Originally Posted by
ma91pmh
Just think of the structure of the BB deal - using some form of load card to add funds to a prepaid card that can have said funds unloaded easily via BillPay - and then look for alternatives in the gift card rack. There are many other ways to skin the same cat. That is why for me BB is only relevant for Office Depot purchases. I have plenty of other ways to manufacture spend at grocery and drugstores that are not being abused to the same degree.
Yeah, but those PayPal cards didn't appear to be reloads, and they charge a $5/month fee (which kicks in right at activation) + the $4 purchase price. So you start down ~2% right away.
Let's not forget that prepaid cards are generally awful products which take advantage of the underbanked. The PayPal prepaid website is pretty clear: "get your paycheck or
government benefits up to 2 days faster". It hints at free third-party Bill Pay options, but you need to have an account to learn more. It's also run by NetSpend, who are historically not tolerant of FTer behavior. With it's low/no fees, Bluebird operates very, very different from the other prepaids. It doesn't even charge forex fees. It's scale-able.