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Prepaid and Gift Cards in the U.S. covers trends shaping the prepaid card market. For the purposes of this report, prepaid cards include closed-loop and open-loop (general-purpose) prepaid cards, with a focus on open-loop consumer, payroll and government prepaid cards; open-loop and closed-loop gift cards; and open-loop employee rewards and incentives cards. The report does not include the study of (non-prepaid) debit cards, defined as any payment card that draws money for a purchase or other payment transaction directly from a bank account, typically a checking or savings account; or transit cards.
More specifically, this report:
Provides a market size and forecast for the prepaid card market, including trended purchase volume for general use (open-loop) and private label (closed-loop) prepaid cards, by type. We also provide a separate market size for government-administered prepaid cards, by type; and for gift cards.
Drawing from proprietary survey results, identifies and interprets key prepaid metrics, including cardholder usage costs, monthly spend, monthly purchase, ATM withdrawal, and reload transactions, and length of card ownership. We also identify the percentage of prepaid cardholders with direct deposit, and then assess the degree that direct deposit and HH income influences these above metrics.
Gauges (reloadable and non-reloadable) prepaid card and gift card usage trends during 2011-2016, breaking prepaid card usage down by card network; banked status; remittance, debit card and credit card use; cash and money order bill payment usage; bill payment preferences; credit score; and mobile payment method.
Assesses general-purpose reloadable prepaid card usage rationales across five categories: online and in-store purchases; P2P, bill payment and check writing; discounts and rewards; financial management features; and finding, deposit and transfer methods.
Studies reasons for choosing general-purpose reloadable prepaid cards, including usage cost; overdraft fee avoidance and debt management; credit and bank account substitution; breadth of acceptance; and reloading method.
Ranks general-purpose reloadable prepaid cards used and used most by card brand, segmented by direct deposit use; and prepaid cards by network brand, segmented by banked status and credit score.
Drawing from survey results, formulates a gift card market size segmented by gift giving, self-gifting and employee receipt, and by occasion; and sizes the gift card market gift cards retailer type.
Explores prepaid card marketer & issuer strategies, including American Express, Blackhawk Network, Bofl Holding, Inc., The Bancorp Bank, Green Dot, MetBank and NetSpend. Analysis includes competitive positioning, new product introductions, company innovations, and trended performance analysis. Heavy emphasis is placed on add-value proprietary estimates for gross dollar volume and other metrics otherwise not published by included industry participants.
Explores a variety of prepaid card industry challenges and solutions, including regulatory issues, pricing and profit factors, broadening the target audience, bank account competition, and fraud.
Executive Summary
Report Scope
Report Summary
Market Size and Forecast
Challenges & Opportunities
Prepaid Card Usage Trends
Prepaid Card Usage Rationales
Prepaid Card Brands
Prepaid Card Cost, Usage Method & Spend Analysis
Gift Card Usage and Purchasing Trends
Prepaid Card Marketers and Issuers
Blackhawk Network, Inc.
BofI Holding, Inc.
The Bancorp Bank
Green Dot
MetaBank
NetSpend
Introduction and Overview
Market segmentation
Types of prepaid cards
Categorization according to use
Fees
Market Size and Forecast
U.S. prepaid card market size and forecast
Table U.S. Prepaid Card Market Size and Forecast, 2012-2018
"Open-loop" prepaid cards
Table U.S. Open-Loop Prepaid Card Market Size and Forecast, by Type, 2012-2018
"Closed-loop" prepaid cards
Table U.S. Closed-Loop Prepaid Card Market Size and Forecast, by Type, 2012-2018
Government-administered prepaid cards
Government prepaid card market size
Table Government Benefit Payment Disbursements: EBT vs. Prepaid Card, by Federal and State/Local Program and Program Type, 2012-2015
Table Government Benefit Payments Disbursed Via Prepaid Card: Federal vs. State/Local Programs, 2012-2015
Table Percentage Use of Reloadable Prepaid Cards, by Gender, Age, HH Income and Race/Ethnicity: 2014 vs. 2016
Table Percentage Use of Reloadable Prepaid Cards, by Banked Status, Bank Usage Status, Credit Card/Debit Card Users, Car Title Loan Users, Smartphone Users and Remitters: 2014 vs. 2016
Table Percentage Use of Reloadable Prepaid Cards, by Cash and Money Order Bill Payment Preference: 2014 vs. 2016
Banked status, remittance use and mobile payment methods
