You can often find prepaid debit cards at checkout lanes when you’re at the supermarket or at retailers like Walmart, typically next to gift cards. When you get a prepaid debit card in-store, you’ll often incur a card opening fee. As a cheaper alternative, opt to get a card online, which is often free.

You can load money onto your prepaid debit card in a variety of ways, including:

• Direct deposit
• Cash at the register at participating retailers
• Transfer from checking or savings accounts
• Mobile check deposit

You can check your account balance online, via your card issuer's mobile app or over the phone.

When you decide that you no longer want your prepaid debit card, whether that's because you're opting for credit or traditional debit, you'll need to take some action. You can't just forget about the card because you could still incur monthly fees. In order to cancel a prepaid debit card, you'll first need to withdraw all of the money currently in your account. You can typically withdraw money at an ATM, through a transfer to another account or by requesting a check. Once your balance reaches $0, you can call your card issuer to cancel your account.