Bank of America vs. Money Network EDD debit card fees - important withdrawal info

OMG THANK YOU for posting this!! I've been freaking out because I switched from BofA to Money Network last month and couldn't figure out why I got charged fees. Nobody at EDD warned me about this! The website is super confusing too and doesn't clearly explain any of this. Did they tell you which ATMs let you take out $800 at once?? That would be super helpful because I hate making multiple trips!

Thanks for sharing this information. To add some clarity, the Money Network card replaced the Bank of America debit cards for all EDD benefit programs (SDI, UI, PFL) in late 2024. A few important points for SDI recipients: - You can check your Money Network balance and transaction history through the Money Network mobile app or at moneynetwork.com - Direct deposit to your personal bank account is still the fastest option (1-2 days faster than the card) - For fee-free ATM withdrawals, use ATMs in the MoneyPass or Allpoint networks - There's a daily ATM withdrawal limit of $1,000 total (not just $800 per transaction) If you haven't activated your card yet, call the number on the sticker immediately after receiving it. Your SDI payments may be delayed if you don't activate promptly.

Just to clarify - I had a similar issue but found that you can avoid ALL fees by setting up direct deposit from your Money Network card to your personal bank account. It's under the "Move Money" option in their app/website. Takes 1-2 business days but zero fees. Much better than dealing with ATM hassles! BTW - if you need to call EDD about any payment issues (like if your payment is delayed), I discovered a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that gets you through to a live EDD agent instead of waiting on hold for hours. Saved me so much frustration! They have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/1X-mEsLtbmQ?si=1hcSq3KFtCr4oAmd

i just use the walmart money center to cash out my disability payments cuz i dont trust banks lol. they charge like $4 but whatever its worth it to get cash right away

I ran into a similar situation with my pregnancy disability payments on the Money Network card. Something important that wasn't mentioned is that you only get 2 free bank teller withdrawals per month, then it's $3.00 per withdrawal after that. I found this out the hard way! Also, if you call the Money Network customer service, the wait times are WAY shorter early in the morning (before 8am). I waited 5 minutes versus the 45+ minutes when I called midday. One more tip: you can set up text alerts to notify you when your disability payment hits your card. Super helpful for planning bill payments!

To address the question about which card new disability claimants receive: As of November 2024, all new EDD benefit payments (including State Disability Insurance) are issued on Money Network cards, not Bank of America. If you were approved for SDI recently, you'll receive a Money Network card in the mail within 7-10 business days of your first payment approval. If you previously had a Bank of America EDD card and are filing a new disability claim, you'll still receive a Money Network card. The Bank of America cards are being phased out completely.

@profile5 - Yes, Claimyr definitely works! I was skeptical too but after trying to call EDD for DAYS about my disability payments getting delayed, I tried it and got through to someone in about 20 minutes. The agent was able to fix my certification issue right away. Totally worth it and saved me so much stress during an already stressful time.

I just remembered another important detail about the Money Network card that might help people - if you're on long-term disability like me, you can set up automatic transfers to your bank account for each payment. Go to Money Network website > Profile > Payment Preferences > Automatic Transfer. This way you don't have to manually transfer each disability payment! It took me forever to find this option in their confusing website, but it's been a game-changer.

Ok but lets talk about how EDD switched from BofA to Money Network without properly informing anyone?? My wife had to call SIX TIMES to figure out why her disability payments suddenly stopped - turns out they sent the Money Network card to our old address even though we updated our address in the system! So frustrating dealing with this while she's recovering from surgery.

This is SO helpful! I just got my Money Network card last week for my SDI payments and was totally lost on the fees. The EDD paperwork they sent was basically useless - just said "your new card" with no real details. Quick question for anyone who knows - can you use the Money Network card for online purchases or is it just for ATM/cash? I usually pay some bills online and wasn't sure if it works like a regular debit card. Also has anyone had issues with the card being declined at certain places? My old BofA card got declined at some smaller stores randomly. Thanks again for breaking all this down - definitely saving this post!

