# Thoughts and advice on a reloadable debit card **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 5, 2026, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-and-advice-on-a-reloadable-debit-card/1032850 "2026-09-05T21:42:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2026, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-and-advice-on-a-reloadable-debit-card/1032850/21 "2026-09-06T01:36:36Z")
> [@filmore](#): > > One thing about allowing online transactions is that even if you block certain categories, like gambling, they could buy high value items from regular retailers and sell those items for cash. For instance, they could buy phones from [Walmart.com](http://Walmart.com) and then sell them on Craigslist or Ebay. Or they could buy things that are basically cash from Ebay. There are auction listings for things like bundles of $20 bills, gift cards, prepaid Visa cards, etc. True, and that’s why I will still have to be regularly reviewing the transactions, and confronting my sister if there are any more spurious ones. (I suspect I can block Ebay and similar sites with one of the aforementioned cards, to at least close off that end of things.) ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2026, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-and-advice-on-a-reloadable-debit-card/1032850/22 "2026-09-06T01:48:06Z")
My teenage son has a Greenlight card. I think it works great. I have it set up to automatically pay his weekly allowance. It has all kinds of customizations available. You can block particular vendors, or entire categories. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2026, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-and-advice-on-a-reloadable-debit-card/1032850/23 "2026-09-06T01:54:42Z")
Hopefully the options mentioned so far will work. If not, I just wanted to mention a few other alternatives — neither is a perfect replacement, though: 1. I’ve had many good experiences with an online-only (plus phone-based tap-to-pay) limited-use card service, [Privacy.com](http://Privacy.com). 2. If you can move most of the shopping online using one of those merchant-limited cards, you could also have a separate debit card just for cash withdrawals, under a new checking account linked to the main one. You could keep that card locked (online or in the app) most of the time and with a $0 balance, and only unlock it and put money in it when she needs to make a cash withdrawal. A Venmo card would work similarly (but if she doesn’t have a bank account at all, I think you would have to set up the Venmo account using one of yours/your mom’s). 3. Another less-than-perfect option is to set up a Doordash/Instacart/Walmart account for her and only give her the logins (with the payment methods saved), not the actual card numbers. She could order for delivery & pickup but not use the card anywhere else. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2026, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-and-advice-on-a-reloadable-debit-card/1032850/24 "2026-09-06T02:27:09Z")
I have used the Walmart card for several years and picked a few features that may help. One is that you cam load the card with up to $1000, but only allow them access to small amounts when they call and need it. You cam also manually lock the card at anytime and then either unlock it at a predetermined time for a given amount. Or just wait until the ask you to unlock and then transfer money from the vault to the portion they have access to. By putting $1000 in the vault that you control you don’t have to wait on bank transfers to the card. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2026, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-and-advice-on-a-reloadable-debit-card/1032850/25 "2026-09-06T02:44:32Z")
> [@Si\_Amigo](#): > > I have used the Walmart card for several years and picked a few features that may help. One is that you cam load the card with up to $1000, but only allow them access to small amounts when they call and need it. > > You cam also manually lock the card at anytime and then either unlock it at a predetermined time for a given amount. Or just wait until the ask you to unlock and then transfer money from the vault to the portion they have access to. Good to know, as that’s the card we have now, but I don’t want to have to be micromanaging it to that extent if I can help it. ---
**Author:** ![phs3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8491ac/32.png) [@phs3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phs3)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2026, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-and-advice-on-a-reloadable-debit-card/1032850/26 "2026-09-06T03:04:26Z")
If 'twere me, I’d look at the issuers of the cards: True Link: Sunrise Banks N.A. Greenlight: Community Federal Savings Bank And perhaps talk directly to them about the problem you’re trying to solve. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2026, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-and-advice-on-a-reloadable-debit-card/1032850/27 "2026-09-06T03:06:09Z")
> [@phs3](#): > > And perhaps talk directly to them about the problem you’re trying to solve. That is, in fact, my plan for Tuesday, after the holiday weekend. ---
**Author:** ![phs3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8491ac/32.png) [@phs3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phs3)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2026, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-and-advice-on-a-reloadable-debit-card/1032850/28 "2026-09-06T03:59:42Z")
Cool. Will be interesting to hear what you learn! ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2026, 9:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-and-advice-on-a-reloadable-debit-card/1032850/29 "2026-09-06T09:43:52Z")
You could just set a predetermined time each week to make an ATN withdrawal. You could put like $200 into their active account and unlock on their lunch break on Tuesday and the lock the card again for another week. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2026, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-and-advice-on-a-reloadable-debit-card/1032850/30 "2026-09-06T15:17:07Z")
First I think you need to systematically go through expenditures for the last year or whatever and see exactly what expenditures are made and at what stores. Second you need to classify these expenditures and see how best to handle them. For example 1. Bills.Such as utilties, taxes, health care bills. You handle these directly, online billpay, bank autopay, mailing a check, whatever. I think you should do this to make sure there are no interruptions in service. Note many of these could be handled by [privacy.com](http://privacy.com) virtual cards as mentioned below. 2. Online purchases and payments. [Privacy.com](http://Privacy.com) virtual cards, where you have a virtual card for each store or category or one-off payment, and you can set an amount limit. [https://www.privacy.com/](https://www.privacy.com/) 3. The general inperson purchase of goods and services.. True Link Financial Visa Card. 4. Small cash purchases. A reloadable debit card which allows atm withdrawals (like a Walmart Money Card) or separate bank account where you keep the balance at a low level and refill it sparingly for small ATM cash withdrawals.While diversion is possible keeping it at a low amount of money limits the amount diverted. You can also simply send them small amounts of cash in the mail or leave it with them when you visit. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2026, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-and-advice-on-a-reloadable-debit-card/1032850/31 "2026-09-06T16:33:53Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > Second you need to classify these expenditures and see how best to handle them. For what it’s worth, I am taking over handling getting the bills paid: utilities, property taxes, copays and deductibles for my mom’s healthcare, etc. The reloadable debit card is purely for my sister to be able to make the day-to-day household purchases. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-and-advice-on-a-reloadable-debit-card/1032850.md?page=1)