With prepaid credit cards, the credit limit is determined by how much money you deposit in advance for yourself to use. Since there is no line of credit, they are not technically credit cards at all, but they are used exactly the same way for purchases in stores or anywhere else you would use a credit card. Here are five tips to help you choose the best prepaid credit card for you:

1. Consider your spending and payment habits. Ask yourself how much you are likely to use the card, how careful you are about staying within your spending limits, how quickly you want to redeposit money to the card after spending it, and other similar questions. Knowing how you will use the card will help you to determine which features are most beneficial to you.

2. Consider which features are most important to you. Think about what method is easiest for depositing more money into the card, and what fees might apply to the way you will use it. There are also extra features available with many cards such as overdraft protection, direct deposit, and rewards programs similar to regular credit cards.

3. Read the fine print. Before signing up for a card, make sure that you understand what you are agreeing to. Look at policies such as annual fees, sign up fees, over-limit fees and any others that apply to your agreement. Also make sure you know how to add more money to your card, and that doing so will be convenient for you.

4. Compare several cards to find the best one. There are many options available in the prepaid market, so make sure you look at several offers to find one that combines all of the features you want most.

5. Check several sources of information. The Federal Reserve publishes a survey of credit card terms every six months, and there are a wide range of websites where you can compare credit card offers and apply online.