In the state of California, the Employment Development Department (EDD) provides services and benefits for those who are unemployed or looking for a job. This department has various programs that issue payments for Unemployment Insurance, Disability Insurance, and Paid Family Leave. And once you receive the first payment, you will have in your hands an EDD card.
This card is used to receive any benefits, funds, and to make any transactions. In other words, it is like any other debit card, but it is not put through a credit check. You can shop with it, take out money from an ATM, and of course, you can transfer the money to another bank account.
So let us learn more details about the EDD card, like what can you do with it, or how to receive it. But most importantly, we will clear your doubts about sending money to another personal bank account.
How Does The EDD Card Work?
Even though this card is called that way, it does not mean that is issued from this Department. The Bank of America issues these cards and also helps you with the activation process.
The EDD card is mailed to you after the first payment of benefits from the department, and it is valid for only three years. Normally it takes from 7 to 10 business days for the card to be delivered to you. Once you possess it, it is time to activate, and there are two methods of doing so:
- You can do it online by visiting the Bank of America Visa Debit Card website and clicking on Activate my card.
- Or, you can call 1-866-692-9374 or 1-866-656-5913 (TTY) to receive assistance and activate it.
Through notifications, you will be alerted of any funds that you receive on your card. However, the emails will take a few days since there are a lot of claims being processed. But then, that money can be transferred to other bank accounts through a direct deposit
How Do I Apply For an EDD Card?
Once you have checked if you are eligible for any of the benefits listed on the EDD website, you will need the right information. Filing a claim is the first step in order to later receive the EDD card, and you need:
- Last Employer. You have to provide information like the company’s and supervisor’s name, address, and phone number. Other information like the last date you worked and the reason for unemployment is useful.
- Employment History. This includes the employers that you worked with during the past 18 months. Provide your name, address, dates of employment, dates of employment, hours worked per week, gross wages, the hourly rate of pay, and the reason you are no longer working.
- Identity Documents. You will need to provide an image of your ID to verify your identity. If needed, you will be asked to provide other documents like a driver’s license, passport, or any of the listed on the EDD website.
Simple Process of Transferring from the Debit Card to Another Account
The method of transferring money is like it has always been from any other debit card. You can contact the Bank of America to help you with the direct deposit setup. It is important that you possess the EDD Card in hand, as well as an email account that the data of the receiver bank (routing number and bank account).
Another option is to use the BofA Prepaid website, or you can also download the app on your phone device. Creating an account is simple, and it is not necessary to get a debit card. It is just a quick way to transfer money, and you can set it up to automatically send payments.
You can click here to go directly to the website and sign in to your account, and then go to “My Money” and choose the transfers options. During your session, you can either make a one-time transfer to another bank account or choose the recurring direct deposit transfer option.
The latter helps you when you do not want to sign in every time you receive a payment on your EDD card. Simply set it up to always transfer after each deposit, and select that the amount of transferred money is the complete payment.
How About Cashing Out Money From an EDD Card?
If you are not in the need of transferring to another account the money, you can always cash it out. Yes! The EDD Card is technically a debit card, which you can use in your nearest ATMs. However, if you do withdraw cash from a non-Bank of America ATM or an International ATM, then you will have to pay a fee.
If it is an emergency and you do not find a Bank of America ATM, do not worry, you have two free withdrawals before you pay any fee. Fortunately, you can avoid this by using a tool that the bank’s website provides. You can use their ATM locator to find one near you and cash out some money. Just enter your address, ZIP code, or landmark and you will be ready to go.
Either way, you can still use the traditional method of transferring the money to your bank account. And then cash out in your respective bank. So if you do not are accustomed to the Bank of America ATMs or processes, you can resort to this method.
What Happens if My EDD Card Gets Stolen or Broken?
Do not worry if this happens to you. You will not lose the payments that you have received, but it is recommended that you solve this issue in time. For any lost EDD cards, you can call the numbers we already mentioned above and ask to get them replaced. There will not be included any fees with the replacement of the card.
The same thing happens to any damaged or broken cards. Visit the Bank of America debit card website to order a replacement. It will take roughly 7 to 10 business days for the card to arrive.
Then how about expiration? The condition is that if you had card activity within 90 days or more than $20 in the card, The Bank of America will immediately issue and mail you a new card. If that is not the case, you need to contact customer service to request a new card.
Case Where You No Longer Needing the Card
It is recommended that if you do not need to use the EDD card anymore then contact Bank of America for support. That way, you can retrieve the money left in the card (whether you are going to transfer to another account or cash it out).
Once it is empty of any funds, do not send the card through the mail. For security reasons, just destroy your card after making sure there is no money left. The EDD does not accept the return of cards, so if you mail one, they will forward it to Bank of America for destruction.
Obtaining a Card Will Help You A lot
After you made your first claim, you can expect to receive a new EDD card. So use it wisely as it is the same as any other Visa debit card, but you will receive funds every now and then. Keep it in a safe place where you do not lose it, and do not provide any personal information about yourself and the card.
And finally, if you do not use the card too much, remember that you can always transfer the funds to another account quickly. That way, you can work with the bank account of your preference.