How It Works
Northwest Georgia Bank Constant Cash Card works like this ... parents put money on the card … like what they've already set aside for books, gas, clothes, vacations, or emergencies. They load money from their credit or check card, or checking account, and can even set up regular, automatic transfers to give an allowance.
Then teens use the card at the mall, over the phone, even online, at over 20 million locations where Master Card is accepted. Sound like a credit card? It's not! Purchases are deducted immediately from the card. Balance too low? Sorry, no sale. Time to reload again! It's like cash, but smarter, safer, and a perfect tool for teaching teens about budgeting and financial responsibility.
Why Teens Love It
- Freedom for teens to get what they need, when they need it … at stores, online, mail order, in emergencies … worldwide!
- Independence to make responsible purchases without having to borrow a credit card or carry lots of cash.
- Responsibility to manage a budget and save money.
- Easily reloadable by phone or online by parents when the balance is low or at regularly scheduled times.
- Great gifts from parent-authorized family and friends, who can add cash gifts to the card.
Why It's Responsible
- Introduces teens to budgeting because parents decide how much goes on the card and set maximum spending limits.
- Encourages financial accountability with online tracking of purchases, so parents and teens can talk about how to spend and budget responsibly.
- Secure because only the teen can use the card, and online account information is password protected.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Constant Cash card?
Northwest Georgia Bank's Constant Cash card is a prepaid, reloadable MasterCard® card created especially for teens. The Constant Cash card makes it easy for parents to teach teens how to create a budget, manage money, and shop wisely. The card can be used everywhere that accepts MasterCard. Parents enroll their teen and can also monitor their teen's spending; they set the spending limits by the prepaid amount loaded on the card.
What is the difference between a prepaid card, a check card and a credit card?
The prepaid Constant Cash card looks similar to a MasterCard® credit card; both have the MasterCard® trademark. And merchants accept it just like any other MasterCard® card. But Constant Cash cardholders don't have a credit line. The Constant Cash card will only allow teens to access the prepaid amount of money that's loaded on the card. And like a check card, the money is automatically deducted from the card account.
What does it cost to obtain a Northwest Georgia Bank Constant Cash card?
It costs $4.00 + $1.95 S&H to order the Constant Cash card. There is also a $1.85 charge each time you reload the card.
What other fees does the card have?
See Terms & Conditions for details.
- Statements are available online for free.
- Purchases are free.
- ATM Withdrawals/Balance Inquiries - $1 each
- Inactivity fee (no monetary activity for 6 months) - $2 per month
- Card Replacement - $7
- Overdraft Fee - $29
- Check Issuance Fee - $5
- Interactive Voice Response Unit - $.50 per call.
What are the benefits of a Constant Cash card?
The Northwest Georgia Bank Constant Cash prepaid card helps put an end to last-minute ATM trips and constant nagging for money. With online, telephone, and automatic loading, combined with parental controls like spending limits, the Constant Cash card makes it easy for you to provide your teen with spending money while teaching your teen financial responsibility. It enables parents to monitor spending and it's safer than cash because MasterCard® protects you and your teen if the card is ever lost or stolen. And it gives your teen the freedom to use it everywhere that accepts MasterCard®. Constant Cash is perfect for schoolbooks, supplies, music, food, travel, and is great for peace of mind in case of emergencies.
How does automatic loading make budgeting easier for parents?
Automatic loading is a convenient way to set up allowances, or budget how much money is given to a teen. Every week, once a month, or whenever you deem most appropriate, a pre-selected amount can be transferred from a parent's credit card, debit card, or checking account to the teen's Constant Cash card. It's quick and easy, and helps take the stress out of giving teens cash. Please note that when loading from your checking account, the transfer may take five to seven days.
How does Constant Cash help teens with budgeting?
Northwest Georgia Bank Constant Cash card gives teens a tool to learn the importance of budgeting wisely and planning accordingly by supplying an account history for them to review. Teens can access the account history feature at http://secure.pulseaccess.net/NWGeorgiaBank/consumer/ to keep track of purchases, get a card balance, and find information and tips on financial management subjects.
