Pros & cons
Pros
- No annual fee.
- No credit checks required.
- Up to 5% back a select retailers.
- Available as a Visa or Mastercard.
Cons
- Fees start at $7.95 to purchase a card.
- No base earn rate on purchases.
Your rewards
How you earn rewards
Each card earns rewards differently. Part of choosing your card is deciding what type of rewards you want to get. With Joker Prepaid Mastercard, here's how you earn rewards:
- 5% cash back at select retailers
For all reward details click here.
How much your rewards are worth
The dollar value of your rewards depends on the specific rewards program ‒ and what you choose to redeem your points for. For Joker Prepaid Mastercard in particular, if you spend $3,000 per month, here's our estimated annual rewards earned depending on which reward you choose:
| Statement credits | $90 |
Calculating your annual rewards
$36,000 annual spending x 0.25% return on spending = $90 annual rewards
$90 annual rewards − $0.00 annual fee = $90 net annual rewards
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1x Award Winner
Details and eligibility
- Estimated Credit Score
- 300 - 559
- Personal Income
- N/A
- Household Income
- N/A
- Annual Fee
- $0.00
- Extra Card Fee
- $0
- Card type
- Prepaid
- Purchase
- N/A
- Cash Advance
- N/A
- Balance Transfer
- N/A
Genius Rating
Joker Prepaid Mastercard's 2.1 Genius Rating is based on the weighted average of the following scores:
Methodology
All scores are produced by our math-based rating algorithm that takes into account over 126 credit card features.
Top cards if you have Poor Credit
Joker Mastercard Review
Looking for a credit card to use for purchases, but don’t want the commitment of an account? A store-bought prepaid card can be a solution. These cards can be bought in stores, loaded with funds, and then used like a credit card.
One such option is the Joker Mastercard. This Mastercard offers a unique virtual card, and is accepted anywhere Mastercard can be used as payment.
Here's what this prepaid card has to offer.
What is the Joker Mastercard?
The Joker Mastercard is a pre-loaded prepaid card you can buy in-store and online.
At the checkout, you tell the cashier how much you want to load onto it – you’re able to load any amount between $25 and $500.
You can also purchase one online. Instead of a physical card, you'll get a virtual card to be used for online purchases only.
Once you’ve bought and loaded it, you can start using it for purchases. If you want to use it for online purchases, you'll have to register the card, but you only have to provide basic information.
Registering it provides a little more security, as unlike a credit card (or even a prepaid card account) there won't be much information stored on your account, meaning there’s less for anyone to steal.
There is a fee to get the Joker Mastercard, however. It costs at least $7.95 to get one, with the fee varying based on the type of card you get and how much you load.
2 benefits of the Joker Prepaid Mastercard
What are some benefits of having the Joker Mastercard? Here are 2 things to like about it.
1. Limited personal data connected to you
If you're just going to use the card in-store, there’s no personal data tied to the card. All you’re doing is swiping a card with pre-loaded funds, so there's no way to tie the card back to you should something happen.
It's a bit of a different story when shopping online, as you do need to register your card. Merchants require cardholders to verify billing addresses for identity verification, and you'll have to provide that with your Joker Mastercard.
But, you're providing very limited info. More potentially damaging info like a SIN number or banking info isn't a part of having this prepaid card.
2. Offers an easy-to-access virtual card
While the physical cards are easy to purchase in-store and don't require any personal info, if you ever lose it without registering it, you're out of luck – the funds can't be replaced.
Luckily, Joker Mastercard also offers a virtual card you can purchase online. Your card is safely stored on your phone and can be used for any online purchases.
This reduces the chances of card loss. And since there’s little personal information attached to this prepaid Mastercard, it can increase your feeling of security.
3 downsides of the Joker Mastercard
There are definitely some things you'll want to consider before getting a Joker Mastercard.
1. Minimal rewards on purchases
Unlike most credit cards (and even full featured prepaid cards), you won't be earning many rewards on your purchases.
If you shop at select retailers, you'll earn up to 5% back. But the list is quite small.
2. Can't be reloaded
Once you buy a Joker Mastercard and use the balance, that's the end of the card's life. The card can't be reloaded and now belongs in the trash.
