Can You Transfer Money From an EDD Card to a Bank Account

The Employment Development Department (EDD) is a department of the California State Government that provides various services to job seekers, businesses, and workers. The department offers benefit programs such as the Disability Insurance (DI), Unemployment Insurance (UI), and Paid Family Leave (PFL) programs. Such programs aim to provide financial stability to workers and their families, whereby the beneficiaries can get EDD Cards. I will focus on answering the question, “can you transfer money from EDD card to a bank account?”

The Bank of America (BofA) issues the EDD debit card to the beneficiaries, and you can receive your benefits via the card. The bank will always send you a mail to inform you that you have received the funds. You may not get a notification immediately if you receive your claims due to the high volumes of the benefits that the bank has to process. It may take a few days to get your notification about your funds after they are in your account.

An EDD debit card is like a regular debit card whereby you can use it for various types of transactions such as payment of goods and services online and swiping at physical stores. Also, the Visa debit card allows you to withdraw funds at ATMs that accept Visa cards. The card has no minimum amount to maintain in your account, and you may withdraw all your benefits if you so wish.

Can you transfer money from the EDD card to a bank account?

You can transfer your money from the EDD card to your bank account (personal checking or savings account) with ease by setting up a direct transfer. If you set up a direct transfer, it means that you can transfer funds electronically from your card to your bank account.

Once you receive your EDD debit card, you should call the Bank of America (the card issuer) via 1-866-692-9374 (voice) or TTY 1-866-656-5913 to help you carry out the whole process. You can even contact the Bank of America online and request them to set up the direct deposit. When setting up direct deposit for your EDD card, you need;

• A debit card (issued in your name)
• An active email account.
• The bank account and routing number for the account where you want to transfer the funds.

Once BofA completes the direct deposit process, you can then transfer funds to your bank account online. One can send money with a checking account number instantly to other account holders of your bank once the balance reflects in your bank account.

Furthermore, with money in a checking account, you can pay bills, recharge other cards, send them to mobile wallets, and so on. You can download the ‎BofA Prepaid Mobile on the App Store or at Google Play Store and create an online account for your EDD card.

You do not need an account with the Bank of America to get the debit card. Moreover, you do not need to have an account with any other bank to receive the card. That means you can decide to use the card independently. If you set up a direct deposit, you can modify or cancel it at any time.

How long do I wait for the EDD debit card?

Once you certify for the benefits, BofA sends you the card during the first week of your benefit payments. EDD approves all the payments made to your card. The card may take up to 5 business days to arrive at the address you provide during the application.

After that, EDD subsequent payments will automatically reflect in your card account as soon as they remit. State Disability Insurance beneficiaries receive the debit card, a payment notification (DE 2500E), and a message for the California debit card for Unemployment and Disability Benefits.

Usually, your debit card comes with;

• Information about the card
• Instructions to activate
• Quick Reference Guide, which has customer service and fee schedule information
• California Employment Development Department Card Deposit Agreement containing Schedule of Bank Fees
• Privacy policy of the Bank of America

The bank of America advises you to activate the card immediately when you receive it. You should carefully read all the information that comes with the card to ensure proper activation.

How do you cash out money from an EDD debit card?

Since the EDD card is like any other debit card, there are various ways you can cash out your money. The first one is what I have outlined above, whereby you can set up a direct deposit to a bank account. Once the funds are in your bank account, you can then withdraw them over the counter.

You can also cash out your money from any bank that accepts visa cards. You need to visit any bank and withdraw cash over the counter. You can track your transactions from your online account any time you cash out over the counter.

The other option you can get money from your EDD card is by withdrawing at an ATM. There are lots of ATMs countrywide where you can withdraw cash. ATM withdrawals at the Bank of America are free. Also, you can make two free withdrawals per EDD benefit deposit at any non-network ATM accepting Visa cards.

How can I get cash from my card account if I do not have the EDD debit card?

If you need money urgently and have not yet received the debit card, you should utilize the Bank of America’s domestic emergency cash transfer feature. You should call the BofA customer service representatives via 1-866-692-9374 (voice) or 1-866-656-5913 (TTY). If you are outside the country, you can collect at 423-262-1650.

What is the importance of the EDD Debit Card over a bank account?

The first payments from EDD are specifically via the debit card, even though you can set a direct deposit so that some amount can always go to your bank account. The debit card has the following advantages.

