As someone who just went through their second certification last week, I can totally relate to this anxiety! The first time I certified, I did the exact same thing - stayed up until 3am refreshing the page and convinced myself something was wrong when it showed "pending." Now I know it's just EDD's weird way of doing things. What helped me was realizing that "pending" basically means "we got your certification and it's in line to be processed" - not that there's a problem. The system runs overnight batch processing between 2-6am (kind of like how banks process deposits), then updates to "paid" by morning. Your future weeks will show up once the current payment fully processes. One thing that gave me peace of mind was setting up text alerts through my bank for deposits. That way I get notified the moment the money hits my account, usually before EDD even updates their website! The whole process is definitely confusing for newcomers, but once you've been through it a few times, you start to trust that it works (even if it's slow and clunky). You should be all set by tomorrow morning!

Just went through my first certification experience two weeks ago and had the EXACT same midnight panic! Seeing "pending" instead of "paid" made me think I'd somehow messed up my entire claim. I literally stayed awake until 5am refreshing the page every few minutes, convinced something was broken. By 7:30am it switched to "paid" and I felt so ridiculous for losing sleep over it. What I've learned from this community is that EDD's overnight processing is just how their ancient system works - think of "pending" as "received and queued for processing" rather than "there's a problem." The batch processing usually runs 2-6am, then updates by 8-9am. Your next certification weeks will appear once everything processes, typically by Tuesday. For future reference, I now just certify and go to bed knowing it'll be fine by morning. Also highly recommend setting up bank text alerts for deposits - you'll often get notified of the incoming payment before EDD even updates their website! The anxiety definitely fades once you understand their quirky timing patterns.

I've been lurking in this thread for a while and wanted to share what finally worked for me after weeks of frustration! I tried almost everything mentioned here (clearing cache, different browsers, original email, disabling extensions) but what ultimately solved it was creating a completely new CalJOBS account with a different email address. I know it sounds extreme, but I was able to transfer my job search history and saved applications by contacting CalJOBS support at (916) 654-7799 (thanks to whoever shared that number earlier!). They merged my old account data into the new one within a few business days. Sometimes the account just gets corrupted beyond repair and starting fresh is the only solution. Before you go nuclear like I did though, definitely try all the other suggestions first - especially the VPN/network issues, browser extensions, and session timeout fixes. But if you've exhausted all options and still can't get in after a week or more, don't be afraid to start over. It was actually less stressful than continuing to bang my head against the wall! Good luck everyone! 🙌

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! This thread is honestly a goldmine of troubleshooting tips. I've been locked out for 3 days and was about to lose my mind. I'm going to work through these suggestions systematically - starting with the original email + incognito browser combo, then moving on to the browser extension/VPN fixes if needed. It's wild how many different things can break this system, but seeing so many people find solutions gives me hope. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this is way more helpful than any official help page I've found! Will update once I (hopefully) get back in 🤞

I'm going through this exact same situation right now! My payment has been showing "paid" for 13 days and I'm getting really worried since I need the money for bills this week. Reading through all these comments has been so helpful - I had no idea about calling Money Network directly at 1-866-544-7681 or that the envelope looks like junk mail. I'm definitely going to try calling Money Network first thing tomorrow morning before dealing with EDD's phone system. It's crazy how they don't provide any tracking or timeline when the card ships! For anyone else in this boat, it sounds like most people get their cards between 10-14 business days, so hopefully we're all just at the end of the normal waiting period. Thanks to everyone sharing their experiences - it really helps to know I'm not the only one dealing with this stressful situation!

I'm in literally the exact same boat right now! Filed my first claim in February, payment showed "paid" 12 days ago for $634, but no card yet. The stress is unreal when you're counting on that money for basic expenses. This entire thread has been a lifesaver - I had no clue about calling Money Network directly or that the card comes in such a plain envelope. I'm definitely trying that 1-866-544-7681 number tomorrow morning instead of battling EDD's phone system. It's wild how they just leave you hanging with zero communication about when to expect the card. Reading everyone's experiences makes me feel way less alone in this frustrating process. Fingers crossed we all get our cards soon!

Update: Had my interview today and it went fine! It only lasted about 15 minutes. They asked about my layoff, verified some dates, and confirmed I'm still looking for work. The interviewer was actually really nice. My benefits are continuing without any issues. Thanks everyone for the advice and calming my nerves!

So glad to hear your interview went well! Thanks for coming back to update us - it's really helpful for others who might be going through the same thing. Your experience confirms what most people here were saying - these interviews are usually just routine verification, not something to stress about. Hope your job search goes smoothly too!

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! My payment just showed as "paid" this morning and I'm also using Bank of America for direct deposit. Reading through everyone's experiences here is really reassuring - sounds like 2-3 business days is pretty standard for first payments. I love all the practical tips people shared, especially about setting up the BofA deposit alerts and checking the Account Activity section online instead of just the mobile app. Going to try calling that automated BofA line someone mentioned too. It's nerve-wracking when you're waiting for that first payment and have bills coming up, but it sounds like the system really does work, just takes some patience. Thanks everyone for sharing your timelines - this thread is incredibly helpful for us newcomers to the EDD process!

Just wanted to share an update and hopefully help others in the same situation - my payment finally hit my Bank of America account this morning! It took exactly 2.5 business days from when it showed "paid" in UI Online (showed paid Tuesday afternoon, money was there Friday morning around 6 AM). For anyone still waiting on their first payment, that custom BofA deposit alert that @Luca Conti suggested was a lifesaver - I got the notification right when it posted instead of obsessively checking my account every few hours. The Account Activity section online also showed it as "pending" about 12 hours before it actually became available, which gave me peace of mind that it was coming. Thanks to everyone in this thread for sharing your experiences and tips - it really helped me stay calm during the wait. For other first-timers: be patient, set up those alerts, and trust that the system works even though it's slow!