EDD Money Network cards being delayed? Confused about when they're sent out
I just got approved for unemployment benefits last week and I keep hearing conflicting info about these Money Network cards. My neighbor said it took 2 weeks to get hers, but someone at the grocery store told me they're super backed up and taking over a month now! The EDD website just says 'your card will be mailed' but doesn't give any timeframe. Has anyone received one recently? How long should I expect to wait? And do I get any kind of notification when they actually ship it or does it just randomly show up? Kinda stressing because rent is due soon and I was counting on having that money...
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Ava Williams
got mine in like 10 days just last month. but i heard they have delays sometimes. check ur ui online account it might tell u when its been shipped
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Zainab Mahmoud
•Thanks! I checked UI Online but it just shows my claim is approved. No shipping info anywhere I can find. Did yours show up in your account before you got it?
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Raj Gupta
The Money Network debit cards typically take 7-10 business days to arrive after your first payment is approved. However, there have been processing delays recently due to system upgrades. You can check if your payment has been issued by looking at your payment history in UI Online. If it shows 'paid' status but you haven't received your card, that means your payment is waiting on the card. One important thing - make sure your mailing address is correct in your UI Online profile. The cards won't be forwarded if you've moved, and getting a replacement can take another 7-10 business days.
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Zainab Mahmoud
•Thank you so much for the detailed info! My payment does show 'paid' status from 4 days ago, so I guess the card is on its way. I double-checked my address and it's correct. Fingers crossed it arrives soon!
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Lena Müller
my roomate got his in like 3 days last week but I been waiting FOREVER for mine like 3 weeks now!!!! system is so broken lol
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TechNinja
They're TERRIBLE with these cards!! Mine took 5 WEEKS to arrive and EDD kept saying "just wait" but I couldn't pay my bills! Then when it finally came, I couldn't even activate it because the system was down. THEN when I finally got it working, there was a HOLD on my funds for "verification" that took another week to clear!!! This whole system is designed to make us suffer I swear.
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Keisha Thompson
•That sounds incredibly frustrating, but I don't think it's designed to make people suffer - they're just overwhelmed and understaffed. If you ever need to reach EDD directly about card issues, I found a service called Claimyr that actually gets you through to EDD agents without waiting for hours. Saved me when my card was lost and I needed a replacement urgently. Check out their demo at https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km or their website claimyr.com. They connected me to an agent in about 20 minutes when I'd been trying for days on my own.
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Paolo Bianchi
The Money Network cards are processed and mailed by Bank of America, not directly by EDD. The standard timeframe is 7-10 business days after your first payment is processed. If you've already seen a payment posted as 'paid' in your UI Online account, start counting from that date. If it's been more than 14 calendar days since your first payment was issued, you can contact EDD to check on the status. Sometimes there are regional delays with the postal service as well. One thing that might help - you can actually sign up for direct deposit instead of using the card. Log into UI Online, go to 'Personal Information', then 'Payment Method' and select 'Direct Deposit'. You'll need your bank account and routing numbers. This option is much faster for future payments once set up.
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Zainab Mahmoud
•Oh wow, I didn't realize direct deposit was an option! That would be so much better. Do you know if I can switch to direct deposit now even though they've already sent the card? I'd much rather have the money go straight to my bank account.
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Paolo Bianchi
•Yes, you can switch to direct deposit at any time! Your current payment will still come on the card, but future payments would go to your bank account once direct deposit is set up. It usually takes 1-2 certification periods for the change to take effect.
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Yara Assad
When I was on unemployment last year I had the same worry! But then I realized they actually tell you in the award letter approximately when to expect it. Did you get a letter or email when you were approved? Check that because it might mention the card timeframe. Mine said 10 days but it came in 8.
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Ava Williams
also once u get the card make sure u setup the online account on moneynetwork website so u can see ur balance and stuff. easier than calling that automated phone system thing
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Zainab Mahmoud
•Good tip about the Money Network website, thanks! I hate those automated phone systems.
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Raj Gupta
Just a follow-up - if you urgently need the funds before your card arrives, you can contact Money Network customer service at 1-866-692-9374 and request expedited delivery of a replacement card. There's usually a fee for this service (around $10), but they can get it to you in 3 business days. You'd need to verify your identity with them first.
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