• It is convenient. Since you stay with the card and can move with it to any place, the money is accessible when you need it.
• Easy to use. A debit card is not as complicated as a bank account, where you have to line up and authorize transactions with your signature plus some paperwork.
•  More secure. The EDD debit card is more secure since various security mechanisms are put on the card and the online card account.
• Efficient delivery of the EDD benefits

The government finds the card better to deliver the funds to the beneficiaries as compared to other means.

How do I protect the debit card?

There are various ways you should protect the card and your money. They include the following.

• Keep the PIN a secret. If someone else knows the card PIN, they can steal it and withdraw money at an ATM point.
• Keep the card in a safe place. You need to know that someone can use your card information, such as the card number and the CVV code, to pay for goods online. Therefore, you should keep it in a safe place.
• Do not provide any personal information about your debit card to anybody pretending to be a BofA representative. BofA does not call, email or mail to ask for personal information such as PIN, card number, or security code.
• If you lose your debit card, report immediately to BofA to lock it.
• When operating your account online, do not use insecure internet connections such as public WiFi. Some crooks can gain access to your information through such networks.

The card issuer has also put various security measures to protect money in the card account. The multiple ways that the BofA uses to protect your card include the following.

• End-to-end encryption. The feature ensures that no other party can intercept the communication between you and the servers. It is also advisable to use secure internet connections.
• Use of PIN or touch ID Since only you know the PIN, then no one else can use the card to withdraw money. Also, the touch ID is unique, and no one can log in online to make a transaction.
• Password for online access to your card and password recovery question. If you enter a wrong password or security question answer severally, the Benefit Programs Online will lock your account temporarily. 

Is EDD Debit Card free to use?

Most services by card are free. However, there are a few kinds of transactions that you must part with some fees. There are no fees in the following.

• Cash-back with purchases at drug stores,  grocery stores, and U.S. post office locations
• ATM withdrawals at domestic BofA ATMs
• Unlimited teller access at any bank that accepts Visa cards
• Two free ATM withdrawals per each benefit deposit at non-Bank of America ATMs
• Direct deposits transfers
• Unlimited balance inquiries at ATMs or online
• Unlimited live and automated customer service inquiries
• Domestic card replacement

Despite charging nothing for various transactions, the EDD Debit Card may apply fees on the following.

• ATM withdrawals at non-BofA ATMs after the two free transactions per deposit.

Non-Bank of America ATM withdrawals

• Domestic Emergency Cash Transfer.
• International ATM withdrawals.

After how long does the EDD Debit Card expire?

The debit card is valid for three (3) years from the date of issuance. You should make sure that you keep it until it expires, whereby you can destroy it. BofA will automatically issue you a new card if the current one is about to expire.

The condition for the automatic issuance of the card is that you must have transacted with the expiring card for the last 90 days or have a card balance of at least $20.Once BofA mails the card, you should get it within 7-10 days. Otherwise, you will not get your card, and you will have to call BofA customer care to inquire about it.

Can I get an EDD card replacement?

You can get a free card replacement if you lose the current card or when someone steals it. You can also request a new EDD debit card if you accidentally damage the present one at no fee. You must contact the BofA customer care to send the new card to your address.

What happens if you give false information to get an EDD card?

Once the EDD discovers that you gave the wrong information to benefit from the claims, you may be suspended from the program or penalized. You can even face criminal prosecutions that can land you in jail.  Frauds leading to overpayments can see you receive penalties equal to 30% of the overpayment amount.

How do I qualify for the EDD card?

You must qualify for the Employment Development Department (EDD) claims to get the card later. To apply for the benefits, you can visit the Employment Development Department website to check whether you qualify. Currently, those affected by the Covid’19 pandemic to the extent that they lost their jobs or are getting partial payments can apply.

You need the following information with you when applying.

• Last Employer. Information about your previous employer includes company name, supervisor’s name, address, and phone number.
• Employment History. It includes the employers you worked with during the past 18 months. Have their name, addresses, and the dates of employment, hours worked per week, gross wages, the hourly rate of pay, and the reason why you are no longer working. You also need a Notice to Federal Employees about Unemployment Insurance if you are a former employee and DD 214 Member 4 copy for military ex-military applicants.
• Identity Documents. You can take a selfie photo and upload an image of your identity document to verify your identity at UI Online.

Note that, you can file a claim with the UI online as per the table below.

Bottom line

You can get a debit card from the Employment Development Department. The EDD card by the Bank of America allows you to transfer your funds to a bank account to use them for various kinds of transactions. Furthermore, you can withdraw money from your card at an ATM or over the counter in a bank that accepts the Visa debit card. Your new debit card arrives automatically once the current card is about to expire.