Fully banked, underbanked and unbanked
Table Banked, Fully Banked, Underbanked and Unbanked: Reloadable Prepaid Card Users and Non-Users, by HH Income, 2015
Table Reloadable Prepaid Card Users and Non-Users: Share of Banked, Fully Banked, Underbanked and Unbanked, by HH Income, 2015
Table Banked, Fully Banked, Underbanked and Unbanked: Reloadable Prepaid Card Users and Non-Users, by Age, 2015
Table Banked, Fully Banked, Underbanked and Unbanked: Reloadable Prepaid Card Users and Non-Users, by Race/Ethnicity, 2015
Remittances
Table Remitters, by Reloadable Prepaid Card Use and Demographic, 2015
Mobile payment methods
Table Mobile Payment Method, by Type: Reloadable Prepaid Card Users and Non-Users, 2016
Bill payment preferences
Table Bill Payment Preferences, by Type: Reloadable Prepaid Card Users and Non-Users, 2016
Prepaid Card Usage Rationales
Prepaid card features: usage and importance
Online and in-store purchases
Table Reloadable General-Purpose Prepaid Card Features Used and Used Most: Online and In-Store Purchases, by HH Income, 2016
P2P, bill payment and check writing
Table Reloadable General-Purpose Prepaid Features Used and Used Most: P2P, Bill Payment and Check Writing, by HH Income, 2016
Discounts and rewards
Table Reloadable General-Purpose Prepaid Card Features Used and Used Most: Discounts and Rewards, by HH Income, 2016
Financial management features
Table Reloadable General-Purpose Prepaid Card Features Used and Used Most: Financial Management Features, by HH Income, 2016
Funding, deposit and transfer methods
Table Reloadable General-Purpose Card Features Used and Used Most: Funding, Deposit and Transfer Methods, by HH Income, 2016
Reasons for choosing prepaid cards
Costs associated with card of top importance when choosing card
Table Reloadable General-Purpose Prepaid Card Users: Cost Factors Important to Choosing Card, by HH Income and Direct Deposit Status, 2016
Card usage factors
Table Reloadable General-Purpose Prepaid Card Users: Usage Factors Important to Choosing Card, by HH Income and Direct Deposit Status, 2016
A substitute for a credit card? Yes. For a bank account? Not so much.
Table Reloadable General-Purpose Prepaid Card Users: Importance of Credit Quality & Credit Card and Bank Account Substitute When Choosing Card, by HH Income and Direct Deposit Status, 2016
Prepaid Card Brands
Prepaid card network brands
Table Percentage Use of Prepaid Cards, by Card Network, 2013-2016
Demographic analysis
Table Prepaid Card User Share, by Network Brand: Gender, Age, HH Income and Race/Ethnicity, 2016
Banked status, other payment cards and credit score
Table Prepaid Card User Share, by Network Brand: Banked Status, Bank Usage Status, Credit Card/Debit Card Use and VantageScore Segment, 2016
Prepaid card marketer brands
Prepaid cards used and used most
Table Reloadable Prepaid Cards: Use and Use Most, by Card Marketer, 2016
Table Prepaid Cards: Use and Use Most, by HH Income and Card Marketer, 2016
Table Prepaid Cards: Use Most, by Direct Deposit Status and Card Marketer, 2016
Prepaid Card Cost, Usage Method & Spend Analysis
Introduction
Monthly usage, spend and costs
Table Reloadable Prepaid Card Reload, ATM Withdrawal, Direct Deposit and Purchase Metrics, 2016
Effect of HH income on card usage, spend and costs
Table Reloadable Prepaid Card Reload, ATM Withdrawal, Direct Deposit and Purchase Metrics, by HH Income, 2016
Effect of direct deposit on card usage, spend and costs
Table Reloadable Prepaid Card Reload, ATM Withdrawal, Direct Deposit and Purchase Metrics, by Direct Deposit Status, 2016
Gift Card Usage and Purchasing Trends
Gift card giving
Top occasions, by dollar value
Table Spending on Gift Cards: Dollar Share: Giving to Others, by Occasion; Giving to Self; and Receiving from Employer, 2016
Top givers, by dollar value
Table Spending on Gift Cards for Others: Dollar Share, by Demographic, 2016
Table Spending on Gift Cards for Self: Dollar Share, by Demographic, 2016
Gift card retailer segmentation analysis
Table U.S. Adult Gift Card Purchases: Percent Purchasing, by Retail Segment & Card Brand, 2011-2016
Table U.S. Adult Gift Card Purchases: Dollar Value, by Retail Segment & Card Brand, 2011-2016
Table U.S. Adult Gift Card Purchases: Per-Person Dollar Value, by Retail Segment & Card Brand, 2011-2016
Gift Card Usage Rationales
Table Rationales for Giving Gift Cards to Others, 2016
Gift Card Distribution Attitudes
Table Gift Card Distribution, Redemption and Mobile Wallet and Payment Usage, 2016
Demographic analysis
Table Gift Card Distribution, Redemption and Mobile Wallet and Payment Usage, by Gender, Age and HH Income, 2016
Prepaid Card Marketer & Issuer Strategies
American Express
Success and accomplishments
Change of tack
Table American Express: Travelers Check and Prepaid Product Metrics, 2011-2015
Blackhawk Network, Inc.
