a job interview yesterday because I have no money for gas because they won't even let me transfer funds from one account to another. They have my entire social security number I have been a customer for 5 years nothing has changed on the account and they have it blocked. I have $0 in my pocket and all my money is in this account. I am now low on food, my Utilities are being shut off. This is absolutely ridiculous
After having my veterans benefits direct deposited to this card for four years, they blocked my account when I called saying I had lost my card and wanted a new one sent to me at another address because I was traveling. At the instruction of their agent, I put the temporary address into my mobile profile. Then they told me this address had to be verified before a card could be reissued. This was over a month ago. I have called many times and have been told it would be unblocked and then nothing happens. I can't even call them because my card number is invalid and you have to have a valid number in order to get through to customer service. Before they took my card out of the system I had three so called managers hang up on me when they couldn't provide answers to my questions. All customer service is handled in other countries so very hard to understand. I have been blocked out of my account for over a month and can get no one to help.
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I had to change my mailing address at the same time they were sending me my new card. I was told they would email me with instructions and I would need to attach my ID to it with my reply to that email. The same instructions were in the email. It stated that it would take two business days to review. So I waited two days with no access to my account to ensure I am not committing fraud. I called them back and they stated they didn't receive it. I then emailed them again and waited two days. This went on several rounds. Then they said I needed to send it to a different email address. So I did that, again went a couple rounds with that one. They finally stated they received it. That was now 4 business days later and still my account is locked. One person I spoke to stated I needed to now send a copy of my utility bill. When using their chat feature all the chats vanish so I started taking screenshots so they can't always play dumb.
I received the gift card – purchased from Walmart on 07/02/22. I did not know that Walmart gift/debit cards do not work, unless you willingly give GREENDOT your social security number and date of birth. I’ve had issues with my identity, so I did not want to give them my personal information (to protect my security). The 1st time I called Greendot was July 19th. Getting a human took a good 20+ minutes. I finally spoke to Sonndos, (man) who told me to e-mail a request for a refund (it would take 2-3 weeks to receive a refund check). I was also told to supply them a copy of the card (back & front) of the Walmart paid receipt. I did – sending it to: RR@greendotcorp.com as instructed at 8:53 am EST on 07/19/22. I was told to refer to my CASE# **.
I was away for almost (2) weeks, so I followed up on my return. I called on August 12, 2022. After 15+ minutes waiting for a human, I finally spoke to Urcher (female). She told me nothing was received and I needed to resend my request and copies? I e-mailed everything again on August 12th at 1:16 pm EST. This time she told me to refer to new CASE# **.
The 3rd time I called them was on August 22, 2022. I spent 45 min on the phone, speaking to several Green dot employees. WHY? Because Shreeaano told me that card was “registered” and “used”, so the case was closed. I asked if they could refer to my letters and (2) prior written requests – because I did not register the card out of fear of identity theft (& how I did not want to provide my ss# or birthdate to Greendot). Shreeanno wouldn’t listen, only receptively saying the case was "closed", the card was "registered and used".
I begged to speak to a human – preferably an American supervisor. He transferred me to Dominic and said he was unable to tell me when the card was registered – I asked who and when was the card registered. Again, I requested to speak to an American Supervisor. He transferred me to Rose, (corp card solutions?). She said the case was “closed” because the card was "registered and used" on August 12th. And suggested I call my, “local law enforcement”. I kept asking why Greendot wasn’t interested to investigate which of their employees stole from a customer – she kept ignoring me and continued to tell me to call my local law enforcement.
Then I called Walmart (479)273-4000 on August 22 at 4:48 pm. I spoke to Katelyn who explained that despite Walmart’s name being all over the credit/debit card they outsource it to a 3rd party company – outside of the USA. Walmart will sell these cards and do not care about their customers or that their 3rd party company is stealing from their customers.
