This whole thread is such a perfect example of why this community is so valuable! I've been dealing with EDD for over a year now and I still remember how confusing and stressful that first payment was. The Money Network card system really is designed poorly - having to wait for funds before you can even set up your bank transfer just adds unnecessary anxiety when you're already worried about money. But seeing how everyone jumped in to help explain the timeline and share their experiences is exactly what makes navigating this bureaucratic maze bearable. @Gianna Scott, you handled this perfectly by asking the right questions, and it looks like you got some amazing advice from folks who've been through it all. The tip about keeping notes on your certification and payment patterns is spot on - I wish I had started doing that from the beginning. It would have saved me so much stress trying to remember if payments were "late" or just following their usual weird timeline. Welcome to the EDD journey - it's bumpy but this community makes it so much easier!

This is such a heartwarming thread to read! As someone who's been on unemployment benefits twice now (once in 2020 and again recently), I can definitely relate to that initial confusion and stress about the Money Network card system. The first time around, I was calling customer service every day wondering where my payment was, not realizing that the 24-48 hour processing time they mention doesn't include weekends. It's so true what everyone said about the system being backwards - why make people wait to set up their bank info? It just creates unnecessary anxiety when folks are already dealing with financial stress. @Gianna Scott I'm so glad your payment came through and you got such amazing help from this community! One small tip I'd add: if you ever need to check your card balance quickly, you can text "BAL" to 96411 from your registered phone number instead of logging into the app. It's saved me time when I just need a quick balance check. Welcome to the community and don't hesitate to ask questions - everyone here has been through the EDD maze and is happy to help!

To all those having trouble reaching a human at California Unemployment. I just ran across this video that gave me a shortcut to reach a human. Hope it helps! https://youtu.be/Ize0EkN4HDI

I'm so sorry you're going through this frustrating experience with EDD! Having to pay multiple times just to get information about your missing check is absolutely ridiculous. The fact that they told you the replacement check was printed and mailed on Oct 21st but you still haven't received it after 3 weeks is unacceptable. Have you tried contacting your local assembly member's office? They often have staff dedicated to helping constituents with EDD issues and can sometimes get faster responses than calling directly. Also, you might want to file a complaint with the EDD ombudsman if you haven't already. Keep documenting everything - dates, times, who you spoke with, and what they told you. This paper trail could be important if you need to escalate further. Hang in there!

This is such a common issue and it's ridiculous that EDD makes it so confusing! I went through the exact same thing a few months ago - got my Money Network card, activated it, and then waited weeks wondering where my payments were. Turns out they were still going to my old bank account the whole time because I didn't know I had to manually change the payment preference in UI Online. For anyone else reading this thread who might be dealing with the same problem: definitely check your old bank account first before panicking. Then log into UI Online, go to "Payment Preferences" and make sure you select "Debit Card" instead of "Direct Deposit." It's not automatic at all, which is super misleading. The whole system really needs better communication - they should include clear instructions with the card or at least send an email explaining the next steps. So many people get stuck in this exact situation!

This exact thing happened to my neighbor last year! She was so stressed thinking EDD had stopped her payments completely. Turns out she needed to call both EDD AND Money Network to make sure everything was linked properly on both ends. Sometimes there's a disconnect between the two systems even after you change your payment preference in UI Online. If your payments are still going to your old account after you switch the preference, try calling Money Network first (way easier to get through than EDD) and ask them to verify that your SSN and claim info is properly linked to your card. They can usually tell you if there's a technical issue preventing the payments from routing correctly. Also heads up - even after you properly switch everything over, it can take 1-2 certification cycles for the change to fully take effect. The system is just painfully slow with updates!

To answer the original question about automatic payments - yes, your bi-weekly WBA (Weekly Benefit Amount) will be automatically loaded onto the Money Network card exactly the same way it worked with BofA. The payment schedule isn't changing at all. One other thing I learned: Money Network has a feature where you can temporarily lock your card through the app if you misplace it. The BofA card didn't have that option and it was always a pain if you thought you lost your card but didn't want to fully cancel it.

I just wanted to add something that might help ease your worries - I went through a similar card transition with CalFresh benefits last year and it was actually smoother than I expected. The key is definitely preparing ahead of time like others have mentioned. One tip: when you get your new Money Network card, activate it immediately even if you're still using your BofA card. That way if there are any activation issues, you have time to resolve them before your BofA card stops working. I made the mistake of waiting until the last minute with my CalFresh transition and had a few stressful days. Also, Money Network's customer service is supposedly much better than BofA's - my caseworker mentioned they actually have people you can talk to instead of endless phone trees. Fingers crossed that's true!

So glad to see this got resolved! The overdraft protection issue is definitely something more people should know about - it's such a random thing that causes these transfer problems. I had a similar nightmare with Money Network last year but with a different bank. For anyone else dealing with this, another tip is to make sure your bank account doesn't have any "enhanced security" features enabled that might block electronic transfers. Some banks automatically enable these after suspicious activity. Also, if you're switching to direct deposit like QuantumQuester mentioned, just be aware that it can take up to 3 weeks for the first direct deposit to hit your account, so don't close out the Money Network card until you see that first payment come through!

This thread is so helpful - I'm bookmarking it for future reference! I've been dealing with EDD payment issues on and off for months and never realized there were so many little technical things that could cause transfer problems. The overdraft protection thing is especially surprising - you'd think the systems would be compatible by now. One thing I'd add is that if you do end up having to use the ATM withdrawal method like Mei Chen mentioned, try to find a MoneyPass network ATM to avoid extra fees. There's a locator on the Money Network website. Also, for anyone switching to direct deposit, make sure your bank account has been open for at least 90 days first - I tried to switch to a newer account and it got rejected. Had to wait until the 90-day mark before EDD would accept it.