Best Standard prepaid account

With a prepaid account, also called a prepaid card, you have to pre-load a card with money before you can use it, similar to a pay-as-you-go phone. It's not linked to a bank account so you can only spend the money you've preloaded. It can be useful for budgeting, avoiding debt or if you prefer not to have or aren't eligible for a standard bank account.

Prepaid cards can be used for shopping online or in stores, just like a regular debit card. The main difference is that you can't spend more than the amount that's loaded onto the card so it's a good way to manage your spending.

A prepaid card isn't a debit or a credit card. Although it functions similarly to a debit card, it has no link to your bank account and doesn't affect your credit score. A prepaid card is more like a gift card, where you choose an amount to load onto the card.