Hello-My mom (dementia) would like to make some low cost purchases for things at the NH and local stores. I'm looking for a card that I can load with a small amount ($50) and reload as needed.
I looked online but reloadable card have so many fees and costs. Now I am looking at getting her a Chime Visa debit card with a low balance. The reviews seem good.
Would this be better than sending her cash?Thank you.
"Best Low-Fee Reloadable Cards:
Bluebird by American Express
Fees:
No monthly fees
No activation fees
No purchase or transaction fees
No inactivity or foreign transaction fees
Benefits:
Free ATM withdrawals within MoneyPass network
Multiple free reload options (Family Dollar, direct deposit, mobile check, online transfer)
AmEx Serve
Fees:
No monthly fee in some versions (some plans do charge ~$6.95/month)
Reloads free at many locations (some may charge up to $3.95)
ATM access via MoneyPass network"
Source: ChatGPT
Have you compared cards on NerdWallet?
Do not do cash.
A pre-loaded cc will require only a signature, but who checks those? Can your Mom still sign her name? We were shocked when my MIL, in LTC, could no longer remember how to write, not even make an X. Not even when I showed her how to sign her name. She could still read, so we had no idea this was an issue.
The chances of theft or mismanagement are high no matter what.
And NEVER mail cash
From the Ads that I have seen the Chime seems to be a good option for what you are describing BUT I have not looked into it at all.
If she has a bank account I think the bank card might be an option and I think you can put a limit on it as well.
That allows you to check on her balance and spending easily online at any time, and it only takes a minute to transfer funds.
If you are using her funds, which you have control over, then open a separate spending account for her at her bank so you can transfer funds from her main account to a small spending account with a debit card she can use.