EDD Money Network card randomly declining at stores but works at ATMs - anyone else?

omg same here!!! thought it was just me. tried at safeway yesterday and DECLINED but atm worked fine. so annoying!!

This happens sometimes when the card network has a temporary glitch. Try these steps: 1. Check your balance in the Money Network app to confirm funds are actually there 2. Make sure you're selecting "CREDIT" not "DEBIT" at checkout (debit requires a PIN you may not have set up) 3. Some stores have issues with govt benefit cards - try a different retailer 4. Call Money Network again during non-peak hours (early morning works best) I had this issue last year and it resolved itself in about 48 hours. It's usually a Money Network problem, not an EDD issue.

I had a similar problem but mine was because I hadn't activated the card properly. Did you call the activation number when you first got it? Sometimes the cards arrive pre-activated but sometimes they don't.

EDD and Money Network seem to have these random technical issues every few months. I think there's system maintenance happening this week - I saw a notification about it when I logged into UI Online yesterday but didn't read the details. If you need to reach Money Network quickly, try calling right when they open at 8am. Or if you need to talk to EDD directly about your card issues, I'd recommend using Claimyr (claimyr.com) - they can get you through to an EDD rep in about 5-10 minutes instead of spending all day redialing. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km I used it last month when my card wasn't working and found out there was a fraud alert on my account that needed to be cleared by EDD, not Money Network.

My sister had the same issue and it turned out some RETAILERS have blocked the Money Network cards because they got too many chargebacks or something. Try a grocery store instead of Target or Walmart. Also sometimes gas stations will pre-authorize like $100 when you only want $30 gas and that can mess with your card too. If ATM works just keep using that until you figure it out.

This is a known issue with the Money Network system right now. I work for a non-profit that helps people navigate unemployment benefits, and we've had several clients report this exact problem over the last 48 hours. Here's what we know: 1. The issue is affecting many cardholders across California (not just EDD cards but other government benefit cards through Money Network) 2. It appears to be related to their transaction authorization system having problems with retail point-of-sale systems specifically 3. ATM transactions use a different processing system which is why those still work 4. Money Network is aware of the problem and working on a fix - they expect it to be resolved by this Friday 5. You don't need to contact EDD about this - it's entirely on Money Network's end In the meantime, yes, ATM withdrawals are your best option. There's also an option to transfer funds from your Money Network account to your personal bank account through the app if you have one set up.

are we sure this isnt edd trying to stop us from spending our money?? wouldn't put it past them tbh

I had a NIGHTMARE with that stupid Money Network card back in January! It would work sometimes and not others and their customer service is THE WORST!!!! I ended up switching to direct deposit into my checking account and haven't had any issues since. You can set up direct deposit in UI Online under Payment Preferences. Takes about 2 weeks to switch over but TOTALLY worth it to avoid all this Money Network drama!!!

My friend told me sometimes the card gets blocked if you try to use it too many times in one day. How many times did you try to use it before it stopped working?

UPDATE: Money Network just posted on their status page that the issue has been resolved as of this morning. Try your card again at stores now - it should be working properly. If you're still having problems, then it might be a different issue specific to your account and you should contact Money Network customer service.

This is exactly what I needed to see! I've been having the same issue for the past few days and was starting to panic thinking something was wrong with my account. My card kept getting declined at CVS and Ralph's but worked fine at the ATM. Reading through all these responses, especially Miranda's explanation about it being a widespread Money Network issue, really puts my mind at ease. I'm going to try switching to direct deposit like Ally suggested - seems like that would avoid all these technical headaches in the future. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences!

I've been dealing with this exact same issue! My card was working fine all month and then suddenly started declining everywhere on Tuesday. I thought maybe my account was flagged or something was wrong with my certification. It's such a relief to read that it was a widespread Money Network problem and not something specific to my account. I tried calling their customer service line three times and either got disconnected or was on hold for over an hour each time. The ATM workaround definitely saved me this week - at least I could still access my funds. Definitely going to look into switching to direct deposit after reading all these suggestions. Has anyone had any other issues with Money Network in the past or is this the first major glitch you've experienced?

I just went through this exact same thing last week! My Money Network card was declining everywhere - Target, Vons, even tried at a gas station and nothing worked. But like everyone else mentioned, ATM withdrawals were totally fine. I was so stressed thinking my benefits got cut off or something was wrong with my account. After reading Miranda's explanation about it being a known system-wide issue, I feel so much better. I actually ended up switching to direct deposit yesterday after seeing all the recommendations here - figured it's better to avoid these technical headaches altogether. The setup was really straightforward in UI Online under Payment Preferences. For anyone still dealing with card issues, the ATM route definitely works as a backup until you can get direct deposit set up. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this community is so helpful!

I'm dealing with this same issue right now! My Money Network card has been declining at every store I've tried since yesterday - Costco, Home Depot, and even a small local restaurant. But just like everyone else mentioned, ATM withdrawals work perfectly fine. I was starting to panic thinking my account got flagged or there was some issue with my last certification. Reading through all these responses is such a relief - especially Miranda's detailed explanation about it being a widespread Money Network system issue. I had no idea so many people were experiencing the same thing! I've been trying to call Money Network customer service but keep getting disconnected after waiting forever. Definitely going to look into switching to direct deposit after seeing how many people recommend it here. In the meantime, I guess I'll stick with ATM withdrawals and using cash. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it's so helpful to know I'm not alone in this!

