Wisely prepaid card review
- Monthly maintenance fee
- $0
- Signature transaction fee
- $0
- PIN transaction fee
- $0
Our verdict
A prepaid debit card with early direct deposit, cashback rewards and no monthly fees.
The Wisely by ADP card is a prepaid card issued by Fifth Third Bank. It offers early direct deposit, cashback rewards and card management with the myWisely mobile app. You can earn up to 10% cash back when purchasing eGift cards on the Wisely app and redeem cashback offers with participating retailers after opting in. Wisely also offers a savings envelope to store your cashback rewards. There are no monthly, overdraft or purchasing fees, and some reloads don’t cost anything, like direct deposit. However, you’ll pay reload fees for some methods, such as a 5% mobile check cashing fee or the $5.95 fee for Green Dot cash deposits. And watch out for extra fees for card replacements, inactivity, ATM declines and foreign transactions.
Best for: Those who want early direct deposit and cash back without a checking account.
Pros
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No monthly, purchase or overdraft fees
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No opening deposit or minimum balance required
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Cash back at select retailers and eGift card purchases
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Early direct deposit
Cons
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5% check reload fee
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$4 inactivity fee
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$5.95 Green Dot cash deposit fee
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$3.95 Western Union cash deposit fee
Who is Wisely by ADP best for?
Wisely’s prepaid card can be a decent option for people who either don’t want a checking account or can’t qualify for one but still want perks like cashback rewards and early direct deposit.
If you can qualify for its checking account, you may not need the Wisely prepaid card. Most modern checking accounts offer early direct deposit up to two days in advance, and there are plenty of cashback debit cards. And if you want a regular checking account but can’t qualify due to a poor banking history, consider a second-chance bank account instead of a prepaid card.
What we like about Wisely
Among other prepaid cards, the Wisely card is one of the more affordable options available. Most prepaid cards are full of fees, often charging monthly, annual, activation, direct deposit, bill pay and withdrawal fees.
The Wisely card has no monthly, overdraft, direct deposit, in-network ATM withdrawal or purchase fees. There are also no opening deposits or minimum balance requirements. The Wisely card doesn’t charge any cash withdrawal fees at domestic Allpoint and Fifth Third Bank ATMs, either.
Wisely offers mobile check deposit services through Ingo and bill pay services with Papaya, both of which you can access with the myWisely app.
Cashback rewards
Most prepaid cards don’t have a rewards program, so Wisely is unique in this area. You can earn up to 10% cash back when purchasing eGift cards in the Wisely app.
Wisely also offers cashback rewards through Dosh, a cashback rewards app that works with over 10,000 participating merchants, including Adidas, AT&T, Costco, Disney+, Shake Shack and Lyft. In the Wisely app, you can opt into the Dosh rewards program to start earning cash rewards.
Wisely automatically sends your cashback rewards to your Rewards Savings Envelope, which you can transfer to your Wisely card balance. Cashback rewards from eGift card purchases are sent instantly, whereas Dosh rewards may take up to four weeks to appear.
Upgrade from Wisely Pay for free
If you have the standard prepaid Wisely Pay card because it’s how your employer pays you, then you can upgrade your card for free to access all the features Wisely has to offer.
For example, the standard Wisely Pay card doesn’t offer early direct deposit, or support cash or check deposits. To upgrade, simply head to Wisely’s site and select Yes, upgrade my card.
Where it falls short
As a prepaid card, you’ll likely encounter fees with some reload methods, such as the high 5% mobile check cashing service fee with Ingo. Wisely does accept cash deposits at places like Western Union and Green Dot retail locations, but you’ll pay $3.95 at Western Union or $5.95 with Green Dot per deposit. You can load between $20 and $500.
You’ll also have to be aware of the inactivity fee, common with prepaid cards. In most states, you’ll be charged a $4 inactivity fee if there are no transactions with your card for 90 days. However, there are no inactivity fees for Minnesota, Montana or New York residents, and Connecticut, Illinois and Pennsylvania residents are charged the fee after 12 months of no activity.
Additionally, using this card overseas may not be the best idea, considering there’s a 3% foreign transaction fee and a $3 international ATM fee.
Wisely by ADP‘s fees and access
| Type of fee | Fee details |
|---|---|
| Monthly service | $0 |
| Opening deposit | $0 |
| ATMs |
|
| Debit card fees |
|
| Overdraft or nonsufficient funds | $0 |
| Wire transfers | N/A |
| Other fees |
|
Compare Wisely by ADP to other prepaid cards
Narrow down top prepaid cards by monthly or annual fees, features and availability. For a better comparison, tick the Compare box to see cards compared side by side.
Customer experience
Wisely holds a 1.3-star rating on Trustpilot out of just over 50 customer reviews. It holds the highest possible rating of A+ with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) but has received over 1,000 customer complaints in the last few years.
Happy customers on Trustpilot and Reddit say the Wisely cards work great for them. They praise the cards for having few or no issues after years of use, early direct deposit, quick card deliveries, fast bill pay, helpful customer service reps and no-fee cash withdrawals at in-network ATMs. Customers love the lack of overdraft fees or monthly fees.
On the other side of the fence, common complaints from customers say they only use the card because it’s how their employers pay them. Negative reviews are often about the cards being deactivated without notice, frozen deposits and getting the runaround from customer reps. But overall, these types of complaints are common for prepaid and debit cards.
Frequently asked questions
Is Wisely by ADP a checking account?
Wisely by ADP offers a prepaid card and isn’t a checking account. The Wisely cards are all prepaid cards issued by either Fifth Third Bank, N.A., Member FDIC or Pathward, N.A., Member FDIC. Wisely states that references to a “digital account” refer to the management and servicing of your card online or with its mobile app.
Can I send money from my Wisely card?
Yes, Wisely allows you to transfer money to external debit cards or bank accounts using the myWisely mobile app. This funds transfer costs $3, and transfers may clear within 30 minutes or less. However, you can only link one external debit card to the Wisely account, and it may take three business days to add and validate a new debit card to the Wisely account.
Your reviews
Bethany Finder
Editor, Banking
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