With a background in education and a fascination with finance, Emily Batdorf writes approachable content for consumers who want to deepen their understanding of personal finance topics. She loves writing about financial foundations—like opening the r.
Emily Batdorf Banking Reviewer and WriterWith a background in education and a fascination with finance, Emily Batdorf writes approachable content for consumers who want to deepen their understanding of personal finance topics. She loves writing about financial foundations—like opening the r.
Written By Emily Batdorf Banking Reviewer and WriterWith a background in education and a fascination with finance, Emily Batdorf writes approachable content for consumers who want to deepen their understanding of personal finance topics. She loves writing about financial foundations—like opening the r.
Emily Batdorf Banking Reviewer and WriterWith a background in education and a fascination with finance, Emily Batdorf writes approachable content for consumers who want to deepen their understanding of personal finance topics. She loves writing about financial foundations—like opening the r.
Banking Reviewer and Writer Elizabeth Aldrich Banking WriterWith eight years of experience as a financial journalist and editor and a degree in economics, Elizabeth Aldrich has worked on thousands of articles within the realm of banking, economics, credit cards, investing, loans, personal finance and travel.
Elizabeth Aldrich Banking WriterWith eight years of experience as a financial journalist and editor and a degree in economics, Elizabeth Aldrich has worked on thousands of articles within the realm of banking, economics, credit cards, investing, loans, personal finance and travel.
Elizabeth Aldrich Banking WriterWith eight years of experience as a financial journalist and editor and a degree in economics, Elizabeth Aldrich has worked on thousands of articles within the realm of banking, economics, credit cards, investing, loans, personal finance and travel.
Elizabeth Aldrich Banking WriterWith eight years of experience as a financial journalist and editor and a degree in economics, Elizabeth Aldrich has worked on thousands of articles within the realm of banking, economics, credit cards, investing, loans, personal finance and travel.
Updated: Jan 5, 2024, 12:35am
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The Bluebird® American Express® Prepaid Debit Accountis a versatile and inexpensive prepaid debit card that offers easy spending and a slew of other features commonly found with checking accounts. This user-friendly card has few fees, making it a great option for anyone without a bank account.
If you’re struggling to qualify for a checking account or want to help your kids learn money management skills in a supervised environment, you may benefit from the Bluebird American Express card.
Our ratings are calculated based on fees, rates, rewards and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.
Out-of-network ATM fee, cash reload fee ATM NetworkThe Bluebird American Express card is a prepaid debit card that functions like a checking account. You can use it to make payments, transfer money and receive direct deposits instead of using a debit card linked to a traditional checking account.
The Bluebird American Express Card works like a regular debit card, except it’s not linked to a bank account. Instead, you need to load money onto the card before using it to make a payment or withdraw cash from an ATM. Cardholders get free ATM withdrawals at over 30,000 ATMs in the MoneyPass network.
To get the Bluebird card, you can create a free account online and wait seven to 10 days for your card to arrive in the mail. Or, you can purchase a temporary card at Walmart, load it with cash and use it until you receive a permanent card.
Once you load money onto the Bluebird prepaid card, you can use it to withdraw cash at an ATM, pay bills, transfer money or make a purchase anywhere American Express cards are accepted.
The card has very few fees, but you should be aware of them. You’ll pay $2.50 for out-of-network ATM transactions and a cash reload fee of up to $3.95, depending on where you reload your card. Plus, there are extra fees if you want instant access to deposited checks: 1% for payroll or government checks and 5% for other checks, with a $5.00 minimum fee.
The Bluebird prepaid card makes money management easier for people who don’t have checking accounts. If you struggle to qualify for a checking account, a Bluebird card is a functional alternative that offers many of the same features.
The Bluebird card is also useful for families who want to help their kids learn to manage money. Bluebird cardholders can add up to four subaccounts for family members. This allows the main account holder to limit spending and withdrawals from the various subaccounts.
Customers can reload their Bluebird prepaid cards for free at Walmart—either at a MoneyCenter counter or at the register. When you add cash this way, it is available to spend immediately. You can also cash a check at Walmart and ask for the funds to be deposited into your Bluebird account.
While reloading your card at Walmart is free, there are thousands of other retailers—including CVS Pharmacy, 7-Eleven and Walgreens—that offer this service for a fee of up to $3.95.
You can also use the mobile check deposit feature of the Bluebird mobile app to deposit money from checks. This is free if you use the “Money in Days” option, but you’ll have to wait up to 10 days to access your funds. There’s a “Money in Minutes” option if you need your funds immediately, but you’ll have to pay a fee of up to 5%.
There are several features to make you feel safe when using your Bluebird card. These include FDIC insurance, purchase protection and fraud protection.
When you load money onto your card, the money will be transferred to an FDIC-insured custodial account. However, any funds on a temporary Bluebird card—like the one you’d purchase at Walmart—aren’t FDIC-insured. There’s also about a one-day turnaround from the time you load money onto your Bluebird Card until that money’s transferred to an FDIC-insured account.
In addition to FDIC insurance, the Bluebird prepaid card comes with purchase protection—much like a credit card—which protects eligible purchases against theft or damage for up to 120 days. Finally, American Express fraud protection protects you from fraudulent charges if your card gets lost or stolen.
With very few fees and some notable perks, the American Express Bluebird card is a great option for those looking for a prepaid debit card. Regarding the card’s fees, it’s relatively easy—though perhaps inconvenient—to avoid paying them by only going to in-network ATMs, only depositing cash at Walmart and accepting the waiting period associated with free mobile check deposits.
Keep in mind there are daily and monthly limits to how much you can spend and withdraw with your Bluebird card, and you can’t request cash back with in-store purchases. But you’ll have a hard time finding a lower-cost prepaid debit card with the same user-friendly features.
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) rates the Bluebird American Express card with an A+. However, most Bluebird customer reviews on the BBB’s website are negative. Many complaints refer to difficulties reaching customer service representatives.
On the other hand, the Bluebird American Express card is highly rated across financial websites and is frequently cited as one of the best prepaid debt cards with no monthly fees.
There are two ways to open a Bluebird account: You can buy a temporary Bluebird card at Walmart and finish the activation process online, or you can open an account entirely online. If you purchase a temporary card at Walmart, you can start using it immediately until your permanent card arrives in the mail. If you open an account online, it’s totally free, but you’ll have to wait for your card to arrive in the mail before using the account.
The cost of a Bluebird card depends on how you get it. You can purchase a temporary card at Walmart for $5 right now, or you can open an account for free online if you don’t mind waiting seven to 10 days to get your card in the mail. Either way, you’ll need to load money onto the card in order to make purchases or payments.
You don’t need a good credit score to get a Bluebird card—you don’t even need a bank account. The requirements to open an account include being at least 18 years of age (in most states), providing your Social Security number and having a valid email address.
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