Introducing the Kaiku Card: A Low-Fee Prepaid Debit Card

If you’re paying down your debts and really struggle to stick to a budget, and a cash system just doesn’t do it for you (because ahem, going to the bank and withdrawing cash before going out can be a hassle!) prepaid debit cards may be an option.

Additionally, if you are budgeting on behalf of someone else- like a young adult who is learning how to budget and earning an allowance, a debit card can be a fun way to teach intelligent habits with plastic!

Since I’m going on a cruise in a few weeks, having a prepaid debit card is a bit more convenient than carrying cash around Boston and Bermuda, but it also can help me cap my spending since I have a tendency to spend more than I budget on cocktails and clothes when I travel. Plus, the Kaiku card account is customizable on their app, and so is the card (you can pick your colors) so it’s really geared for a younger crowd that wants a prepaid card that’s tailored for their lifestyle.

Here are some perks to the Kaiku Prepaid Debit Card:

• No nickel and dime fees to set it up: With the Kaiku Prepaid card, there are no activation fees, usage fees, card declined fees and currency conversion fees.
• No or low monthly fees: $0 a month fee with a $750 Direct Deposit, otherwise, a low monthly fee of $3.
• Lots of ATMS to choose from: Kaiku users have access to more than 55,000 surcharge-free Allpoint ATMs.
• The phone app makes it easy to manage: A new feature to the mobile app is Kaiku’s “Funds-Ometer,” which simply tracks card users’ spending and compares it to their average over the past 60 days in non-essential categories, like eating out, bars and entertainment.

Before I leave on my cruise, I tested out the card at a local eatery (emmm BBQ) and while I was out running errands this past weekend. The card is secure, so you can use it to pick up your bar tab, or when you make a Target run. Like any debit card, you have a pin that you choose, and you can reload funds pretty quickly if needed. Also, a cool feature on the app is the ability to reload via depositing checks via the app! If someone writes you a check, you can snap a shot of the check through the app and reload your card via direct deposit..easy peezy!

Tested the Kaiku card on my Target run…super easy!

There are only two fees: a low monthly maintenance fee ($3) and an out-of-network ATM fee. If you avoid out-of-network ATMS then it’s just $3 a month – and that’s easy to do, since this card may be used at any of the 55,000 Allpoint surcharge-free ATMs worldwide.

The app has a lot of social features that make it comparable in convenience to my regular bank- direct deposit by phone on their app, friend-to-friend transfers (to pay your besties back for concert tickets or send them some birthday cash) and easy maintenance on the app…making it super easy to use and a great tool for budgeting and money maintenance that you can live with!

If you’d like more information on the Kaiku Prepaid Debit Card, check out their website or on their Facebook page!

I was given the Kaiku card to review, all opinions and all mason jar cocktails are my own.