PayPal mobile wallet

It's obvious. People hear "American Express" and immediately lose their minds, ignoring all the other details about how easy it is to use or how you can pick up a card almost anywhere for a small fee.
The ads aren't clear enough to grab my attention if I don't already know the product. I was actually wondering about this lady yesterday; it seemed so counterintuitive to buy a card at a 7-Eleven just to download an app and set everything up afterward. It felt weird. Then I stumbled upon a bunch of promo ads on various news sites and saw they had a promotion running at Walgreens when they launched them. Clearly, they managed to spark interest among people who are already tech-savvy.
At least, I assume.

ironcyclist58 said:Since we’re on the subject of marketing, where exactly are they running their ads? It feels like their whole strategy completely bypassed me... 🤔

Honestly, if I hadn't stumbled onto your post on JP Morgan Chase about paying bills, I probably wouldn't have even heard of American Express

Look, it’s not even about whether I can use them for ironing or whatever—my signature literally says cash only. This is a prepaid setup. I used to have Mastercards, but they switched them all over to Key West. Now, there are certain sites where I absolutely need a master to get anything done.
I actually signed up back when they first hit the market—there was this whole thing involving Enc where you could snag a bonus if you played it right. Back then, they were asking for my Social Security number, so I bailed. But now? I really need a quick master, and luckily, my login and password are still good to go.
I tried again last night and ran into the same wall. I shot them an email, and get this—they called me back within 15 minutes! They told me it was weird because apparently, I’m an "isolated case." Though, looking at the forums, it seems like a bunch of us are stuck in this same kind of isolation. To be fair, they were Extra polite—no complaints there. They apologized and even offered to let me email over my ID. I passed, though. Like people have already said here, if they're giving me the runaround right out of the gate, I don't trust it.
We shouldn't all have to be freaking experts in payment processing and stuff; this whole thing is marketed as being dead simple. If you're hitting snags on step one, what's the point?
I’ve got a ton of apps on my phone linked to all sorts of different cards, and I have never—not once—had an issue or been forced to call customer support immediately just to get things moving.
If it works for you guys and you're making bank, great. For me? I'm not feeling it, and honestly, my gut has been telling me something's off since the very beginning.

John Phillips22 said:Whether it's worth it is up to you. If you only need it for online shopping, there are plenty of more reliable services out there where virtual cards are completely free and offer better exchange rates. Just browse this forum a bit; you'll find everything there. Lately, people have been complaining they can't even connect the card, or payments are lagging. As for security, don't worry too much. Your funds stay in your account once you deposit them; the card links to the account and pulls the balance when you buy something. You can always issue a new virtual card instantly if you feel one isn't secure. Their main advantage is how easy it is to get a physical card and start using it immediately, whereas with most foreign platforms, you're stuck waiting for a physical card to arrive in the mail. Useful if someone needs it urgently.

Alright, thanks.

John Phillips22 said:It feels like AirCash nailed their marketing by targeting people who aren't exactly tech-savvy. You just pick up a card for a few bucks at a News Corp outlet or a local gas station and use it whenever. They’ve clearly pulled in a crowd that doesn't want the hassle of setting up accounts with foreign fintech firms, adding cards to Google Pay, or even understanding what a virtual card is—they just want to shop online without risking their main checking account. Now, most of those people are probably considering opening a full account. Even my 65-year-old mother asked me to set one up for her so she could use it too. 🙂For that demographic, it might actually be a solid, straightforward option. Sure, the effort to use a real fintech app is minimal, but this feels more accessible and easier to grasp. Their marketing is decent; now they just need to fix the app before users lose interest and bail

I don't know, I actually signed up for American Express a while ago because it’s handy for receiving small transfers, like reimbursements or stuff from Craigslist. You can top it up at any local newsstand, a gas station, or just grab cash at a JP Morgan Chase ATM or a convenience store. As for the card, I'll have to see. It sounds interesting if I can use it on AliExpress, PayPal, and things like that. Maybe it's good for kids' pocket money when they go out, though I'm not sure if they can open accounts themselves.

I liked it better than Chime, honestly, mostly because setting up the account was faster and easier. Though, I didn't spend a ton of time digging into how Chime works.

Basically, it’s nothing to write home about, but for me, it handles some of my practical needs quite well.

