No matter how it stacks up against other pre-paid cards, The Approved Card from Suze Orman was probably destined to be vilified simply for its association with a woman who gives advice on how to save money. As you may have heard, it’s been taking tons of heat in the media from critics implying hypocrisy. Yes, pre-paid cards come with a cost, some much more than others, but Suze Orman’s is not among them.

Specifically, The Approved Card fees include:

• $3 one-time purchase fee
• $3 monthly fee
• $2 fee for customer service calls exceeding more than one per month

There may be other fees I’m not privy to, but all things considered, those look like pretty fair fees to me in comparison to other pre-paid cards. Pre-paid cards can come with one-time purchase fees of up to $50 and monthly fees up to $10. (That said, I’m no fan of the $2 customer service call; I don’t think we should ever have to pay to talk to a real live customer service person.)

There are also a number of free services that come with The Approved Card:

• Free TransUnion credit monitoring (though you must cancel after 12 months or start being charged $11.95 a month)
• Free emergency fund account
• Free online bill pay
• Free ATM use (with direct deposit)
• Free identity theft monitoring
• Free activity alerts and balance updates

In other words, The Approved Card from Suze Orman does not suck. If you are in the market for a pre-paid card – a smart move for anyone trying to repair credit – The Approved Card is at the top of a short list of promising contenders.

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