EDD payment methods 2025: Direct deposit option vs Money Network Debit Card explained

EDD now uses the Money Network Debit Card system instead of Bank of America cards (that switch happened back in 2023). You do have the option for direct deposit! When you set up your UI Online account, you'll be asked to select your payment preference. You can choose direct deposit to your personal bank account or the Money Network card. If you choose direct deposit, you'll need your account number and routing number ready when you set things up. The direct deposit option is definitely more convenient for most people.

i got laid off in november and i went with the money network card cuz i didnt have my bank info handy when i was filling everything out. kinda regret it now tbh

yeah the card is annoying. had to pay fees to transfer money to my real bank account. wish i just did direct deposit from the start. u can switch later but its a whole process

I've been through three unemployment claims over the years and can confirm direct deposit is the best option. With direct deposit, payments typically appear in your account 1-2 business days after certification is processed. The Money Network card can sometimes take an extra day, plus you have to deal with transferring funds to your main account or using the card directly. One important thing to note: Even if you select direct deposit, EDD will still mail you a Money Network card as a backup payment method. They do this in case there are issues with your direct deposit setup or if they need to issue retroactive payments quickly. Keep the card in a safe place, but you likely won't need to use it if your direct deposit is set up correctly.

Wait I'm confused... I thought EDD only does the Money Network card now? My brother got unemployment in 2024 and they didn't give him a direct deposit option.

Just wanted to add - if anyone is having trouble reaching EDD to change your payment method or fix issues with your Money Network card or direct deposit, I had success using Claimyr to get through to an actual EDD representative. I spent days trying to call myself with no luck, always getting the "too many callers" message. Claimyr got me connected in about 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km The website is claimyr.com - seriously saved me so much frustration when I needed to fix a payment issue!

OK I need to VENT here - why does EDD make EVERYTHING so complicated?? In 2025 why can't they just do normal direct deposit like EVERY OTHER PAYMENT SYSTEM ON EARTH?? Why all this confusion with backup cards and different systems? My sister works for the state of Oregon and said their unemployment system has had simple direct deposit for years with no issues! California EDD is stuck in the STONE AGE!

I had uneployment back in 2020 with the Bank of america card and it was terible! Good to here they switched to diffrent system now. What happens if you move during your claim? Does direct deposit still work or do they stop payments?

Thanks everyone for the advice! I'm definitely going with direct deposit. Just to make sure I understand correctly: 1. I'll select direct deposit during my initial application 2. I'll still get a Money Network card in the mail as backup 3. Direct deposit payments come 1-2 days after certification One last question - if I accidentally choose the card option, how difficult is it to switch to direct deposit later?

I'm in the same boat as Paolo - first time filing and feeling overwhelmed by all the payment options! Reading through everyone's experiences here has been super helpful. It sounds like direct deposit is unanimously the better choice. I'm curious though - for those of you who have direct deposit set up, have you ever had any issues with EDD mistakenly sending payments to the Money Network card instead? I'm wondering how reliable the direct deposit system actually is, or if there are common glitches that might cause payments to default back to the card. I want to make sure I'm prepared for any potential hiccups since I really need these payments to be predictable for budgeting purposes.