Andrew Wells58 said:I don't know, I actually signed up for American Express a while ago because it’s handy for receiving small transfers, like reimbursements or stuff from Craigslist. You can top it up at any local newsstand, a gas station, or just grab cash at a JP Morgan Chase ATM or a convenience store. As for the card, I'll have to see. It sounds interesting if I can use it on AliExpress, PayPal, and things like that. Maybe it's good for kids' pocket money when they go out, though I'm not sure if they can open accounts themselves.

I liked it better than Chime, honestly, mostly because setting up the account was faster and easier. Though, I didn't spend a ton of time digging into how Chime works.

Basically, it’s nothing to write home about, but for me, it handles some of my practical needs quite well.

The first option really ought to be better since there are no fees. Meanwhile, American Express hits you with pretty hefty charges just for sending or withdrawing money.

It all comes down to what we actually need. As long as people are offering free accounts, you take them and exploit the perks while they last or until you might need them later. Using an American Express isn't exactly profitable regarding fees for deposits and transfers when there are so many free options out there, but being able to withdraw cash in a tiny town with three houses and a single kiosk can be a lifesaver—and nobody else offers that right now. It’s not something you'll need constantly, but it's a damn useful option to have in your back pocket when it matters.

You really should be able to pull cash out at The New York Times with any card they still accept, if they haven't phased that out yet.

Yeah, I overlooked that option, even though the fees end up being way higher than what you'd pay with an American Express. Honestly, it came in handy once when I realized I’d left my wallet at home after a shopping trip and wanted to grab a coffee, but they wouldn't take cards. Getting 2% back on $3.25 is basically nothing 🙂

Andrew Wells58 said:I don't know, I actually signed up for American Express a while ago because it’s handy for receiving small transfers, like reimbursements or stuff from Craigslist. You can top it up at any local newsstand, a gas station, or just grab cash at a JP Morgan Chase ATM or a convenience store. As for the card, I'll have to see. It sounds interesting if I can use it on AliExpress, PayPal, and things like that. Maybe it's good for kids' pocket money when they go out, though I'm not sure if they can open accounts themselves.

I liked it better than Chime, honestly, mostly because setting up the account was faster and easier. Though, I didn't spend a ton of time digging into how Chime works.

Basically, it’s nothing to write home about, but for me, it handles some of my practical needs quite well.

You can actually pick up several Mastercards and just link them all back to the same account—it’s pretty straightforward. You could give one to everyone and then simply set individual spending limits on each card to keep things under control.

John Phillips22 said:Yeah, I overlooked that option, even though the fees end up being way higher than what you'd pay with an American Express. Honestly, it came in handy once when I realized I’d left my wallet at home after a shopping trip and wanted to grab a coffee, but they wouldn't take cards. Getting 2% back on $3.25 is basically nothing 🙂

Higher? Please. Using American Express to grab cash at The New York Times asks for 4%, whereas if you used a debit card at JP Morgan Chase, you’re looking at 2% plus $3.00 (most other banks are basically the same deal). Honestly, using an American Express Mastercard would probably be cheaper (2% plus $3.25) than pulling straight from American Express, assuming they haven't blocked cash advances—which a lot of these fintech companies do...

If they end up making their bill pay service permanently free, I guess that alone would be enough reason for me to start using it.

Yeah, that’s pretty much the only reason I use it.

ironcyclist58 said:Higher? Please. Using American Express to grab cash at The New York Times asks for 4%, whereas if you used a debit card at JP Morgan Chase, you’re looking at 2% plus $3.00 (most other banks are basically the same deal). Honestly, using an American Express Mastercard would probably be cheaper (2% plus $3.25) than pulling straight from American Express, assuming they haven't blocked cash advances—which a lot of these fintech companies do...

You're right. I was looking at those small transactions where a 4% fee hurts less than a flat fee combined with a percentage.

ironcyclist58 said:The first option really ought to be better since there are no fees. Meanwhile, American Express hits you with pretty hefty charges just for sending or withdrawing money.

I guess I'll take another look at it then. Thanks.

Andrew Wells58 said:I guess I'll take another look at it then. Thanks.

Okay, if I'm following you correctly, you have to link an Oreo to your bank account if you want to access your cash, whereas Cash App works independently of that.

If you just crack open an Oreo, then you don't even have to worry about it.

ironcyclist58 said:If you just crack open an Oreo, then you don't even have to worry about it.

Oh, perfect, I just ordered them. Thanks!

The app just updated—maybe it’ll actually fix things for some of you.

Update follows. The confirmation issue is finally resolved.