Now you can receive federal payments via prepaid debit card…
Federal payment recipients who do not have bank accounts will no longer have to wait for the mail or worry about stolen or lost checks. Monthly benefits will be available on time – every time and accessed free. Introduced by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Management Service, the Direct Express® Debit MasterCard® is for people who receive federal benefits, such as Social Security, and are looking for a no-cost alternative to using check cashing facilities or carrying large amounts of cash. Dallas-based Comerica Bank will issue the card to two million recipients in the Midwest who opted for the service.
Benefits of the Direct Express® Debit MasterCard® include:
- Elimination of paper checks that are vulnerable to theft, check fraud and delivery delays with automatic deposits.
- Access their own money and eliminate the need to carry large amounts of cash.
- Cards are FDIC-insured up to the maximum amount allowed by law, and offer a Personal Identification Number (PIN) for use at ATMs and retail locations.
- If a card is lost or stolen, it will be replaced.
Cardholders will be able to make purchases wherever MasterCard® is accepted and pay bills with the card; withdraw cash from thousands of ATM and retail locations nationwide. Plus, get free balance information by phone, online or at an ATM and free notification services regarding deposits, low balance alerts and 24/7 toll-free customer service by phone or online.
There are no sign-up or monthly fees; no bank account or credit check is required to enroll. To sign up for the Direct Express® Debit MasterCard®, call the enrollment center toll free at 1 (877) 212-9991 (TTY 1 (866) 569-0447), or visit www.USDirectExpress.com