Russell Simmons Tries to Defend Pricey Prepaid 'Rush Cards'

Hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons has gone on a virtual PR blitz recently to talk up his prepaid "Rush Cards" and fight back against the negative publicity that's been attached to these type of cards ever since the Kardashian sisters' fiasco with their Kardashian Prepaid MasterCard gave the American public a better understanding of just how much these pieces of plastic cost.

Simmons asserted in a March interview with Forbes Magazine that his Rush Card is good for people who don't have a bank account because it's cheaper than check-cashing stores.

Technically speaking, this might be true, although we're skeptical Simmons really wants to help out the unbanked as much as he says he does, given that he's not at all shy about helping himself to his customers' hard-earned dollars: The Rush Cards cost between $4 and $15 to acquire; from there, a monthly plan costs $10 a month and PIN-based transactions cost a dollar apiece. A pay-as-you go plan has no monthly fee, but every transaction costs a dollar, up to $10 a month. There are additional fees for withdrawals, checking balances and other everyday actions.