I’ve mentioned before that sometimes I live under a rock. This rock was a happy place, where rebates arrived as normal paper checks that had to be cashed or deposited within 90 days and all would be right with the world. Although it has apparently been a trend for some time, last month was the first time I ever received a prepaid debit card instead of a check for a rebate.

I’m not liking it. These prepaid debit cards are almost as annoying as gift cards, and have few of the same protections that gift cards have under the law. Gift cards don’t have expiration dates or maintenance fees, but debit cards do.
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