Rehabbing & House Flipping
Market News & Data
General Info
Real Estate Strategies
Landlording & Rental Properties
Real Estate Professionals
Financial, Tax, & Legal
Real Estate Classifieds
Reviews & Feedback
Updated over 5 years ago, 03/05/2019
- Rental Property Investor
- Clarkston, GA
- 1,915
- Votes |
- 2,040
- Posts
Paying contractors with prepaid debit cards?
I do remote rehabs in small towns paint, fix, flooring, ac type work. I find contractors using craigslist gigs ads where I give the entire punch list WITH prices I pay. I've done enough to know a good price. I always get takers. Just the nature of small town workers not all are professionalized: bank account, newer smart phone, have cash to wait for a check to clear etc.
A contractor suggested I use green dot prepaid card to pay him. I looked into the whole prepaid card idea and it's a great idea. Just not green dot which makes it tough for me to load my account with cash with direct ACH from my bank to my greendot card. They limit my loading in $200 chunks and force a day or 3 days wait...
I googled: best prepaid debit card 2015 and found good reading.
Anyone find a card that works for them? ACH 24x7 to my account, then immediate xfer to the contractor's account?
A parallel topic is: giving a contractor a prepaid smart-ish phone. I've also found that folks often have junk phones and I need to get pictures, txt on short turn around and am willing to seed my work with my own phone if it takes. Yes it does sound like I shouldn't be fooling with workers this weak. I agree. But I rehab in very small towns where I don't have much choice with who I feel I have to take.