I'm dealing with this EXACT same nightmare right now! Got my EDD Money Network card about 10 days ago and literally every single online purchase gets declined. I can use it at stores and ATMs perfectly fine, but online it's completely useless. I've been trying to pay my rent online for the past week and it's so stressful! @Arjun Patel you are absolutely amazing for sharing that specific phone number and menu path! I had NO clue about CNP transactions or that online purchases were basically disabled by default. I've probably called the regular customer service number 15+ times and just kept getting trapped in that horrible automated loop that never connects you to anyone real. I'm definitely calling 1-866-323-2322 tomorrow morning with those exact menu steps. It's honestly insane that Money Network doesn't tell you about any of these restrictions when they send the card - like how are we supposed to know we need to enable special features just to use our own money online?? Thanks to everyone sharing their experiences here - this thread has been way more helpful than hours of trying to reach actual Money Network support!

This thread is absolutely incredible - thank you everyone for sharing such detailed experiences and solutions! I just got my EDD Money Network card last week and I'm already running into this exact same problem. Every online purchase gets declined even though the card works fine at physical stores and I have plenty of funds available. @Arjun Patel you're literally a lifesaver for posting that specific phone number (1-866-323-2322) and those detailed menu instructions! I had absolutely no idea that CNP transactions were even a thing or that online purchases were essentially blocked by default. It's honestly mind-blowing that Money Network doesn't include ANY of this information when they send out the cards. Like, shouldn't there be at least a simple FAQ sheet explaining these restrictions? I've been trying to pay my car insurance and phone bill online for the past few days and getting so frustrated thinking something was wrong with my account. I tried the regular customer service number multiple times but just got stuck in that endless automated maze that never connects you to a real person. Reading through all these success stories from people who got CNP transactions enabled gives me so much hope! I'm definitely calling tomorrow morning and following those exact steps. It's such a relief to finally understand what's causing this issue and know there's actually a solution. @Yara Campbell that information about merchant categories being blocked is super helpful too - that probably explains why some of my utility payment attempts have failed even though they're legitimate companies. Thanks to this entire community for being way more helpful than Money Network's actual customer service! I'll definitely update everyone once I get this sorted out.

I've been on CalJOBS for about 6 weeks now and this entire discussion has been such an eye-opener! Like so many others here, I was getting really discouraged thinking I was somehow failing at job searching since I've applied to 35+ positions through their system with maybe 1 response (which was a total lowball offer). Reading everyone's experiences has completely shifted my perspective - I had no idea that treating CalJOBS as purely a "compliance tool" was even an option. I've been wasting hours daily on that outdated interface when I should have been doing the bare minimum for documentation while focusing my real energy on LinkedIn and direct company outreach. I'm definitely going to start implementing the systematic approach everyone's mentioned: quick morning check with "Last 3 Days" filter, 3-4 applications to state positions weekly for the paper trail, and most importantly - using that work search log feature to record ALL my job search activities. That logging tip alone is going to save me so much anxiety about potential audits! It's honestly frustrating that we all have to reverse-engineer these workarounds just to make a government system somewhat functional. But I'm incredibly grateful for this community sharing real experiences and practical strategies. Now I can stop beating myself up about CalJOBS "not working" and put my energy where it actually matters. Thanks for starting this conversation - sometimes peer knowledge is way more valuable than official guidance! 🙏

I've been on CalJOBS for about 4 weeks now and honestly, this thread has been such a relief to find! I was starting to think I was completely incompetent because I've applied to probably 20+ positions with zero responses. Meanwhile, like you mentioned, I've gotten actual callbacks from Indeed and ZipRecruiter. Reading everyone's strategies here has been a total game-changer. I had no idea that treating CalJOBS as just a "compliance checkbox" was the way to go - I've been stressing myself out trying to make it my primary job search tool when clearly it's just outdated bureaucratic paperwork. I'm definitely going to implement the approach everyone's mentioned: quick daily check for posts from the last 3 days, apply to a few state/government positions for documentation, then focus my real energy on platforms that actually work. The work search log feature tip is brilliant too - I had no idea I could record my LinkedIn and Indeed applications there for audit protection! It's honestly wild that we all have to figure out these workarounds ourselves, but I'm so grateful for this community sharing real experiences. Now I can stop feeling guilty about CalJOBS "not working" and put my time where it actually matters. Thanks for starting this conversation - you've helped more people than you probably realize! 🙌

Based on everyone's experiences here, it sounds like the key is being proactive and getting proper documentation from your attorney. I'm in a somewhat similar situation - got a settlement 3 months ago but haven't heard from EDD yet. After reading through all these responses, I'm going to call my lawyer tomorrow to request an allocation breakdown letter before EDD even contacts me. It seems like this could potentially save thousands depending on how the settlement can be categorized. @Brianna Schmidt - definitely get that attorney letter ASAP! From what others have shared, it sounds like the difference between a $4000 overpayment and maybe a $2000 overpayment could come down to having proper documentation of what portions weren't actually "wages." Also want to echo what others said about payment plans - seems like EDD is pretty reasonable about setting these up if you're proactive about calling them rather than ignoring the notices.

