General-purpose reloadable cards play an important role in the prepaid ecosystem, but continued usage is not guaranteed. While many consumers adopt these products for budgeting, convenience, or access to digital payments, a range of factors can influence whether they keep using them over time. Understanding why consumers discontinue use offers valuable insight for issuers, program managers, and payment providers looking to improve retention. The latest data highlights the primary reasons cardholders step away from general-purpose reloadable cards.
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Data for today’s episode is provided by Javelin Strategy & Research’s Report: 2025 General-Purpose Reloadable Card Scorecard
Top 4 Reasons for Discontinuing Use of General-Purpose Reloadable Cards
- 38% – Reloading it wasn’t convenient
- 25% – The fees were too high
- 13% – I lost it
- 13% – I was able to open a bank account with a debit card instead
Source: Javelin Strategy & Research
About Report
The 2025 General Purpose Reloadable Card Scorecard examines the competitive landscape of the GPR market through a consumer-focused lens. As one of the most significant segments within prepaid payments, general-purpose reloadable cards reached $255 billion in total load volume in 2024 and are projected to expand at an annual growth rate of roughly 8%, according to Javelin Strategy & Research. These products serve diverse purposes, functioning as an alternative for consumers without access to traditional credit or debit, a budgeting tool for everyday expenses, a gateway to peer-to-peer payments, and in some cases a loyalty driver for retailers.
Javelin’s research explores how consumers evaluate reloadable cards, identifying cost, security, accessibility, and digital functionality as the most influential factors shaping satisfaction and continued use.
In the 2025 rankings, the Regions Bank Now Card earned top overall recognition among 16 widely used programs. While it did not lead in any single scoring category, its consistently high performance across all segments secured its position at the top. The Cash App Card and GO2bank Card followed closely, each demonstrating strong overall results despite not finishing first in individual categories. Notably, the top three programs reflect distinct market approaches, representing a traditional bank-sponsored offering, a peer-to-peer platform-backed card, and a retail-focused GPR product.
The evaluation framework assesses 55 separate attributes grouped into three weighted categories: Ongoing Experience, which accounts for half of the total score, and Cost as well as Additional Benefits and Features, each representing 25% of the final rating.
The post Why Do Consumers Stop Using General-Purpose Reloadable Cards? appeared first on PaymentsJournal.
