JPMorgan Chase Rolls Out Prepaid Card Nationwide

JPMorgan Chase (JPM)'s new Liquid prepaid card is now available at its 5,500 branches across the U.S., the bank said Tuesday.

The New York bank has promoted the card as an alternative to a traditional checking account, though some of its terms make it more of a complement to one. The card has a monthly fee of $4.95 that can only be waived by linking to one of the checking accounts listed in its terms and conditions.

The prepaid industry has a somewhat predatory reputation for the fees that some companies charge, but JPMorgan Chase has made a point of offering some services for free. For example, Liquid cardholders can refill the card with cash or a check at a Chase ATM for no charge, and can also replace lost cards for free.

JPMorgan had previously tested the Liquid card at about 200 branches.