EDD SDI debit card delivery timeline and direct deposit setup questions
Good news! My disability claim was finally approved after being stuck in pending for nearly a month. I can see in my EDD SDI Online account that payments have been issued starting today. My question is about the Bank of America EDD debit card - do I need to do anything special to get it mailed to me or does it automatically come once payments start? Also, I'd rather not use the debit card and would prefer direct deposit into my checking account. Can I set up direct deposit now before I even receive the card, or do I have to wait until the physical card arrives? This is my first time on disability and I'm trying to plan my finances. Thanks for any advice!
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Lincoln Ramiro
Congrats on getting approved! The B of A EDD debit card will automatically be mailed to you - you don't need to do anything else. It usually takes 7-10 business days to arrive after your first payment is processed. Unfortunately, you DO have to wait until you physically receive the card before setting up direct deposit. You'll need the card number to register on the Bank of America EDD cardholder website where you can then set up the transfer to your bank account.
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Henrietta Beasley
AuthorThank you! That's really helpful. 7-10 business days feels like forever when you're waiting for money, but at least now I know what to expect.
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Faith Kingston
u can call BofA and ask them to rush the card. sometmes they can do it faster if u ask nicely
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Henrietta Beasley
AuthorOh that's a good idea! Do you have the number for BofA's EDD card department?
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Lincoln Ramiro
The EDD Bank of America card customer service number is 1-866-692-9374. They're open 24/7. Just be prepared to verify your identity when you call.
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Emma Johnson
Congratulations! Such a relief when that money finally starts coming in! 😊
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Liam Brown
The whole EDD debit card system is RIDICULOUS! Why can't they just direct deposit from the beginning?? I had to wait THREE WEEKS for my card last year because they sent it to my old address even though I updated my address online. Then I had to pay $10 for a rush replacement! The entire system is designed to make it harder for disabled people to access their own money. It's DISCRIMINATION plain and simple.
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Henrietta Beasley
AuthorOh no, that sounds awful! I'm going to double-check my address is correct in the system right away.
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Olivia Garcia
This happened to me too! Make sure your address is updated in BOTH systems - the EDD SDI Online account AND with Bank of America EDD card services (if you've had a card before). They don't always communicate with each other about address changes.
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Noah Lee
I've been through this process twice with my pregnancy disability leaves. One thing to note - once you set up direct deposit, it doesn't happen instantly. The first transfer from your card to your bank account can take 1-3 business days to process. After that, future payments will go directly to your bank account (though there's still sometimes a 1-day delay). Also, don't throw away the card after setting up direct deposit! Sometimes there are random issues where a payment might go to the card instead of your bank. I learned this the hard way when my final disability payment went to a card I had cut up, and I had to request a replacement.
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Henrietta Beasley
AuthorThat's really good advice about keeping the card - I would have probably cut it up after setting up direct deposit. Thank you!
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Olivia Garcia
If you're having trouble reaching Bank of America about your EDD debit card, I'd recommend using Claimyr. I was going crazy trying to get through to them about a lost card last month. Claimyr connected me to an agent in less than 20 minutes when I had been trying for days on my own. They have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/1X-mEsLtbmQ?si=1hcSq3KFtCr4oAmd and their website is claimyr.com. It saved me from waiting another week for my benefits.
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Faith Kingston
does this really work? im always getting hung up on when i call EDD
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Ava Hernandez
This reminds me of when I was on disability last year for my back surgery. They sent me the card but my name was misspelled so I couldn't activate it! Had to call and request a new one with the correct spelling which took ANOTHER 10 days. Make sure your name is exactly the same on all your disability paperwork and ID documents to avoid this headache.
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Henrietta Beasley
AuthorOh wow, I never would have thought about name spelling issues. I do have a hyphenated last name that sometimes causes problems. I'll make sure everything matches. Thanks for the heads up!
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Lincoln Ramiro
One more tip - when you receive your card, activate it immediately and check your balance. Sometimes there can be a discrepancy between what shows as paid in your EDD SDI Online account and what's actually on the card. If there's a difference, you'll want to contact EDD SDI right away. The payment information in your SDI Online account should match what's loaded onto your card.
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Henrietta Beasley
AuthorThat's really helpful. I'll definitely compare the payment amounts as soon as I get the card. Thank you so much for all your advice!
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Emma Bianchi
Just wanted to add - once you do get your card and set up direct deposit, you can also set up text or email alerts through the Bank of America EDD website to notify you when payments are deposited. This has been super helpful for me to know exactly when my money hits my account without having to constantly check. The alerts are free and you can customize what notifications you want to receive.
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