2025 General-Purpose Reloadable Card Scorecard

The 2025 General Purpose Reloadable Card Scorecard provides a consumer-based look at the competitive and value-differentiated general-purpose reloadable card market. As one of the largest segments in the prepaid payments space, the GPR market represented a total load value of $255 billion in 2024 and continues to grow at a compounded rate of 8%, according to Javelin Strategy & Research data. GPR cards, as shown by the variety of players in our evaluation, serve varying needs: an entry point for consumers who are shut out of traditional credit and debit card programs, a tool for those looking to budget their regular spending, a means of easier access to peer-to-peer payments, or as a way of engendering loyalty to a particular retailer. Javelin’s research highlights consumer sentiments regarding features important to reloadable card users, with primary concerns continuing to center on costs, card security, card access, and accessible technology. 

The Regions Bank Now card won Best in Class honors in this ranking of 16 of the most popular card programs. Although the Regions Now card was not the top program in any of the three evaluated categories, its consistency as a top-five card in each segment lifted its overall score and showed its universal appeal. The second- and third-place cards. the Cash App card and GO2bank card, didn’t place in the top three of the individual categories but had strong scoring across the board. The three top cards also represent separate value propositions as a bank-sponsored card, a P2P-sponsored card, and a retail GPR card. 

The scorecard covers 55 criteria across three categories: Ongoing Experience, Cost, and Additional Benefits and Features. Ongoing Experience is weighted at 50% of the total score for each card program, with Cost and Additional Benefits and Features accounting for 25% each.

Key questions discussed in this Prepaid market report: 

• What categories determine positive consumer experiences with general-purpose reloadable cards?
• Why is it important for card programs to build through the consumer perspective?
• What can general-purpose reloadable card programs do to reduce consumer friction?
• What can administrators of prepaid card programs learn from peer programs? 

Companies Mentioned: 

Ace, American Express, Bluebird, Cash App, Control prepaid Mastercard, Fiserv, GO2bank, Green Dot, Greenlight, InComm, Mastercard, Money Network, Navy Federal Credit Union, Netspend, Pathward, PayPal, Regions, Serve, Target, The Bancorp Bank, Venmo, Visa, Walmart, Western Union