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Skylight Visa was recommended by my employer last year, as they were trying to convert to only electronic payroll. You could choose your own bank, and if you did not have a bank or preferred to get you paycheck deposited elsewhere, Skylight was given as an option. I have a checking account, but prefer to keep my payroll separate, so I chose Skylight. Big mistake! Skylight is a prepaid debit card that makes it's money from fees. If you make more than 1 ATM withdrawal per pay period, it's going to cost you $2 (on top of what the ATM is going to charge). Need gas? You better make sure you have not only the amount that you're putting in gas, but whatever amount the gas station uses to authorize the transaction (usually $75-$100). If you only have the $30 you were planning to put in gas, your card will get declined & you will have to pay $1.50 fee. All of these fees seem pretty normal, but when you combine the horrible customer service when you call to inquire about these fees, plus no list of fees before or after they are incurred, and it seems like they can charge you whatever they please.

The breaking point for me was when I visited a "free of charge" ATM that was listed on their website. I was making a $120 withdrawal when the ATM malfunctioned & did not dispense any cash. A frustrating situation for sure. I called the company that owns the ATM who told me to contact my "bank" and have then file a Regulation E form. The CSR I spoke to could see that the ATM did indeed malfunction.

When I called Skylight Visa I was rudely told that I had to fax in basic information, and if the investigation showed that I had not received any cash, I MAY receive a provisional credit in 10 business days! They were so rude about it, and it seemed to me they were insinuating I was being dishonest by their attitude. I have had to file disputes 2 times with 2 different (real) banks, and they were always courteous & professional. Not with Skylight. All I can do now is wait & close my account after I get my money back...if I get my money back. I realize that these things must be investigated, but when you are being treated poorly while being told to wait, it makes a huge difference.

$120 is not much, but in these tough times, $120 could mean the difference between eating this week or not. Luckily $120 isn't breaking me, but I know it would mean a lot to some people. Especially to the consumer that prepaid cards target.

It's just shady business, especially when it seems like the 2 companies are in cohorts, when Skylight recommends you use this particular ATM to avoid fees. Yeah, right. It just cost me $120.

Monetary Loss: $120.

Location: Tulsa, Oklahoma

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Chloee Gju

We have had a skylight bank account for almost 7 years now and there refunds generally take no more than 48 hours and they are always friendly and more than willing to help sounds like maybe you we're being rude

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Chloee Gju

sorry but I was on the phone today with them and looking at my account at the same time they tried to tell me I have no account with them but my job did a direct deposit customer service was very rude...

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Chloee Gju

BS BS BS

Guest

Iโ€™ve been having my skylight card for maybe 5-7 years now. I donโ€™t have any issues with them.

When Iโ€™m wrongfully charged or go into a store make a purchase over $100 and they refuse to give me my money back and had me tooken to jail. Soon as I got out and told them I got my entire 167.?? Right back each and every time . If my card is stolen and used online and Iโ€™ve never used that website with my card before.

It will not let the transaction go through. BUT MY BIGGEST COMPLAINT THAT MAKES ME WANT TO CONVERT TO THE WALMART MKNEY SAVING CARD IS YOU GET YOUR MONEY 2 Days early and that important now days with the proverty around we be broke and needing our money.

So when we be needing and see it deposited and canโ€™t touch it thatโ€™s what makes you go and get a new bank/ prepaid card. Thatโ€™s they biggest flaw that will loose all customers.

Cindy Horton
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1830016

You were taken to jail for making over a $100 purchase??

Guest

Because the Skylight check bounced BOA expects me to pay back the money I earned because SunTrust and Skylight refuse to pay.

Guest

Why is overdraft just q $100

Guest

Wow.... I have not had a single pro lemon with this card....