This thread is so helpful! I'm new to SDI and just received my Money Network card yesterday. One thing I discovered that might help others - if you download the Money Network app, you can see a map of all the fee-free ATMs near you which is super convenient. Also found out you can lock/unlock your card instantly through the app if you lose it, which gives me peace of mind. Quick tip: when you first activate your card, make sure to set up your PIN over the phone rather than at an ATM - the automated phone system walks you through it and it's way less stressful than trying to figure it out at a machine with people waiting behind you! Has anyone had experience with using the card internationally or for travel? I have a family trip planned and wasn't sure if there are additional fees for out-of-state ATM use.

This is exactly the info I needed! Just got approved for SDI two weeks ago and was completely overwhelmed by all the card transition stuff. The EDD materials they sent were so confusing - I had no idea there were different fee structures between Money Network and the old BofA cards. One question - when you mentioned the $800 withdrawal limit at certain ATMs, is that per day or just per transaction? I'm trying to plan out how to handle my rent payment when my first disability check comes in. Also, did the Money Network rep mention anything about purchase limits for using the card as a debit card at stores? Really appreciate you taking the time to call and figure all this out - saves the rest of us from having to spend 45 minutes on hold! Going to download that app right now to find the fee-free ATMs in my area.

This is such a lifesaver! I just switched to the Money Network card last month and have been so confused about all the different fees. The transition from BofA was pretty rocky - they didn't explain anything clearly and I ended up getting charged random fees because I didn't know which ATMs to use. One thing I discovered that might help others: if you need cash quickly and can't find a fee-free ATM, some grocery stores like Safeway and Vons let you get cash back with a small purchase (like a pack of gum) with no additional fees beyond what you'd normally pay for the purchase. Way cheaper than using an out-of-network ATM that charges $3-5! Also wanted to mention that the Money Network customer service has been way more helpful than BofA ever was. When I had an issue with a delayed payment, they actually stayed on the line and helped me figure out what happened instead of just transferring me around. Still not perfect but definitely an improvement. Thanks for doing the legwork on figuring out all these fee structures - this should honestly be pinned somewhere for everyone switching over!

This is incredibly helpful - thank you so much for sharing! I just got my Money Network card three days ago after being on SDI for a month and I was completely lost about the fee structure. The packet they sent with the card was basically useless and just had generic banking terms. I'm definitely going to look into setting up that automatic transfer to my regular bank account that several people mentioned. Seems like the easiest way to avoid all the ATM fee confusion entirely. One question though - has anyone had any issues with the Money Network website or app being down when you need to check your balance or transfer money? With my old bank I could always call the automated line but I'm not sure what the backup options are if their digital systems go down. Don't want to get stuck unable to access my disability payments if there's a technical issue. Really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences and tips here. Makes this whole transition so much less stressful when you have real people explaining how things actually work!

This is exactly what I needed to see! I've been on SDI for about 6 weeks now and just got my Money Network card yesterday. The whole transition has been so confusing - EDD barely explained anything about the switch from BofA and I had no idea what fees to expect. Really appreciate you mentioning the specific ATM networks (MoneyPass and Allpoint) - I was wondering why I got charged $2.50 at a random ATM last week when I thought it would be free. Now I know to use the app to find the right ones! The $800 per transaction limit is awesome compared to BofA's $300. That alone makes this switch worth it for me since I hate making multiple trips to get cash for rent and bills. One thing I'm curious about - when you set up the bank transfer option, did you have to verify your external bank account first? And does Money Network charge anything for that verification process? I want to set up automatic transfers but want to make sure I don't get hit with surprise fees during setup. Thanks again for taking the time to call them and share all this info with everyone. It's so much more helpful than anything EDD provided!

This is such a helpful thread! I just started receiving SDI payments last month and got my Money Network card a few days ago. I was totally overwhelmed trying to figure out the fee structure and this breakdown is exactly what I needed. One quick question - I noticed some people mentioned using the card for bill payments online. Has anyone tried setting up recurring automatic payments (like utilities or phone bills) directly from the Money Network card? I'm wondering if there are any issues with that or if it's better to just transfer the money to my regular bank account first and pay bills from there. Also, does anyone know if Money Network sends you alerts when payments are about to expire on the card? I know some benefit cards have expiration dates and I want to make sure I don't lose access to funds if I need to get a replacement card at some point. Thanks so much @Danielle Mays for starting this conversation and to everyone else sharing their experiences. This is way more useful than anything in the official EDD materials!