EDD Money Network card delay - still 'preparing' to send after multiple certifications

Same thing happened to me back in February! The Money Network system is SO broken. I ended up having to wait almost 5 weeks for my card. The most frustrating part was that every time I called, I got a different answer. One rep said it was already mailed, another said it was 'in process,' and a third said there was some kind of flag on my account that nobody could explain. Total nightmare.

did u check ur address is correct on ur edd acct? my roomate had old address and never got his card lol. also sometimes they just say preparing cuz the system is slow to update

There are two issues that could be happening here: 1. EDD hasn't actually issued your payment yet, even though you certified. Sometimes there's a hold on the first payment for verification purposes. 2. The payment was issued, but Money Network hasn't processed the card request yet. You need to determine which is the problem. Log into UI Online and check your payment history. If it shows payments as "paid" with specific amounts and dates, then EDD has done their part and the problem is with Money Network. If it shows "pending" or another status, then EDD hasn't released the payment yet. Money Network won't send a card until EDD authorizes the first payment. This is an important distinction because it determines who you need to contact to resolve this.

After dealing with a similar Money Network card issue last month, I discovered Claimyr.com - it's a service that helps you get through to EDD representatives quickly instead of dealing with the constant disconnects. I was skeptical but their video demo (https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km) showed exactly how it works. I was connected with an EDD rep in about 25 minutes who was able to see what was happening with my card and expedite the process. They can actually look into the Money Network system from their end and push things through when there's a legitimate delay.

Did u request direct deposit instead of the card?? If u did thats why they havent sent it yet. U gotta choose one or the other. Took me forever to figur that out LOL

The EDD/Money Network system is COMPLETELY BROKEN in 2025!!! I had to wait 3.5 weeks for my card and meanwhile had nearly $3k in benefits I couldn't touch. It's a DELIBERATE STALLING TACTIC so they can hold onto our money longer!!! When I finally got through to someone, they claimed there was a "verification issue" but couldn't tell me what it was or why I wasn't notified. The whole system is designed to make it as difficult as possible to get YOUR OWN MONEY!!!

One important thing to know: You can request direct deposit instead of waiting for the card. Even if you've already been paid to the Money Network card system, you can switch to direct deposit for future payments. Log into UI Online, go to "Payment Preferences" and select "Direct Deposit." You'll need your bank routing and account numbers. This won't help with the money already sent to Money Network, but will prevent future payments from being stuck in the same situation. For the payments already processed to Money Network, you'll still need to resolve the card issue, but at least you can prevent the problem from continuing.

this happened 2 me 2! i found out if u call exactly at 8:01am u might get thru. took me 3 days of trying tho ugh

UPDATE: I used Claimyr yesterday and got through to EDD. Turns out there was a flag on my account because my identity verification had a small discrepancy (middle initial was included on my ID but not in my EDD application). The rep cleared it immediately and expedited my card. They said it should arrive in 3-5 business days now instead of the usual 7-10. Just wanted to share what worked for me since I was in the exact same situation last week.

Just a thought - did you recently move or change addresses? I discovered that if your mailing address doesn't exactly match what's in their verification system (even minor differences like "Street" vs "St"), they'll hold the card. Also check if your name on your ID exactly matches what's in the EDD system - even a missing middle initial can cause delays.

FINALLY GOT IT RESOLVED! After using the Claimyr service that someone recommended here (which actually worked!), I spoke with an EDD rep who could see exactly what was happening. Apparently, there was a "name mismatch flag" - my ID has my full middle name but my EDD application only had my middle initial. The rep removed the hold and expedited my card shipment. They said I should receive it within 5 business days and gave me a tracking number to monitor it. What a relief! For anyone else stuck in this situation - definitely worth getting through to an actual EDD rep rather than dealing with the Money Network automated system.

So glad you got this resolved! This is exactly why I always recommend people check for any small discrepancies in their personal info when they're having card delays. I went through something similar last year - my driver's license had "Jr." at the end of my name but my EDD application didn't include it, and that held everything up for weeks. The frustrating thing is that these kinds of verification issues should be flagged immediately during the application process, not after you've already been approved and are waiting for payments. Hopefully your experience helps other people know what to look for!

I had a similar experience with Money Network delays! What finally worked for me was calling the EDD Disability Insurance number (1-800-480-3287) instead of the regular unemployment line. Even though it's technically for disability, the reps there can access the same systems and often have shorter wait times. When I explained my Money Network card delay, they were able to see that there was a "pending verification" status that wasn't showing up in my UI Online account. They cleared it immediately and my card arrived 4 days later. Worth trying if you're still having issues with anyone else reading this thread!

This thread is so helpful - I'm bookmarking it! I'm currently dealing with a similar Money Network delay (going on 3 weeks now) and reading through everyone's experiences gives me hope that there's actually a solution. The tip about calling the disability line is genius, and I'm definitely going to try that tomorrow morning. It's crazy how many people are dealing with these verification holds that nobody tells you about upfront. The fact that tiny discrepancies like middle initials or "Jr." can hold up your entire claim for weeks is ridiculous, but at least now I know what to look for. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and solutions!

Just went through this exact same nightmare last month! The "preparing to send" status is basically meaningless - it's what their system defaults to when there's ANY kind of hold or verification issue. In my case, it turned out to be because my apartment number was formatted differently on my driver's license vs my EDD application (I had "Apt 2B" on one and "Apartment 2B" on the other). The Money Network automated system will never tell you the real reason for the delay, you absolutely need to get through to an actual EDD representative who can see the backend verification flags. Once they cleared the address formatting issue, my card was expedited and arrived in 6 days. Don't waste any more time calling Money Network directly - they can't fix verification holds, only EDD can. The Claimyr service mentioned above really does work if you can't get through the regular phone lines.

I'm going through this exact same issue right now - been waiting 3 weeks for my Money Network card and the automated system keeps saying "preparing to send." Reading through all these responses is both reassuring and frustrating - reassuring because I'm not alone and there are actual solutions, but frustrating because these verification holds seem to happen so frequently over tiny details that should be easy to catch upfront. I had no idea that something as small as formatting differences between "Street" vs "St" or including/excluding middle initials could hold up the entire process for weeks. Definitely going to try calling the EDD disability line tomorrow morning since that seems like a much better option than dealing with the Money Network runaround. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and solutions - this thread is a goldmine of practical advice that you'd never get from the official websites!