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As of September 2008, the Social Security Administration has issued Direct Express prepaid credit cards to 3.9 million people on Social Security and disability nationwide. The purpose of this card is to enable recipients who do not have a bank account or those who may not prefer to receive checks in the mail, to now have a card that will automatically deposit the allotted amount on the debit card every month . This will prevent delays in checks arriving in the mail, theft of paper checks, and the sometimes arduous effort of getting to the bank and cashing it.
Who should apply? Anyone who is on Social Security or disability who likes the idea of cashing their monthly check and having a debit card for their transactions instead of using cash or writing checks from their bank account. The Direct Express Debit Card is accepted anywhere MasterCard is accepted and can also be used to obtain cash from ATM machines, retail stores, and banks.
What if the Direct Express card is lost or stolen? This debit card is like any other debit card and you will have a personalized PIN number which protects you. You can immediately call to report this and your debit card will be replaced. It is also protected and insured by the FDIC.
Is there a cost to the card? No, it’s free with no monthly account fee and has free services such as: optional notifications of deposits made to your card by phone, text or email, optional alerts when your balance falls below a certain level, and once a month , No fee ATM Withdrawals at participating ATM machines. There is also a toll-free, 24 hour customer service number, 7 days a week.
Are there other fees? After the first free it only costs $0.90 for some things like ATM withdrawals. Other fees include a bill payment fee of $0.50 each time you pay a bill, $0.75 for a monthly Direct Express card statement mailed to you monthly, $4 for a lost or stolen card each year to convert and $13.50 to convert it with overnight delivery, $1.50 to transfer funds to a US bank account and $3 plus 3% transaction to withdraw funds from an international ATM machine.
How to get Direct Express Card There is a toll free number, 1-877-212-9991 or an online sign up site- http://www.USDirectExpress.com, You can call Social Security at -1-800-772-1213 Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and a representative will assist you. For the Deaf: 1-800-325-0778.
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