I just went through this exact situation 6 months ago and wanted to share what worked for me. The settlement/overpayment process is definitely stressful, but there are ways to minimize the impact. First, you're right to be concerned - EDD will likely consider at least part of your settlement as wages that should offset your unemployment benefits. However, the overpayment amount can vary dramatically based on how your settlement is documented. Here's what I wish I had known earlier: 1. Contact your attorney immediately to request a detailed allocation breakdown letter, even though your settlement is finalized 2. EDD won't automatically deduct from your remaining claim balance - they'll issue a separate overpayment notice 3. You can continue collecting your regular benefits while the overpayment is being processed 4. Payment plans are available and they're pretty reasonable about approving them In my case, my attorney was able to provide documentation showing that only about 45% of my settlement was actually for "lost wages" - the rest was allocated to emotional distress, attorney fees, and punitive damages. This reduced my overpayment from what would have been about $5,800 to $2,600. When I got the overpayment notice, I called EDD the same day and set up a $85/month payment plan. No hassle, no interest charges, and I was able to keep my benefits flowing normally. The key is being proactive rather than reactive. Get that attorney letter ASAP and report the settlement yourself before they discover it through other channels.

I work at a small credit union and can confirm that we process ACH transfers from Money Network/Metabank without any issues. Most financial institutions accept these transfers since they're standard ACH transactions. The verification process with the micro deposits is pretty standard - we see those come through all the time from various prepaid card companies. One tip: when you're setting up the transfer, make sure you use your account number exactly as it appears on your checks or bank statements. Sometimes people accidentally add extra zeros or spaces which can cause the setup to fail. Also, if your credit union uses a different name on statements than their common name, use whatever appears on your actual account documents. The transfer usually processes faster if you initiate it before noon on business days. Hope this helps ease your concerns about the process!

Just wanted to share my recent experience for anyone still reading this thread. I followed the advice here and set up direct deposit through UI Online about 2 weeks ago. It took exactly 2 payment cycles like @StarStrider mentioned, but now my payments go straight to my checking account and I don't have to deal with the card at all anymore. For anyone on the fence about doing this - it's definitely worth the small hassle of setting it up. No more worrying about ATM fees, card malfunctions, or any of the other issues people mentioned. The process was pretty straightforward once I had my routing and account numbers ready. Just make sure you don't have any pending payments when you make the switch, as those will still go to your card while the direct deposit setup is processing. Thanks again to everyone who shared their experiences - this community is really helpful for navigating all the EDD quirks!

Just wanted to jump in here as someone who's been lurking in this community for a while but never posted until now. I've been watching this thread grow and it's honestly become the most comprehensive resource I've seen anywhere for dealing with EDD fraud recovery issues. What really strikes me is how this single thread contains more actionable, specific information than EDD's entire official website when it comes to post-fraud payment method switches. The fact that community members like @Lucas Schmidt have to reverse-engineer EDD's internal policies and share terms like "FCP flags" and "manual verification overrides" because the agency itself won't clearly communicate these restrictions is absolutely ridiculous. I'm dealing with a potential fraud situation myself (suspicious charges appeared on my Money Network card yesterday) and reading through everyone's experiences has been both helpful and terrifying. It's clear that EDD has created this incredibly complex maze of restrictions and waiting periods that they don't explain upfront, leaving fraud victims to stumble through it blindly. @Sofia Rodriguez's point about bank-side ACH restrictions is particularly brilliant - it shows how this issue can have multiple moving parts that need to be addressed simultaneously. The fact that we have to become experts in both EDD's internal systems AND our own banks' fraud protection policies just to receive benefits safely is honestly insane. This thread should definitely be pinned or turned into a community resource guide. The collective wisdom here is going to save countless people weeks of unnecessary frustration trying to decode EDD's broken system on their own.

I'm brand new to this community and unfortunately joining because I'm dealing with this exact same Money Network fraud nightmare! Had $412 stolen from my card through fraudulent ATM withdrawals about 5 days ago and I'm just starting the fraud case process now. Reading through this entire thread has been absolutely invaluable - I had no idea about all the hidden restrictions and verification issues that come after resolving fraud! The fact that EDD has internal policies like "FCP flags," "manual verification overrides," and 30-day payment method restrictions that they don't proactively explain when fraud occurs is completely unacceptable. It's clear from everyone's experiences here that their customer service reps either don't know about these policies or aren't properly trained to communicate them, which leaves fraud victims like us to figure it out through trial and error. @Lucas Schmidt - thank you so much for breaking down the exact terminology to use! I'm saving your advice about "manual verification override" and "verification status reset" for when I eventually need to switch payment methods. @Sofia Rodriguez - your insight about banks potentially placing ACH holds after seeing fraud reports is something I never would have thought to check. I'll definitely contact my bank when the time comes. @Sara Hellquiem - knowing about the 30-day payment method change restriction upfront is going to save me from weeks of confusion wondering why nothing is working. This thread has become the unofficial EDD fraud recovery guide that should exist officially but doesn't. It's really disturbing that we have to crowdsource solutions for basic government services, but I'm incredibly grateful everyone is sharing their knowledge here. This is going to save me (and countless others) so much unnecessary frustration! I'll definitely come back and update everyone once I navigate through the fraud resolution and payment method switch process. Hopefully having all this insider knowledge ahead of time will make my experience much smoother than what everyone else had to figure out the hard way.