Pre Pay Visa without monthly fees.

[jealey]

My mother is on Disability and is looking for a pre paid Visa to put her vacation money in. It has to be a Visa so she can use it for the car rental.

 

[Albort]

why prepaid? why not a bank account?

 

[jealey]

She can only keep so much in the disability account.

 

[gottalovepluto]

She can only keep so much in the disability account.

Why not put the money in a separate, fee free bank account. (Have her open a new bank account.) A quick google search on the topic of pre-paid Visa & my head is already swimming with fees I didn't even know could be fees. One of the pre paid Visas I saw had a $0.50 fee for checking the account balance at an ATM! Way too complicated for me.

 

[cglaura]

My mother is on Disability and is looking for a pre paid Visa to put her vacation money in. It has to be a Visa so she can use it for the car rental.

I haven't experienced this personally, but from what I've read you can't reserve or put the check-in hold on a rental car with a prepaid Visa. You need a major credit card or debit card to reserve and at check-in, where they put a small hold on it. But, when you return the car you can pay with the prepaid Visa (depending on the car rental company), and your original form of payment will be refunded the hold.

So... if she will be needing a credit card anyway, I'd suggest not getting the prepaid Visa...just find someway to hang onto that money and use it to pay off the credit card.

I'd second opening a separate fee free checking account though, and just use the debit check card.

 

[Sadie22]

You can personally pay for the vacation of the relative who cannot afford a vacation because her only income is her Disability income.

 

[jealey]

You can personally pay for the vacation of the relative who cannot afford a vacation because her only income is her Disability income.

Where did I state she couldn't afford it?

 

[cglaura]

Where did I state she couldn't afford it?

Not to answer for that person, but I also thought you were giving her the money. I don't really have first hand knowledge of requirements to collect disability. My understanding from your post was that to qualify she could only earn so much, which is reflected in her bank accounts. And she doesn't earn any additional money to put her over/disqualify and that is why you were helping. Again, I have no idea how it all works, that was just how I ready your post!

 

[Sadie22]

When you said she could only keep so much in the disability account, I assumed an attempt to hide funds from governmental scrutiny. If you or she are not attempting to circumvent regulations, I apologize.

 

[SharonZ]

I wouldn't count on using a pre-paid Visa for a car rental. People have had issues trying to use a debit-card, let alone a pre-paid card.