I've been experiencing this exact same issue since Monday! My Money Network card kept getting declined at grocery stores and pharmacies, but ATM withdrawals worked perfectly. I was starting to worry that my account had been flagged or there was an issue with my certification. After reading through everyone's experiences here, especially Miranda's explanation about it being a widespread system issue, I feel so much better knowing it wasn't just me. The customer service wait times are absolutely ridiculous - I gave up after being on hold for over an hour twice. I had no idea that direct deposit was an option through UI Online! I'm definitely going to set that up today to avoid these Money Network headaches in the future. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this community has been incredibly helpful in understanding what's going on!

I just started having this same exact problem yesterday! My EDD Money Network card worked fine all week and then suddenly started declining at every store I tried - Ralph's, CVS, even tried at a small local shop and same issue. But like everyone else is saying, ATM withdrawals work perfectly which is so weird! I was getting really panicked thinking maybe my account got suspended or there was some fraud alert or something. Reading through all these comments, especially Miranda's detailed explanation about it being a widespread Money Network system issue, is such a huge relief! I had no idea so many other people were dealing with this. I tried calling their customer service line this morning and was on hold for like 45 minutes before I had to hang up for work. Based on all the advice here, I'm definitely going to look into switching to direct deposit - seems like that would solve all these technical headaches. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences, it really helps to know I'm not alone in this frustrating situation!

This exact same thing happened to me over the weekend! I tried using my card at three different places - Target, a local grocery store, and even a gas station - and it got declined every single time. I was so confused because I had just certified and could see my full benefit amount in the Money Network app. Like everyone else here, ATMs worked perfectly fine which made the whole situation even more frustrating. I was starting to think maybe there was a fraud alert on my account or something. Reading through all these comments, especially Miranda's explanation about it being a system-wide Money Network issue, is such a relief! I spent way too much time on hold trying to reach their customer service. After seeing how many people are recommending direct deposit, I'm definitely going to set that up through UI Online. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences - it's so helpful to know this was a widespread technical problem and not something wrong with our individual accounts!

I just went through this exact same nightmare! My Money Network card started declining everywhere on Wednesday - tried at Kroger, Dollar Tree, even a small coffee shop and nothing worked. I was panicking thinking my benefits got suspended or there was fraud on my account. But just like everyone else mentioned, ATMs worked perfectly which made no sense! I spent almost 3 hours total on hold with Money Network customer service over two days and never got through to anyone. Reading Miranda's explanation about it being a widespread system issue is such a huge relief - I thought I was going crazy! I had no idea direct deposit was even an option through UI Online. After seeing everyone's recommendations here, I'm definitely making the switch. This Money Network card has been nothing but stress and technical problems. Thanks to everyone for sharing your experiences - it's so comforting to know this wasn't just happening to me!

I'm dealing with this exact same issue right now! My card has been declining at every store since yesterday - tried at three different places including a small local shop and even a pharmacy. But just like everyone else mentioned, ATM withdrawals work perfectly fine. I was getting really stressed thinking maybe my account was flagged or there was some problem with my certification. Reading through all these responses, especially Miranda's detailed explanation about it being a widespread Money Network system issue, is such a huge relief! I also tried calling their customer service and was on hold for over an hour before giving up. After seeing so many people recommend switching to direct deposit, I'm definitely going to set that up through UI Online today. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it's really comforting to know this wasn't just happening to me and that there's a solution!

I'm experiencing this exact same issue! My Money Network card started declining everywhere since Monday - tried at Walmart, CVS, and even a small local grocery store with the same result. But like everyone else here, ATMs work perfectly fine which is so confusing! I was starting to panic thinking maybe my account got suspended or there was some fraud alert. Reading through all these comments, especially Miranda's explanation about it being a widespread Money Network system problem, has been such a relief! I also wasted hours trying to get through to their customer service with no luck - their hold times are absolutely ridiculous. After seeing how many people are recommending the direct deposit option, I'm definitely going to set that up through UI Online today. It sounds like that's the best way to avoid all these Money Network technical headaches in the future. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it really helps to know this isn't just happening to me!

I'm going through this exact same thing right now! My card has been declining at every store since Wednesday - tried at Target, a local pharmacy, and even a small sandwich shop with the same result. But just like everyone else mentioned, ATMs work perfectly which is so weird! I was getting really worried that maybe my account was frozen or there was an issue with my last certification. Reading through all these responses, especially Miranda's detailed explanation about it being a widespread Money Network system issue, has been such a huge relief! I tried calling their customer service yesterday and was on hold for over an hour before I had to hang up. After seeing so many people recommend switching to direct deposit through UI Online, I'm definitely going to set that up today. It sounds like that's the best way to avoid all these technical problems with Money Network in the future. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it's really comforting to know this wasn't just happening to me and that there are solutions!

I'm having this exact same problem! My card has been declining everywhere since Tuesday - tried at three different stores including Ralphs and a local gas station, but ATMs work perfectly fine. I was starting to panic thinking my account was suspended or something went wrong with my certification. Reading through everyone's experiences here, especially Miranda's explanation about it being a widespread Money Network system issue, is such a relief! I also wasted hours trying to get through to their customer service with no luck. After seeing all the recommendations for direct deposit through UI Online, I'm definitely going to make that switch today. It's so frustrating dealing with these technical glitches when we're already stressed about everything else. Thanks everyone for sharing - it really helps to know this isn't just me!