Bankruptcy would probably not stop you from shopping for necessities online or paying bills virtually. However, if you used a credit card in the past, that might be a costlier option during and immediately following the process.
One of the main purposes of bankruptcy is to help you get relief from unmanageable debt. It is a positive step for many people in managing finances.
Without any account
In some cases, your bank might freeze your account during bankruptcy. That means that, even if you do have a bank account through your bankruptcy, you may not have immediate access to the funds within it.
According to US News, you can still buy things online without any bank relationship — by digitizing your cash through certain online services, for example. The way this digitization process works is relatively simple. You would take cash to a retail location, such as a participating pharmacy, grocery store or convenience store, and use a specially generated barcode to add value to your online account at the store’s cashier.
With a bank account
If you have access to your bank account, you may have other options. For one, you could potentially pay with a debit card. It might also be possible for you to get a secured credit card.
Secured credit cards require a deposit. These cards may differ from standard cards in that they charge consistent, per-use fees or have higher interest rates. In exchange, unlike debit cards, they may offer a line of credit that exceeds your deposit. They could also have a more positive impact on your efforts to rebuild your credit score than would a debit card linked to your checking account.
In short, your access to online payments — and the convenience and value they offer — would probably not disappear during bankruptcy. Even without a bank account, you could still have options for virtual payments.
