System and method for funding via a prepaid card a financial product intended at a time of purchase by a purchaser for a customer. A customer cash account is created and funds allocated to the prepaid card are redeemed solely as cash funds in the customer's cash account. The customer may either withdraw at least some of the cash funds in the customer's cash account or apply at least some of the cash funds in the customer's cash account to a financial product. In response to receiving the customer's instructions to apply at least some of the cash funds from the customer's cash account to a financial product selected by the customer as well as their acknowledgement of disclosures or consent to an agreement related to the selected financial product, the cash funds are applied to an associated financial product account.