Back to School Shopping Tips

The start of a new school year often means additional expenses. Here are some tips for spending less on school supplies.

Wait until school starts. Purchase a few essentials for the first day of school, but wait a few days to get the rest of your supplies. By waiting to see what you really need for your classes, you can avoid wasting money on unused items and take advantage of deeper discounts.
Shop at a discount store first. Stores such as the Dollar Tree and 99 Cents Store are the best places to start your school supply shopping.
Shop for the remaining items at a store that offers price matching. Scour the ads for sales on the rest of the items that you are lacking and purchase them at a store that price matches. This will help you avoid driving all over town.

Archives

ACE Elite Plans	ACE Elite Pay-As-You-Go Plan	ACE Elite FeeAdvantage Plan (Monthly)	ACE Elite with Direct Deposit FeeAdvantage Plan⁴ (Monthly)
Cost of Fee Plan	N/A	$9.95	$5.00
Signature Purchase Transactions	$1.00 each	included	included
PIN Purchase Transactions¹	$2.00 each	included	included
Average Cost Per Month	$15.00³	$9.95	$5.00
ATM Cash Withdrawals (Domestic)²	$2.50 each	$2.50 each	$2.50 each

Fees may apply to reload your ACE Elite Prepaid Card

1 To get cash back and avoid paying a higher ATM fee, select "debit" and enter your PIN when making a purchase at a retailer. Purchase transaction fee may apply, depending on which fee plan you selected. This option may not be available at all retail locations where the card is accepted.

2 ATM owner fees may also apply.

3 Calculation based on 5 PIN Purchase Transactions and 5 Signature Purchase Transactions.

4 To be eligible for this optional fee plan, have $500 deposited to the ACE Elite Prepaid Card during one calendar month. See Cardholder Agreement for details.

Goodbye to Hidden Fees Fees Related to the Service: Refunds are at par. None of the fees shown are assessed by MetaBank or the Card Association. ATM withdrawals may be subject to varying daily limits at the ATM owner's discretion.	ACE Elite™ Pay-As-You-Go Plan	ACE Elite™ FeeAdvantage™ Plan (Monthly)	ACE Elite™ with Direct Deposit FeeAdvantage™ Plan (Monthly)
Card Purchase Fee	$0	$0	$0
Plan Fee	N/A	$9.95	$5.00* *To be eligible for this optional fee plan, have $500 deposited during one calendar month.
Signature Purchase Transaction Fee	$1.00 each	included	included
PIN Purchase Transaction Fee	$2.00 each	included	included
Balance Inquiry Fee: via toll-free number (automated service) via toll-free number (customer service agent) at ATM online via Anytime Alerts™^**	$0.50 each $0.50 each $0.50 each Free Free	$0.50 each $0.50 each $0.50 each Free Free	$0.50 each $0.50 each $0.50 each Free Free
Bill Payment Fee	In addition to the one or more no-cost bill payment methods made available through third-party service providers, a full range of options and applicable fees appear at the Site.
Stop Payment Fee for Preauthorized Payment	$10.00 each
Domestic ATM Cash Withdrawal	$2.50 per withdrawal, plus ATM owner fees, if any
International ATM Cash Withdrawal	$4.95 per withdrawal, plus ATM owner fees, if any
ATM Transaction Decline Fee	$1.00 each

Tip: To avoid the ATM fees, you can get cash back when making purchases using your PIN at many retailers, such as grocery stores.

** Standard data usage or text message rates may apply. Check with your provider.

Add Money To or Withdraw/Transfer Money From Your Account: (Applies to all Cardholders)

Direct Deposit	Free
Add cash, checks or withdraw cash at a NetSpend Reload Network location	Convenience fee determined by location
Bank Transfer	Free; transfer fees from the originating bank may apply
Instant Bank Transfer	$5.95 each (deducted from the transferor's debit card account
Account-to-Account Transfer via text message or online	Free; standard text message rates may apply
Account-to-Account Transfer via toll-free number (automated service)	$1.00 each
Account-to-Account Transfer via toll-free number (Customer Service Agent)	$4.95 each

Manage Your Account: (Applies to all Cardholders)

Check or Additional Statement Mailing Fee	$5.95 each
Additional Card Fee	$3.95 each (standard Card)
Additional Card Fee		$4.95 each (custom Card)
Lost, stolen or damaged Card Replacement Fee	$3.95 each (standard Card)
Lost, stolen or damaged Card Replacement Fee		$4.95 each (custom Card)
Account Maintenance Fee	$5.95 per month (fee applies if Card Account has not had any activity, that is, no purchases; no cash withdrawals; no load transactions; or no balance inquiry fee for 90 days)