EDD Money Network card issues - can't withdraw full amount or check balance

I feel your frustration! The Money Network cards are definitely more limited than the old BofA ones. Here's what I've found works best: Instead of ATM withdrawals, go to any Walmart or grocery store that offers cash back with purchases. Buy something small like gum, then request cash back - you can usually get up to $100-$200 per transaction with no fees. For larger amounts, you can set up direct deposit to your regular bank account through UI Online. Log in, go to 'Payment Methods' and choose direct deposit instead of the debit card. Takes about 10 days to process the change but totally worth it!

Thanks for the cash back tip! I never thought of that. I'll try it next time I'm at the store. How do I check if my local Walmart has a limit on cash back amounts? And for the direct deposit switch - will my current funds on the card automatically transfer to my bank account or just future payments?

THESE CARDS ARE THE WORST!!!! I've been dealing with this nightmare for 3 months now. The app is down like 40% of the time and customer service is USELESS. I called them 5 times about missing money and they keep transferring me around. One time I spent 2 HOURS on hold just to get disconnected!!! The BofA system wasn't perfect but at least it WORKED. EDD keeps making things harder for people already struggling.

I had a similar experience with their customer service. Have you tried using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to reach an actual EDD agent instead of the Money Network people? They helped me get through to EDD directly when I had issues with my card not receiving funds. Much better than dealing with the card's customer service. They have a demo video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km - saved me hours of frustration.

hav u tried transfering all ur $$ to ur regular bank? thats what i do now. u can link ur money network card to cashapp or venmo and move it all at once instead of atm stuff. way easier tbh

I didn't know you could link it to CashApp! Does that work even when the Money Network app is down? And do they charge any fees for transferring? This could solve so many problems if it works reliably.

The switch from Bank of America to Money Network was implemented in July 2023 as part of EDD's effort to reduce fraud and lower state costs. While it's created some challenges, there are several options to access your funds more efficiently:\n\n1. Direct deposit to your personal bank account is the most seamless option\n2. Fee-free cash withdrawals at any MoneyPass ATM (download their app to find locations)\n3. Cash back at point-of-sale at most major retailers\n4. Online bill pay directly through the Money Network portal\n\nFor balance inquiries when the app is down, try calling the automated line at 1-866-898-2213. Also, you can transfer funds electronically to your bank account through the Money Network website rather than using the app, which tends to be more stable.

That MoneyPass ATM finder is TOTALLY INACCURATE!!!! I drove to 3 different locations it listed and NONE of them had MoneyPass ATMs! Complete waste of gas and time. And the automated line often says 'system unavailable' too. The whole system is broken.

I switched to direct deposit after 2 weeks with that Money Network card. Best decision ever! Takes about 7-10 business days for the change to process, but now my payments go straight to my checking account. No more ATM hunts or app crashes!

I've been wanting to switch to direct deposit, but I'm worried about delays. Did you experience any gap in payments while waiting for the direct deposit setup to process? I can't afford to miss even one payment cycle right now with rent coming up.

One trick I learned about the Money Network card that most people don't know: you can request a higher daily ATM withdrawal limit by calling customer service at 1-888-929-2460. I was able to get mine increased to $1000 per day. You'll need to verify some additional security info, but it reduced the number of ATM trips I needed to make. Also worth noting that any Wells Fargo ATM gives one free withdrawal per deposit period.

That's incredibly helpful! I had no idea you could increase the limit. I'll definitely call them tomorrow. And I didn't know about the Wells Fargo option either - there's one much closer to me than the ATMs I've been using. Thank you!

Lol am I the only one who actually likes the money network card? The old bofa one kept getting skimmed at atms. This ones way more secure. Plus u can use the card anywere visa is accepted without fees... why are yall making so many atm trips? Just use it like a normal debit card at stores

Some of us need CASH for things like RENT and BILLS that don't accept card payments!!! Not everyone has landlords who take credit cards. Some of us pay rent in person with cash or money orders. Must be nice to have everything set up for card payments 🙄

After struggling with the Money Network card for weeks, I finally managed to reach an EDD representative who helped me switch to direct deposit. If you're having trouble getting through on the EDD phone lines (which is almost guaranteed), I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an actual person within 20 minutes instead of spending days redialing. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km\n\nThe EDD rep told me something important: if you switch to direct deposit, any remaining balance on your Money Network card stays there - it doesn't transfer automatically. So make sure to withdraw or use those funds before the card becomes inactive!