In order to activate the card, the Greendot employee had to use their social security number and birthdate (or give it to a friend) – so the evidence is there. No police department is going to sit on the phone for that long with Greendot, speaking to people in India, or a $30 loss. My advice? Do not buy any Walmart gift cards &/or debit cards!!!
At first, it seemed to work pretty well, until I tried to send my daughter some money. Even though the money was taken off of my card, Green Dot wouldn't let the transfer go through because my daughter doesn't have a Green Dot card. We tried to put the money back on my card, Green Dot wouldn't allow that either. Customer service hung up on me several times before I could even talk to anyone. I finally got it taken care of several days later. A few days after that, my pin number wouldn't work, I finally got someone from customer service on the phone and was told that my pin number had expired. Not the card, just my pin number, with no 'heads up' from Green Dot. I had to completely reset the pin number.
About a month later, I was trying to make an online purchase and I kept getting a 'card denied' response even though I knew that the money was there. I was told by Green Dot customer service that the company I was trying to order from was not on their list of preferred merchants, so my transaction would not be allowed. These are only a few problems that I had, the actual list is much longer.
I have been using the Greendot prepaid card for more than a year now, and I have noticed something alarming. Greendot is scamming their customers. They must think people are stupid and can't do simple math. I know how much I had in my account, and all of a sudden I am negative. Since when does a prepaid (non-bank) card have any overdrafts allowed??? Every time I would try using my card before not knowing if I had enough to cover the cost, it would decline if I didn't have enough funds available for the transaction. Also, I still remember Greendot trying to take the monthly fee twice in one month from me before.
They have also taken the monthly fee before they were supposed to, and if I didn't have it yet it would be negative. I DON NOT any longer trust Greendot. They told me this on my end and there nothing wrong with my transaction history, claiming I owe and I don't. GOODBYE GREENDOT!!! You just lost another customer, because you are untrusting.
I am a victim of Debit Card fraud, some thief stole $1,300 from my Greendot checking acct I had for close to 7yrs. They stole $900 one day and $400 while I was on the phone with the customer service rep which of course is in India somewhere they can barely understand me. I filed the police report, GD denied my claim 3xs. How they stole the money from the ATM without my card or pin # is beyond me. The police stated that the bank should honor my claim...But NOOO not GREENDOT!! They had the nerve to tell me I authorized these, fraudulent withdrawals, you can clearly see where the suspect did Balance inquiries prior to draining my account. I have an app on my phone. I DON'T NEED TO PAY .50 TO INQUIRE!! I'm so annoyed as to why or how GD can blatantly refuse to give me my money back after all these years of loyalty!!! Do not trust your money with this company....They don't care about you!
They gave me a 200.00 overdraft protection but demanded it be paid the next day. But I don't get paid until the 19th. By direct deposit. So it's coming but they don't care. They want right away. Unfair.
Walmart VISA Gift Cards issued by Green Dot Corporation were frozen with hundreds of dollars on 3 cards ($700 total). I gave 3 cards to 3 people. Each informed me their gift card was declined--one card declined at restaurant, another declined at store, 3rd card declined by Amazon. My experience with Green Dot--9 phone calls, 172 minutes on the phone, uploaded and emailed my driver's license 3 times, 5 business days, repeatedly put on hold, repeatedly disconnected calls, repeatedly told to call back after a few more business days, one week of this with no resolution. I finally had to get my credit card company, American Express, involved. My review of Green Dot--they will limit access to your money while providing little or no help to resolve the issue. A Green Dot Corporate Resolutions Manager told me that when they limit access to your money on their VISA GIFT Cards, depending upon your state it can take 2 to 3 years to get your money.
My return was put on a Green Dot card. I was not able to make a significant purchase. I wasn't allowed to withdraw enough money from a ATM nor was I allowed to get enough money out to buy a car which I needed. It would only let me Nickel my money away.
Green Dot Prepaid Cards Company Information
- Company Name:
- Green Dot
- Year Founded:
- 1999
- Website:
- www.greendot.com
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