You'll have to buy a new Joker Mastercard, and if you want to use it when shopping online, you'll have to register the new card again.
3. Fee to purchase a Joker Mastercard
But the biggest downside of all? There's a fee to pay. Everytime you go to buy a Joker Mastercard, you'll need to pay a fee.
If you're buying a card in-store, the fee varies based on the amount you're loading:
- $25 – $200: $7.95
- $200 – $500: $9.95
If you're purchasing a virtual card, the fee is always $7.95. So if you use these cards frequently, the fees will really start to add up.
And here’s the kicker, even on top of this annoying detail: if you have a card for more than 12 months, you'll have to pay a monthly maintenance fee of $3.
Joker Prepaid Mastercard alternatives
Of course, there are prepaid card alternatives to these store-purchased prepaid cards.
Many issuers offer reloadable prepaid cards. You register an account with them and they'll issue you a prepaid card. These cards have no fees and can be reloaded any time you want.
Here is one alternative you can look at – the
| Joker Prepaid Mastercard | Wealthsimple Prepaid Mastercard | |
|---|---|---|
| Rewards Offered | None | Cash Back |
| Earn Rates | N/A | None |
| Other Special Features | Offers a virtual card | * Charges no foreign exchange fees |
| Can be reloaded | No | Yes |
| Max balance | $500 | None |
| Annual Fee | None, but costs $7.95 to purchase | None |
What about you?
The Joker Mastercard is an interesting product. But with the fees you have to pay, it's not worth it for most people.
Have you used the Joker Mastercard before? Leave a review below so others can see what you thought of it.
FAQ
What is the Joker Mastercard?
The Joker Mastercard is a prepaid card that can be purchased at stores or online. You can set the amount of funds available on the card, up to a balance of $500.
Is the Joker Mastercard reloadable?
The Joker Mastercard is not reloadable. Once your balance runs out, you'll have to buy a new one.
Does the Joker Mastercard offer rewards?
The Joker Mastercard doesn't offer any rewards on purchases.
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User reviews
Reviewed by 26 Canadians
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If I can give less than one, I bought a card from Walmart 100$, when I try to activate it, it has been activated and used by someone else. I opened a ticket, sent all receipts and pictures, did not get anything back, do not take the risk and buy this card
Worst joker prepaid Visa card ever someone scam my money on my card I'm trying get it back I've been waiting long time more then 2 months try fix it get it back nothing yet now I send all information they still giving me a hard time there so fishy do not recommend
The card is crap stay away from JokerCard bull-crap. It wouldn't load tried numerous times, finally get it loaded go to use insufficient funds... checked balance out $ 120, zero was remaining. Hadn't even used it at this point. Said it was registered in Brampton ON Canada I registered it in Saskatchewan. And apparently, an amazon order was placed and used up the exact amount loaded on the card. What a SCAM!!!!! my last bit of money I put on there to pay bills. Now I'm broke, and am a single mother who cannot very buy food for my kids. NEVER AGAIN will I use a Joker Visa Card NEVER!!!!!!! I have used other loadable cards before never had a issue at all. But they named this one right this care is a bloody joke!!! I will be letting people know not to bother getting one because they will steal your money and take food out of your children mouths.
Do not buy this crap! I had nothing but frustration with this card. Two times. When you try to use it, it will get blocked immediately if their system decides that who you're about to pay is not approved or for some other reasons unknown to me. That is understandable, but what happens after that will for sure drive you mad. You don't know that the card is blocked, when you call the number on the back it will tell you that your card is not activated at the point of purchase and you should go back to the store where you purchased it. You go there and they look at the receipt and tell you your card was activated, there is nothing we can do, go talk to Joker card services. Good luck figuring out how to talk to a human when you call. But when you try every possible option and somehow you get through they will tell you that your card is blocked and they will mail you a new card in 15 business days. I suggest you get your money from that card and never think again to buy any gift card again. Oh and the "Fees starting at $7.95 to purchase." listed as a "Key benefit". You have to be kidding me. How is that a benefit.
Got a 400 gift card. Used it once at it was frauded. It was the second time getting a gift card and twice the same issue. Stay away from using this company for gift cards. They don’t replace the money and talking to one of their agents. They can’t even speak properly English or French
