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The Daily Insight Hub

Do prepaid card work right away?

Author

Isabella Turner

Updated on February 01, 2026

Prepaid cards are sold at retail stores, online, over the phone, and at some banks and credit unions. If you buy your card at a retail store or at a bank or credit union branch, you may be able to start using it for purchases right away.

Does NatWest do prepaid card?

Balance updates will be sent to prepaid card users via SMS NatWest is launching two pre-paid cards that can be topped up from mobile phones in partnership with O2.

Do banks give out prepaid cards?

Prepaid debit cards are issued by banks and branded by the major credit card companies, including Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express.

How long does a prepaid card last?

The law states that a gift card or general purpose prepaid card may not expire any earlier than five years from the date of activation (or the date when funds were last added to the card) and that if there is an expiration, the terms and conditions of that expiration must be clearly disclosed prior to purchase.

How long does a prepaid card take to activate?

Activating a prepaid debit card is easy and takes just a few minutes. You must have your card with you when you activate so you can enter your card number, three-digit security code and expiration date. Some issuers charge an activation fee or other fees to maintain your prepaid debit card.

How long does it take for a prepaid card to work?

What to Expect After You Activate a Gift Card. After you activate the gift card, it should be ready to use. I have seen some cases where a gift card issuer imposes a waiting period after purchase, meaning the gift card may not be usable for up to 24-48 hours even though it has been activated.

How long does it take to get a refund on a prepaid card?

The refund can take several days to clear. The company that issued the prepaid credit card will have either a website or a phone number that you can use to verify the balance on the card. Check the balance often to ensure that you receive the refund within seven business days. 6

How long does it take a credit card payment to post?

While electronic payments are faster, they’re not instant. It can take 1 to 3 business days for an online or phone payment to post to your credit card account and reflect in your available credit. That’s because payments made using a checking account and routing number are processed in batches overnight and not in real time.

How long does it take to get a credit card number?

Credit card approvals can be near-instant but it can take several business days for your physical card to be mailed to you. Some credit card companies may give you a temporary digital card number you can use to make purchases or pay bills online.

Where can I buy a prepaid credit card?

You may want to go online to review this additional information. You can buy prepaid cards at retail locations (such as grocery stores and drug stores), online, over the phone, or from some banks and credit unions. If you buy the card online, you may then be issued a virtual card, or you may receive a physical card in the mail at a later time.