Retail products
Retail distribution
Table Blackhawk Network Holdings: Retail Distribution Locations, Retail Distribution Partners and Content Partners, U.S. and International, 2013-2015
Table Blackhawk Network Holdings: Revenue by Major Distributor and Content Provider, 2012 vs. 2015
Digital innovation
Table Blackhawk Network Holdings: Digital Share of Transaction Dollar Volume, 2012-2015
Bank and card network partners
Table Blackhawk Network Holdings: Revenue from Open-Loop Products and MetaBank, 2013-2015
Incentives segment
Table Blackhawk Network Holdings: Incentives & Rewards Acquisition History ,2013-2016
Performance trends
Table Blackhawk Network Holdings: Revenue by Segment, 2012-2015
Table Blackhawk Network Holdings: Transaction Dollar Volume, Transactions and Average Value, by Segment, 2012-2015
Table Blackhawk Network Holdings: U.S. Transaction Dollar Volume, by Segment and Product, 2012-2015
Table Blackhawk Network Holdings: U.S. Revenue by Segment and Product Type, 2012-2015
Table Blackhawk Network Holdings: U.S. Revenue Share by Segment and Product Type, 2012-2015
BofI Holding, Inc.
Prepaid cards
Tax refund cards are about more than just cards
Performance trends: H& R Block Emerald Card
Table H& R Block Emerald Card and Refund Transfer Revenue; Emerald Advance Revenue and Balances, 2012-2016
Table H& R Block Emerald Card: Per Card Deposits and Revenue, 2012-2016
The Bancorp Bank
Troubles in the rear view mirror?
Card programs
Table The Bancorp: Prepaid Cards Issued, by Brand, Program Manager and Card Network, 2016
Performance trends
Table The Bancorp: Active Cards, Gross Dollar Volume, and Gross Dollar Volume per Card, 2011-2015
Table The Bancorp: Card- and Deposit-Related Income, by Type, 2011-2015
Table The Bancorp: Per Card Prepaid Fees, 2011-2015
Green Dot
Competitive positioning
Table Green Dot Inc. Product Introductions and Initiatives, 2013-2016
Product and services
Table Green Dot Inc.: Prepaid Cards Issued, by Brand, 2016
Table Green Dot Inc.: Product Revenue, by Segment, 2015
Retail distribution
Table Green Dot Inc. Product Distribution Channels, 2016
Table Walmart and Other Retailer Share of Green Dot Revenue, 2011-2015
Key card trends
Table Green Dot Prepaid Card Trends: Active Cards, Reloads, Gross Dollar Value, Purchase Value and Deposits, 2011-2015
Table Green Dot Prepaid Trends Per Active Card: Reloads, Gross Dollar Value, Purchase Value and Deposits, 2011-2015*
Table Green Dot Direct Deposit as Percent of Gross Dollar Value, Q2 2014-2016
Table Green Dot Direct Deposit as Percent of Active Cardholders, 2013, 2015 and 2016
Table Green Dot Gross Dollar Value and Active Cards: Direct Deposit Share, Q1 2015 vs. Q1 2016
Table Green Dot Prepaid Trends: Average General-Purpose Reloadable Card Lifetime, 2011-2015
Performance summary
Table Green Dot Operating Revenue Trends: Card/Fee, Cash Transfer and Interchange, 2011-2015
MetaBank
Table Meta Financial: Acquisitions and Partnerships, 2015-2016
Performance trends
Table MetaBank: Prepaid Cards Issued, by Brand, Program Manager and Card Network, 2016
Table MetaBank: Card Fees, Interchange Fees, and Prepaid Card Deposits and GDV, 2011-2015
Table MetaBank: Prepaid Card GDV, by Segment, 2011-2015
NetSpend
Competitive positioning
Table Total System Services: Accounts on File, by Type, 2011-2015
Retail distribution
Table NetSpend: Revenue Share, by Distribution Channel: 2011-2014
Card brands
Table NetSpend Prepaid Card Programs, by Type, Issuer and Card Network, 2016
Performance trends
Table NetSpend: Revenue, Active Cards, and Gross Dollar Volume, by Direct Deposit, 2011-2015