Western Union, a global leader in payment services, was ranked Best in Category – twice – at the 7th Annual Prepaid Expo this week.
The Western Union Money Wise Prepaid MasterCard received the highest ranking for best overall general purpose reloadable program while its sister card, the Western Union Gold Card Prepaid MasterCard received the top honor for Best Consumer Value. The icing on the proverbial cake was when Western Union was ranked best in the Gift Card Program category.
Diane Scott, the Chief Marketing Officer and President of Western Union Ventures said after learning of the distinguished awards,
We are honored to be recognized for our prepaid programs… we conducted extensive consumer research prior to launching our prepaid programs, and each one is a direct response to our customers’ needs. We are proud to provide people with innovative, convenient and fee-friendly prepaid cards to help them manage their finances.
Along with executives from the big credit card names, including Visa, American Express, Discover and MasterCard, Scott learned of the prestigious awards. They were selected by a panel of five industry experts who served as the judges for this year’s running. There were entries from around the world. The awards were given by Paybefore, which highlights those companies that maintain the prepaid credit market on the “cutting edge of payments”.
A spokesperson for Paybefore said following the awards,
Our industry continues to break new ground and expand the reach of electronic payments because of companies like Western Union, who make innovation and execution a priority.
She continued by saying Paybefore is proud to recognize the contributions made by companies such as Western Union.
In honor of this week’s awards, we thought we’d include a few of the better prepaid debit and credit card offers on the market.
Western Union Prepaid MasterCard
Of course, we start with the top ranked card. You have no activation fees with this fee-friendly prepaid card. There are several ways of reloading your card, too. One advantage a prepaid card has over a traditional bank account is the absence of NSF fees. You spend only what’s available on your card balance. You can even enroll in direct deposit so that your employer can add your salary quickly and hassle free. Because it’s a MasterCard, you’re protected by the zero fraud liability MasterCard is so well known for. If your card goes unused for 120 consecutive days, there’s a $2.95 per month fee.
BuyRIGHT Prepaid MasterCard
This is another prepaid product that has an impressive track record when it comes to consumer satisfaction. There are no credit checks, no NSF fees and is a great choice for young adults and parents wishing to instill responsible spending and saving habits for their college bound students. It too is a MasterCard and offers everything traditional MasterCards provide. Some of its other many features include online bill pay, the ability to earn rewards and free direct deposit. Open your account with as little as $10. There is a $9.95 application fee and ATM fees are $2.00.
If you ever wondered about a prepaid card doubling as a rewards credit card, you’ve found it in the BuyRIGHT. The website is also chock full of money management tools, making it an impressive teaching tool. This offer is topped off with a referral system that pays cardholders $25 for every new customer they refer and who signs up for the BuyRIGHT.
NetSpend Visa Prepaid Credit Card
The NetSpend Visa is another guaranteed approval card that’s ideal for parents and teens. The flexibility offered by the Visa logo is always a good thing, Mom and Dad don’t have to worry about their college students or teens overspending since the credit limit is determined by the available cash on the card.
With the absence of concerns for overspending, you rest easier at night knowing you’re teaching your teens responsible money habits that will last a lifetime. Open the account with as little as $10 and reloading the NetSpend Visa is easy, too. ATM fees are just $2.50, and the account maintenance fee of $5.95 per month is waived as long as the debit card remains active, making this a great choice within the prepaid credit card arena.
Similar Credit Card Blog Posts
- Student Credit Cards
- Will Cash Crash?
- Prepaid Cards Ideal for 2011 Tax Refunds
- 4 Great Prepaid Credit Cards for Teens
- MasterCard Prepaid Debit Cards
- The Insight MasterCard Prepaid Card
- Rebuilding Credit with Secured Credit Cards