How bout you take your lazy butt inside 5o pay for your gas and voila you don't get a hold on your card it is that simple.... Your writing bad reviews because you don't know how to use a prepaid debit card right....stop complaining and do it right next time.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1373915

He's not lying. They have the worst customer service and continually charge me for their "no charge" atms. Not to mention I have to wait sometimes up to a week for them to process my direct deposit.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1373915

This *** *** is rippin me off to

Cindy Horton
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1373915

How about you not be so rude? No need for that.

Guest

Had 362 dollars spent 167 dollars now says balance negative five dollars!! This card is a ripoff its been taking hundreds of dollars and its a payroll deposit!!!

Want my money!! Dont use this card!!

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1344080

Does it let you overdraft ?

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1352658

Clearly you people can't manage your money. Compared to any other card like this there is hardly ANY fees.

Unless you are totally irresponsible with your money. I've had this card for 2 years and don't have a single complaint!

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1355971

Can you suggest me how can I transfer moeny from skylight pay card without any charges ?

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1352658

Yes. You can overdraft under 5 dollars with no charges.

If you opt in for overdraft protection you can overdraft and as long as you return the money before a certain amount of time no charges.

If you don't it charges you 25 bucks. Not bad

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1355972

Whats the limit you can overdraft

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1355972

Actually, you can overdraft up to between 80 and 100 dollars. I do it every month to get by whenever I get to my last few dollars.

Guest

I've never heard anything good with these Skylight cards. Our company forced them down people's throats when they were switching to check free payroll. Lots of lost money for lots of employees.

Guest

Interesting... (knock on wood, as they say) but I've had a very different experience with the skylight card.

For one, I will make multiple cash withdrawals during a single pay period and have not noticed getting any charges- so long as I use one of the free atms listed on their website. Another option is to get "cash back" on purchases whenever possible. They will charge you for a balance inquiry at an atm, or attempt to withdraw funds that aren't available... but between the Skylight website and the text alerts after every transaction, I think it's fair to say they give plenty of opportunities to keep track of your balance.

And this is coming from someone who has had problems keeping track of bank account balances in the past. Banks have successfully "scammed" me by not updating my balance (when I would call in an inquiry) with pending transactions. Skylight has always included any and all pending transactions, in my experience. On that note, there was an occassion when an institution- a "ma and pa" store, did not include their 50 cent debit charge in my transaction and it ended up overdrafting me some change.

This was about 3 days before my next paycheck was due to post so I was in a panic imagining the overdraft fees piling up as I waited for my next check to clear... nothing. I wasn't charged a penny. I did a little research and from what it sounds like they won't charge you an overdraft fee if your overage is less than 5 dollars.

This is actually what sold me on them. I've since had one more overdraft (less than a dollar) due to poor math, and again- no fees.

Yes, they will surely make money off of atm fees, atm balance inquiries, withdrawal attempts of insufficient funds- this is no different than any bank. Same with the gas station holds: I have always had a 35- 55 dollar hold placed on any debit card I've used, including bank cards.

The way to avoid these fees is to pre-pay inside instead of at the pump, or to get cash back and pay cash. Insufficient funds are insufficient funds regardless of the institution used- gas pumps don't discriminate, and the hold is not unique to Skylight.

I'd wager that where they really make their money is in the "physical" holding of funds, in the same way PayPal, for example, does. Notice that when you pay for something using debit, the funds are "taken" immediately.

But it can still take 3-5 days for a funds transfer to be completed- again, even though the money was almost instantly charged to your account. They make interest off of your money during that period where the cash seems to live in this purgatory between the account it's leaving and the account it's crediting. I'll notice that the "settlement date" on a posted pending transaction will be upwards to 5 days long, or about 2-3 days on a weekly pay check. The money has "left" the institution paying me and has been credited to Skylight's federal bank- but they have several days before they have to release these funds to me.

They're making money off of that hold. Regardless, whether the direct deposit is credited to my account on Tuesday or Thursday...

I get paid once a week. If they make money for two days off of my money, but I get the services of a financial institution for free- it's a fair trade all in all.

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