Thanks for the tip about the remaining balance! I would have assumed it transferred automatically. I'll check out Claimyr too - at this point I'm willing to try anything to get this sorted out. Did they help you with the direct deposit setup or just connected you to EDD?

I had similar issues and found that you can also transfer money from your Money Network card to your personal bank account through the website (not the app). Go to moneyntework.com, log in, select

This is exactly what I needed! I just tried logging into the website and it's working even though the app is down. Starting the transfer process now. So much better than driving around to ATMs. Thank you!

As someone who just started receiving benefits last month, I can totally relate to this frustration! The Money Network card has been such a headache compared to what I expected. I've found that the customer service line 1-888-929-2460 actually works better early in the morning (around 7-8 AM) - shorter wait times and the system seems more stable then. Also discovered that some 7-Eleven stores have MoneyPass ATMs that actually work, unlike some of the locations that show up in their app but don't exist. Still planning to switch to direct deposit once I get through to EDD though - this card system just isn't sustainable for regular use.

I switched to direct deposit about 2 months ago and it was the best decision I made! The process was actually pretty straightforward once I got through to EDD. Here's what worked for me: I called the EDD number (1-800-300-5616) at exactly 8:01 AM on a Tuesday and got through after about 45 minutes on hold. The rep was able to switch me to direct deposit right over the phone - just needed my bank routing and account numbers. The key thing they told me is that it takes effect starting with your NEXT certification period, not the current one. So if you just certified on Sunday, you'll still get that payment on the card, but the following payment will go to your bank account. Also, make sure to keep that Money Network card active until you see your first direct deposit hit your account - I made the mistake of throwing mine away too early and had to wait for a replacement when there was a processing delay. But once direct deposit kicked in, it's been seamless. Payments hit my account every Tuesday like clockwork, no more ATM hunting or app crashes!

I've been dealing with the same Money Network nightmare for about 2 months now! The most frustrating part is that the card randomly gets declined at certain merchants even when I know there's money on it. I've found a few workarounds that might help others: 1. For checking your balance when the app is down, you can text "BAL" to 22622 from your registered phone number - works about 80% of the time 2. I discovered that most Target stores let you do cash back up to $40 with any purchase, and their card readers seem to work better with these cards than gas stations 3. If you're really desperate for cash access, some check cashing places will let you get a cash advance on the card for a fee (expensive but sometimes necessary) The direct deposit switch seems like the way to go based on everyone's experiences here. I'm planning to call EDD this week using that 8:01 AM Tuesday strategy someone mentioned. This whole system feels like it's designed to make accessing our benefits as difficult as possible!

I just went through this exact same frustration last month! After weeks of dealing with the Money Network card headaches, I finally found a solution that worked for me. I called the EDD number at 8:05 AM on a Wednesday (slightly different timing than what others suggested) and got through in about 35 minutes. The rep switched me to direct deposit over the phone - just needed my routing and account numbers. One thing I wish someone had told me earlier: you can actually use the Money Network card to pay bills online through most utility company websites while you're waiting for direct deposit to kick in. This helped me avoid ATM fees entirely for my last two payments. I just paid my electric bill, internet, and even my car payment directly with the card number, treating it like any debit card. The direct deposit took exactly 10 days to start working for me, and now I get payments every Tuesday morning without any issues. Hang in there - it's definitely worth making the switch even though the process is frustrating!

I completely understand your frustration with the Money Network card system! I've been on unemployment for about 3 months now and went through the exact same struggles. After reading through all these helpful comments, I wanted to share what finally worked for me: I ended up combining several of the strategies mentioned here. First, I used the text message trick (texting "BAL" to 22622) to check my balance when the app was down - this saved me so much time and frustration. Then I started using the card for online bill payments instead of constantly trying to withdraw cash. I was able to pay my utilities, phone bill, and even grocery delivery directly with the card number. For the times I absolutely needed cash, I found that Walmart's cash back system worked the most reliably - I could get $100 back with just a small purchase and no fees. Way better than hunting down those sketchy ATMs! But honestly, the game changer was switching to direct deposit. I called EDD at 8:00 AM sharp on a Thursday using the number someone posted (1-800-300-5616) and got through in about 40 minutes. The rep was super helpful and set it up immediately. It took about 8 business days to kick in, but now my payments hit my regular bank account every Tuesday like clockwork. My advice: start the direct deposit process ASAP while using these workarounds to manage the card in the meantime. The Money Network system isn't going to get better, but at least we can find ways around it until we escape to direct deposit!

