The company is marketing the reloadable cards, which can be used anywhere American Express is accepted, under the name “bluebird” in about 180 of the discount retailer’s stores on the West Coast.
The company has not revealed any details about the program or intentions to expand the service in additional stores, but has pointed out that the action is part of American Express’ strategy to address to a broader swath of consumers.
Prepaid cards are similar to traditional debit cards but are not tied to a checking account. Until recently, they have been marketed mainly by non-bank companies to low-income consumers via check cashers, payday lenders, pharmacies and other retailers.
The bluebird card does not carry a monthly fee, purchase fee or activation fee. It also offers one free ATM withdrawal each month, followed by a USD 2 fee for each subsequent withdrawal.
Customers can also sign up for the card online.
In recent news, American Express has entered a new partnership with provider of spend management services Concur to deliver their services to corporate clients in Japan.
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