EDD PFL approved - no debit card yet - what should I expect next?

Congrats on your approval! The debit card typically takes 7-10 business days to arrive after approval. Since you were just approved Tuesday, I'd give it until the end of next week before getting concerned. The first payment should be loaded onto the card within 1-2 days of receiving it. If you had SDI before this for pregnancy disability, they'll use the same card, so check if you already have one from that.

Oh thank you! I didn't realize it would take that long. I didn't have SDI before this (I'm adopting, not giving birth), so this will be my first EDD card. I'll wait until the end of next week then.

My card took almost 2 wks to come and i was freaking out too!! Then when it came there was already 2 payments on it. Be patient its coming!!

That's a relief to hear! I'm glad I'm not the only one who was anxious about this. Thanks for sharing your experience.

The EDD system is INTENTIONALLY confusing!! They don't tell you anything upfront. I waited 3 weeks for my card last year and when I called they said 'oh your address was slightly wrong so we never sent it' but they NEVER contacted me about it!!! Make sure your address is 100% correct in the system. And FYI once you get the card, their customer service is TERRIBLE if you have any issues with it. Document EVERYTHING.

Oh no, that sounds like a nightmare! I'll double check my address in the system right now. Did you eventually get your payments without too much trouble once the card arrived?

Yeah eventually but I had to call them like 5 times and wait on hold forever each time. The whole system is designed to make you give up I swear!!!

If you're waiting for the Bank of America EDD debit card, here's what you should know:\n\n1. First-time recipients typically receive their card 7-10 business days after approval\n2. The card comes in a plain white envelope that can look like junk mail, so check your mail carefully\n3. You can check payment status in your EDD online account under

This is super helpful! I didn't know it comes in a plain envelope - I'll make sure to check all my mail carefully. And good to know about the payment already being processed potentially. Thank you!

just got my card last month too it was like 9 days after approval came in but payments were already on it so thats good

That's good to hear! Seems like the consensus is I should wait a bit longer before worrying. Thanks!

If you're worried about the timeline, I had a similar issue and couldn't get through to EDD for days. I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to connect with an EDD agent in about 20 minutes instead of waiting on hold for hours. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/DOLxZQb92wM?si=6N1iCQ3a8Cdb2Ay5\n\nThe agent told me my card had been mailed two days after approval but was taking longer because of USPS delays. She also confirmed my payments were already processed and waiting for me to activate the card. Saved me a lot of anxiety!

I might try that if my card doesn't show up by next Friday. I've heard the EDD phone lines are impossible to get through. Thanks for the suggestion!

i used that service too works great saved me hours of frustration

Yeah but should we really have to PAY to talk to EDD about OUR BENEFITS?! The system is so broken it's ridiculous. They should fix their phone lines not make us use services to get through.

Does anyone know if you can transfer the money from the card to your bank account? I don't like using debit cards and would prefer to have the money in my checking account.

Yes, you can set up a transfer from the BofA EDD card to your personal bank account once you activate the card. You'll need to create an online account at prepaid.bankofamerica.com/eddcard, then link your bank account for transfers. You can set up automatic transfers so each new payment gets moved to your bank account automatically.

Thanks for asking this - I was wondering the same thing! Glad to know we can transfer to a regular bank account.

Update us when your card comes!! Mine took exactly 8 days

Will do! Today is day 6 since approval, so hopefully early next week. Really appreciate everyone's help and reassurance!

Hey Liam! I'm in almost the exact same situation - got my PFL approval on Wednesday for bonding leave and also waiting for my debit card. Reading through everyone's responses has been so helpful! It sounds like 7-10 business days is pretty standard, so I'm trying to be patient too. The tip about it coming in a plain white envelope is super useful - I'll make sure to check everything carefully. Congrats on your approval and thanks for asking the question I was too nervous to ask myself! 🙂

This is such great timing for this thread! I'm actually expecting my second baby in a few months and will need to use PFL again. Last time was 3 years ago and I completely forgot about the debit card wait time - I was panicking thinking something was wrong when it didn't arrive immediately after approval. It's really helpful to see that the 7-10 business day timeline is still accurate. One thing I learned from my first experience is to definitely set up that automatic transfer to your bank account like @Fatima Al-Farsi mentioned. The BofA EDD card works fine but having the money in your regular checking account just makes budgeting so much easier, especially when you're dealing with all the expenses that come with a new family member!

I'm in a similar waiting period right now - got approved last Friday and still checking the mailbox every day! Reading through all these responses has been incredibly reassuring. It sounds like the 7-10 business day timeline is pretty consistent, and I love that tip about the plain white envelope - I definitely would have overlooked that. @Giovanni Moretti your experience with the address issue has me paranoid, so I just double-checked mine in the system and thankfully it looks correct. @Sofia Perez thanks for mentioning that Claimyr service - good to know there's a backup option if I need to get through to someone quickly. It's amazing how much anxiety this waiting period creates when you're trying to plan finances around a new family situation! Will definitely update when my card arrives.