Social Security Debit Cards Come to Arizona

Residents of Arizona who receive monthly Social Security checks are now being offered a free service by the Social Security Administration. It is called Direct Express. It is a debit card that will be automatically loaded with your monthly benefit instead of you receiving a check in the mail. Here are ten things you should know about Direct Express.

1. The Direct Express Card is not a credit card. It is a debit card. It works like a stored-money card. Social Security will send recipients a card. Once per month Social Security will electronically add your monthly benefit amount to the card. The person to whom it is issued can then use it, just like a debit card, anywhere that accepts MasterCard.
2. The point of the card is twofold. It removes the burden of requiring a checking account for people who receive social Security. That can be costly, and many people can't afford the bank fees. The other benefit is that by allowing the government to not mail as many paper checks, they are hoping to reduce fraud associated with those checks.
3. Sign up for the Direct Express Social Security Card is optional. If you are happy about the way you are receiving your Social Security payments today, you don't have to sign up.
4. There are no sign-up fees, monthly fees, or overdraft fees for the service. No credit check takes place.
5. When you receive the card, you have to activate it and select a PIN (personal identification number). This allows you to make inquiries in the future regarding the balance of the card.
6. Your money is automatically deposited to your card account on your payment day each month.
7. People can use the Direct Express Social Security Card at an ATM to receive cash, but only once without a fee, and only if you use one of their network ATMs. Use the card in a ATM more than once per month, and you'll be charged. I found quite a few network ATMs in our area. You can use your zip code to look for one near you here. If there aren't any network ATMs near you, then you can still get cash by getting cash back after buying something at a retailer, just like any debit card, or by going to a bank that handles MasterCard and requesting cash from the card.
8. You can receive statements, text messages, phone alerts, a replacement cards if you lose one, etc. but all those services have fees. It is possible, however, to use the card totally fee-free by utilizing the toll-free 24/7 customer service line, by using the card to make your purchases like gas, groceries, and movies, and by obtaining cash as mentioned in number 7, above.
9. If you are currently receiving Social Security or Supplemental Security Income benefits, just call the Direct Express® card enrollment center toll free at 1-877-212-9991 or visit www.USDirectExpress.com
10. If you have signed up, tried it for a few months, and decide you don't like it, you can always go back to receiving your payments the way you did before.

Want to know more or sign up? Here's the official web site.

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