Prepaid cards: A growing market for the unbanked

— The market for prepaid cards is growing quickly. Used primarily by the poor, the cards carry Discover, Mastercard or Visa logos and can be used wherever those cards are accepted. They can come with significant fees, yet aren't regulated to the same extent as credit and debit cards.

A look at how much was loaded unto prepaid cards in recent years, and estimates for coming years.

2006 — $1.8 billion

2007 — $3.8 billion

2008 — $8.7 billion

2009 — $18.3 billion

2010 — $36.6 billion+

2011 — $67.7 billion+

2012 — $118.5 billion+

+ Forecasts

Source: Network Branded Prepaid Card Association