American Express Prepaid Cards – this is the second post in the series on American Express Prepaid cards and how you can earn miles and points by using prepaid cards.
You can read the rest of the series using the links below. (Links will be active once all posts have been published.)
Part 1 of this series – Comparing American Express Prepaid Cards.
Part 2 of this series – the American Express Prepaid Card – Part One
Part 3 of this series – the American Express Prepaid Card – Part Two
Part 4 of this series – the American Express Bluebird Card
Part 5 of this series – the American Express for Target Card
This post will cover the American Express Prepaid Card, how to get the card and the features. The second part of this post will cover adding funds, fees, and how to maximize your miles and points earning ability.
What is the American Express Prepaid Card?
American Express defines the American Express Prepaid Card as “a safe, easy way to manage spending every day.”
For the normal person, that would sum it up perfectly. But for the miles and points collector or someone who’s looking for a way to finance their dream vacation, the American Express Prepaid card is a way to make that dream a reality.
How to get an American Express Prepaid Card:
There are two ways you can get an American Express Prepaid Card:
a) You can purchase a temporary card from one of the following retailers: Office Depot, Staples, Walgreens, CVS.
The “cost” of the temporary card is $4.95 plus the dollar amount you choose to load onto the card. The minimum load amount is $25 with a maximum load of $500.
Once you have your temporary card you then need to order your permanent card.
b) You can order a permanent card online from American Express.
Which method is best?
You’ll save $4.95 if you skip the temporary card and order the permanent card online.
However, buying a temporary card will allow you to maximize your miles and points.
Maximizing your miles and points by buying the temporary American Express Prepaid Card:
1) Purchase a temporary card from Office Depot or Staples.
2) Purchase a temporary card from CVS or Walgreens.
3) Purchase Vanilla Reload/s from CVS or Walgreens.
Thanks to reader Chris – note to self: writing posts at 0′ dark thirty is not a good idea least you forget crucial things like the Chase Freedom card…
4) Purchase Vanilla Reload/s from any participating retailer
Features of the American Express Prepaid Card:
- No credit check – you won’t waste a credit card pull
- Online account management – you can monitor your balance and view your transactions online
- Smartphone App – view your account anywhere you have internet access
- Text alerts – set up text alerts for transactions, low balances, reloads, etc.
Note: Links to prepaid and credit cards are provided as a courtesy. No financial compensation is received.
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Comparing American Express Prepaid Cards - Traveling Well For Less | Traveling Well For Less
Friday 26th of April 2013
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American Express Prepaid Card - Part Two - Traveling Well For Less | Traveling Well For Less
Monday 4th of February 2013
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jc
Monday 4th of February 2013
Um... Are you not following the news? OD isn't carrying prepaid cards anymore. Game over. The bloggers killed it.
Traveling Well For Less
Monday 4th of February 2013
Hi JC,
All the ODs in my area still had plenty of (50+) variable prepaid cards as mentioned in Part https://www.travelingwellforless.com/2013/02/04/american-express-prepaid-card-part-two/ of this post.