Can parents set spending limits?
Yes, parents determine how much money gets loaded on the card, as well as when and how the card is loaded. Parents also can log on to http://secure.pulseaccess.net/NWGeorgiaBank/consumer/ to review their teen's spending and suspend the account at any time, for any reason. In this way, the Constant Cash card offers teens financial independence within safe, comfortable, and structured limits.
How does the Constant Cash card work?
The Northwest Georgia Bank Constant Cash card is a prepaid card so spending limits are set by the amount of money parents load onto the card. When a teen makes a purchase with the Constant Cash card, the purchase amount is deducted from the card balance. When the card balance is low, parents can add money to, or "reload," the card from their credit card, debit card, or checking account (transferring money using a checking account can take five to seven days). Parents can even schedule automatic loading to provide an allowance on a regular basis. It's a perfect tool for parents and teens to talk about budgeting, spending, and financial responsibility.
Who can use the card?
Only the teen whose name appears on the card can use the card.
Why is it important to always know the balance on the card?
Merchants cannot tell how much money is on the card until your teen tries to make a purchase. Any attempt to make a purchase for an amount that is greater than the cardholder's available balance will be declined. While this does not happen very often, it is important for the cardholder to keep track of their available balance to help avoid this situation.
Your teen can use a second payment method (cash, check, or a credit or debit card) in combination with the Constant Cash card to make a purchase greater than the balance on the card. It's okay for the card to fully deplete funds. If this happens, simply follow the appropriate steps to reload the card.
How do teens keep track of their balance?
We recommend that they use a transaction register (similar to a check register) to record all of their purchases and deposits. This makes it easy to keep track of their current balance and is great practice for when they have a checking account in the future. Teens should also keep their receipts and compare them to their register and online statement. By tracking their activity regularly, your teen will always know how much they are spending, where they have spent it, and how much is on the card. This helps them to understand budgeting and the value of money, and it makes shopping with Constant Cash easy.
How do parents and teens find out the card balance?
Both parents and teens can check the card balance by logging onto http://secure.pulseaccess.net/NWGeorgiaBank/consumer/.
Do merchants ever tie up more funds than your intended purchase price?
It is important to know that some merchants like restaurants and gas stations "reserve" more money than your teen may actually plan to spend. They do this to cover variable costs like tips or a tank of gas. Within 3-7 days, the "reserve" is cancelled and the funds become available again on the Constant Cash card.
What if the Constant Cash card is lost or stolen?
Either a parent or teen should call 1-706-965-3000 immediately. And remember to always keep your card number in a safe place-you'll need it for a replacement card. Your replacement card will arrive in 7 to 10 days. See the Terms & Conditions for any fees that may apply.
Is identification required to use the card?
As a security measure to protect the teen, a merchant might ask to see a teen's ID, which could be a school ID or a driver's license. If the teen doesn't carry ID, the merchant can match the signature on the back of the card to the teen's signature on the receipt.
Can teens use the Constant Cash card at an ATM?
Parents can decide if their teen can have access to ATMs. By using the options under "parental controls", parents can select settings appropriate for different teens in the household. If allowed by the parent, the teen can use the Constant Cash card to withdraw cash from ATMs worldwide. See the Terms & Conditions for associated fees.
Can the Constant Cash card ever be suspended?
Either a parent or a teen can suspend the account at any time, for any reason. The Constant Cash card cannot be used again until the parent reactivates it. This can be done online at http://secure.pulseaccess.net/NWGeorgiaBank/consumer/.
How can parents and teens ensure their account information is secure?
All information given to Northwest Georgia Bank is secure and strictly confidential. To access the cardholder's account via the Web, the cardholder's username and password are required. Once the user is logged in, extra security measures make private information unreadable as it passes over the Internet.
Can more than one teen be on the same Constant Cash account?
Each teen in the family is required to have a separate card with their own unique card number. If you have more than one teen, the Constant Cash enrollment process makes it easy for you to sign them all up at the same time.