I've been going through this exact same nightmare for the past month! The Money Network card system is absolutely terrible compared to the old Bank of America setup. Reading through all these comments has been incredibly helpful though - I had no idea about so many of these workarounds. I'm definitely going to try that text message balance check (texting "BAL" to 22622) since the app crashes on me constantly. And using the card for online bill payments instead of constantly hunting for ATMs is such a smart approach that I completely overlooked. For anyone still dealing with this, I found one additional tip that might help: some Walgreens locations allow up to $50 cash back with purchases, and their card readers seem to work more reliably with these Money Network cards than gas stations do. Still not ideal, but it's another option when you need cash. I'm planning to call EDD this Thursday at 8:00 AM using the strategies everyone shared here to switch to direct deposit. This thread has given me hope that there's actually a way out of this Money Network mess! Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences and solutions.

Wow, reading through all these comments has been so validating - I thought I was going crazy dealing with this Money Network card! I've been on unemployment for about 2 months and the card issues are seriously adding stress to an already difficult situation. The text message balance check trick (texting "BAL" to 22622) is absolutely brilliant - I'm trying that immediately since the app is down for me right now as usual. I had been driving to ATMs just to check my balance which is ridiculous. I'm also going to start using the card for online bill payments instead of trying to withdraw everything as cash. That's such an obvious solution that I completely missed. My electric company and internet provider both accept debit cards online, so I can avoid ATM fees entirely for those expenses. Based on everyone's success stories, I'm planning to call EDD at 8:00 AM this Friday to switch to direct deposit. The early morning timing strategy seems to be working consistently for people. Does anyone know if there's a specific day of the week that tends to work better, or is it really just about calling right when they open? This whole Money Network situation feels deliberately designed to make accessing our benefits as difficult as possible, but I'm grateful for this community sharing all these workarounds. You've all probably saved me hours of frustration and driving around to sketchy ATMs!

I've been dealing with this Money Network card frustration for about 2 months now and this thread has been a lifesaver! I had no idea about texting "BAL" to 22622 to check my balance - that's going to save me so many trips to ATMs just to see how much I have available. I'm definitely going to try the early morning calling strategy to switch to direct deposit. It sounds like 8:00-8:05 AM is the sweet spot based on everyone's success stories. The fact that we have to become strategists just to access our own unemployment benefits is absolutely ridiculous, but I'm grateful for all the practical tips shared here. One thing I wanted to add that might help others: I discovered that some credit unions have shared branching networks where you can do free withdrawals even with the Money Network card. It's worth calling your local credit unions to ask if they participate in shared branching - I found one near me that lets me withdraw up to $300 without fees, which beats those sketchy gas station ATMs any day. The online bill payment approach is brilliant too. I'm going to start paying my utilities and rent online with the card instead of constantly trying to get cash. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it really helps to know we're not alone in this mess!

I just went through this same Money Network nightmare and finally found some relief! After weeks of frustration with ATM hunting and app crashes, I discovered a few things that really helped. First, many grocery stores like Safeway and Kroger allow up to $200 cash back with purchases - way better than those sketchy ATMs with fees. Second, I found that calling the Money Network customer service line at 1-888-929-2460 around 6:30 AM (before they get slammed with calls) actually gets you through to a human pretty quickly. They were able to help me troubleshoot some card issues that I thought were unfixable. But honestly, the best advice from this thread is switching to direct deposit - I'm calling EDD at 8:00 AM tomorrow using everyone's timing strategy. It's absolutely insane that we have to become Money Network card experts just to access our unemployment benefits, but at least this community has figured out all the workarounds! The text balance check trick (BAL to 22622) has been a game changer for me too.