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A prepaid card is a payment card loaded with a fixed amount of money in advance. You can spend only the amount available on the card, making it different from credit or debit cards linked to bank accounts.
A prepaid card carries its own balance rather than drawing on a bank account or a credit line. It is issued by a bank or licensed institution under a card network brand, so it works wherever cards are accepted - in stores and online.
The cardholder - or an employer, or a gift-giver - loads funds onto the card. Each purchase reduces the balance; when it reaches zero, the card stops working until it is topped up. Reloadable cards can be refilled; non-reloadable gift cards cannot.
A debit card spends money from a bank account; a credit card borrows from the issuer; a prepaid card spends only its preloaded balance. That built-in cap makes prepaid cards useful for budgeting, gifting, payroll, and users without bank accounts.
For merchants, prepaid cards process like any other card, though some issuers restrict recurring charges or cross-border use. Payment platforms handle them through the same card acceptance rails as debit and credit cards.
Yes - network-branded prepaid cards work like any other card at online checkouts.
Transactions are declined until the card is reloaded (if it is reloadable).
No - a debit card draws on a bank account, a prepaid card only on its loaded balance.
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