Do you wish you could have more control and freedom over your finances? This is where the Netspend Prepaid Mastercard can help. You can manage your money with the Netspend Card by using a mobile app that lets you stay updated on your spending and balance. Keeping track of transactions is even more convenient with Anytime Alerts enrollment, which lets you receive text or email notifications after every transaction. Wait, where would this money come from?
It’s the first question that comes to everyone’s mind after getting the card in your hand. Many new Netspend users believe that they will receive their Netspend card with money loaded on it upon receiving it. Does Netspend or any other card work this way at all? Okay, here’s what you need to know about the Netspend Card and how you can get the balance on it when you use it for bills, online shopping, and more.
Netspend Prepaid Card
Unlike traditional debit cards, Netspend Prepaid Cards don’t require a credit check or a minimum balance. Netspend Cards let you reload cash, plus you can set up direct deposit so that your pay, government benefits, and tax refund are automatically deposited. Direct deposit to a Netspend Card gives Cardholders up to 2 days faster pay. You can reload cash at any of the more than 130,000 Netspend Reload Network locations nationwide. You can then use the Netspend card to:
- Go shopping wherever you want.
- Take care of your bills online.
- Take money out of an ATM or a cash register.
- Directly send money to family members.
Does a Netspend Card Come with Money on It?
Unfortunately, Netspend doesn’t deliver cards preloaded with money, so you must load money onto your card yourself. You can add money to your balance to increase your spending limit. Once you have spent the balance, the card becomes unusable until you add more money to it. In order to load money onto a Netspend card, you can follow any of the several loading ways. There are methods such as Direct Deposit, Netspend Reload Locations, Bank Transfers, and PayPal between NetSpend accounts. But in a way that is a good thing. It’s because the fact that you are using your own money eliminates the risk of unnecessary credit exposure. However, Here I will mention some ways to load money onto the Netspend cards so that you don’t have to get confused after receiving the card.
- Mobile check loading : Netspend can load funds into your account instantly by scanning your paper check using your smartphone camera. When you select the “Mobile Check Load” option, the app will guide you through the process.
- Direct Deposit : Direct deposits into your Netspend Card can allow you to receive your funds up to two days faster than with a traditional bank account. As long as you have direct deposit access, you can deposit checks such as pensions, work paychecks, tax refunds, social security benefits, veterans’ benefits, unemployment benefits, etc.
- Through wire transfer : You can receive wire transfers to your Netspend account through Western Union. The transaction fees vary depending on the type of transaction, and they are calculated only after the transaction is completed. Wire transfers are not available on some Netspend cards. Make sure you have access to the feature by checking your account.
- Through bank transfer : You can top up your Netspend Card with funds from your checking or savings account if your bank permits it. The bank itself may charge a fee as part of the transfer process.
- Through PayPal : You can also add money to your Netspend card if you link it to your PayPal account. Once you have linked the two accounts, follow the remaining instructions. PayPal may charge you a fee if you transfer funds from your account.
- Tax Refunds : You can add money to your Netspend card with a tax refund. If you’re getting a tax refund, you can have it deposited right into your card. This is how you can reload your Netspend card faster.
- Receive money from other Netspend cardholders :If your friend or a family member has a Netspend Card Account, you can receive money from them by using the Netspend app or Online Account Center. All you need is to give your name and Netspend FlashPay ID, which you can find in the Online Account Center.
Places that Loading Netspend Card
You can load your Netspend card at thousands of locations. You can load Netspend at grocery stores, gas stations, check cashers, and convenience stores across the country. Find the nearest reload location at netspend.com/account/location-finder. You can find reload locations near you by typing your zip code into Netspend’s location finder. In the finder, you’ll see the reload fee for the 10 closest locations. Following is a list of the most popular Reload Locations, along with their procedures.
- 7-Eleven : If you are in need of loading your Netspend card at 7-Eleven, please visit “7-eleven.com/locator”. You can load your Netspend card at thousands of 7-Eleven stores throughout the country for a fee. There is a daily limit of $500 and a monthly limit of $1,500.
- Advance America : With over 2,000 locations nationwide, Advance America is one of the largest check cashing companies in the country. If you would like to find a store near you, please visit the Advance America website.
- Albertsons : Most Albertsons grocery stores let you load your Netspend card up to $1,500 per month. The cost of each transaction is $3.95. You can locate an Albertsons near you by visiting local.albertsons.com/search.html.
- Check’n Go : Check’n Go payday lenders also accept Netspend deposits. It varies by Check n Go location, but most let you add up to $1,000 to your Netspend card. Find your nearest Check’n Go at https://www.checkngo.com/locations.
- CVS Pharmacy : With CVS, you can reload up to $500 per day and $3,000 per month for $3.95.
- Circle K : With its partnership with Circle K, Netspend lets cardholders reload their accounts at more than 4,400 gas stations. Check out Circle K’s store locator at circlek.com/store-locator to find your nearest one.
Several other stores load Netspend cards at their registers too. These include Dollar General, Family Dollar, Walmart, Walgreens, Shell, Rite Aid, Cash Express, American Title Loans, Allied Cash Advance, Office Depot, and more.
Can I Add Money to My Netspend Card for Free?
Based on the list above, you can see that most Netspend reload locations charge a transaction fee. There are some places where you can load Netspend cards for free. Allied America and Check n Go are two of them. You can also load your card for only $2 with Advance America.