A consumer reports analysis of prepaid cards has found the cards are booming, but they lack the guaranteed protections consumers take for granted with debit and credit cards, protection like what happens if the card is lost or stolen or used for unauthorized transactions.

Prepaid cards are also often loaded with fees, which are not disclosed at the point of sale.

The analysis examined 16 major prepaid cards and found many fees including, activation fees, fees to get cash, fees to get a paper statement, and even fees for customer service and inactivity.