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Universal prepaid debit cards have become increasingly popular in our culture. If you are wondering what they are, they are basically credit cards attached to a savings account. There is some controversy about them though. Some people are concerned that illegal aliens or undocumented immigrants (depending on which side you pull for) are using them to legitimize their presence and open bank accounts where they otherwise would be unable to open one. Believe it or not, the loudest outcry is coming from the check cashing companies that have been 'sticking it to' immigrants for years.

It seems that once the person initiates the account they can simply send their checks into the savings account and spend money on their universal prepaid debit card. The companies who promote the cards charge fees as well that is not too much different from the check-cashing places. The real difference is that this card that has a Visa insignia on it that can double as identification in most places that require two id's. Some of the companies that offer the universal prepaid debit cards are careless at best when verifying identification when setting up new accounts.

The plus side to the debit cards is the ability to control cash spending with teens. If you have a daughter in college instead of giving her the Visa card for 'emergencies' (like pizza and parties' you can put a pre-determined amount on her card. Regardless of which State she is in all you have to do is fund the card straight from your bank and she has cash within the hour. Another good thing is that the debit cards offer people who are re-building their credit the ability to access the products and services that require a Visa or Mastercard.

It has almost reached the point that you have to have some sort of debit or credit card to operate normally in our society. This writer feels that the good out-weighs the bad in the larger scope of things. The main thing to do is make sure you get a good universal prepaid debit card when you apply. Rarely if ever do these companies perform a credit check to open an account but some cards tend to focus on the customers with no credit or bad credit.

Their advertising draws in people who feel as if they have nowhere else to turn and then they charge higher fees to open the account. We have found that regardless of your credit history or nationality even the best-prepaid debit cards will accept you. If you think about it they really do not have any risk they are just giving you back your money in an electronic format.

So my advice is to compare which card has the lowest fees and upfront charges. Many people will choose the card that looks the coolest or the one they heard advertised on the TV or radio. Some of the least known prepaid debit cards are offered by smaller banks to build up their deposit assets I suggest that you begin your search at a website that offers this kind of selection.