Some states, including Maryland and Kansas, and their issuing banks offer free online account management and free phone transfers. You will receive only one card for your household and the primary cardholder must activate the card. Account Alert Service. Lainie Petersen writes about business, real estate and personal finance, drawing on 25 years experience in publishing and education. Can I get a replacement card sooner than 7 to 10 business days? This prepaid reloadable debit card is a good alternative for getting paid through a paper check for government agency payments. Yes & No. Most states issue unemployment benefits through debit cards or direct deposit, rather than by paper checks. You may withdraw up to $1,000 from any ATM each 24-hour period using the Card. LaRita Heet, For many unemployment recipients, the switch from paper checks to prepaid cards is hardly the win-win situation. You can sign up for alerts via the cardholder website or mobile app. You can use the card to get cash from ATMs, store checkouts or banks. The Key2Benefits card can be used to make purchases anywhere Mastercard ® debit cards are accepted. Check the ReliaCard mobile app or usbankreliacard.com for a list of surcharge-free ATMs. “I would suggest setting up an auto-transfer so that any time money lands on the card, it is automatically transferred to a banking account of your choice. They look just like a debit card or credit card, but they are a network branded prepaid card,” she says. If you previously received a debit card for a prior Unemployment, Temporary Disability, or Family Leave Insurance claim, your benefits will be issued to that same debit card account. However, federal law limits you to six savings account withdrawals (or transfers) per statement cycle. Look before you leap. Read the instructions. Many of these cards carry a Visa or MasterCard logo, and you can use the card as you would a credit or debit card online or in stores. If you apply for a credit card, the lender may use a different credit score when considering your application for credit. CreditCards.com is an independent, advertising-supported comparison service. “Unemployment benefits cards, as a replacement for paper checks, save hundreds of thousands of dollars a year, presenting a compelling benefit for the state as well as the taxpayer,” says Kirsten Trusko, NBPCA president and executive director. Stick to what you know. The second is to bring your card to a bank and ask the teller to either transfer cash from your card to your bank account or give you the cash directly. Additional Account Agreements. Though Phillips doesn’t normally bank with U.S. Bank, she uses the U.S. Bank ATM to withdraw her UI money — for free, as per the literature she received with her UI card, which warned that fees might apply to nonU.S. Should I Incorporate Before Becoming a Landlord? You may make two withdrawals from an ATM, or one from a teller, each time benefits are added to your card without incurring a fee unless transactions are made outside the U.S. The editorial content on this page is based solely on the objective assessment of our writers and is not driven by advertising dollars. Other factors, such as our proprietary website's rules and the likelihood of applicants' credit approval also impact how and where products appear on the site. However, we may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. Prepaid card accounts differ from a debit cards in that debit card funds are typically withdrawn against money in your checking account. Teller cash withdrawal Use your personalized card at a bank teller to withdraw cash. You may withdraw up to a maximum of $3,000 per calendar month from ATMs and up to a maximum of $3,000 per calendar month from teller transactions, unless otherwise indicated. See related: 9 things you need to know about prepaid cards, 9 ways to budget with a prepaid card, Unemployment benefits switch from paper to plastic.