Has anyone heard if EDD plans to offer direct deposit to personal bank accounts in 2025?

i dont think theyre ever gonna change it lol. been on and off unemployment for like 3 years and they keep saying "next year" but nothing happens. the money network card is a pain in the a$$ but we're stuck with it i guess

Actually, I attended an EDD stakeholder meeting last month where they specifically discussed this issue. They are indeed planning to implement direct deposit options in Q3 of 2025 according to their technology roadmap. However, they mentioned there could be delays due to the backend system integration challenges. The Money Network contract is also up for renewal soon, which is part of why they're considering this change now. In the meantime, if you set up recurring transfers from your Money Network account to your personal bank, it's much less hassle. Just remember that even with direct deposit, there will still be a 1-2 day processing time after certification before funds are available.

My cousin works for EDD (not in IT though) and she mentioned something about this too! She said they're definitely planning to make the change but she wasn't sure exactly when. Apparently it's been in the works for a while but keeps getting delayed because of budget issues.

While we wait for direct deposit to be implemented, let me share a practical solution I've used. Set up your bank account information in the Money Network mobile app (not just on the website) and schedule automatic transfers after each payment date. This has saved me tons of hassle. Also, if you need to speak with an EDD representative about this or any other claim issues, I had great success using Claimyr (claimyr.com). They helped me get through to an EDD agent in under 25 minutes when I needed to fix an issue with my Money Network card. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km

THEY SHOULD HAVE DONE THIS YEARS AGO!!! Every other state has direct deposit. Why is California always so BEHIND on everything?? The Money Network system is a total scam and I bet EDD gets kickbacks from them. I've had my funds frozen TWICE for "security reasons" with no warning. Had to wait 9 days once to get access to MY MONEY. Direct deposit can't come soon enough.

To answer a few questions that came up: 1. They plan to work with all banks and credit unions that support ACH transfers (which is virtually all of them). 2. Yes, the Money Network card will still be an option for those who prefer it or don't have traditional banking. 3. The security freezes on Money Network cards usually happen when there are multiple transfers in a short period or transfers to new accounts. To prevent this, establish a consistent transfer pattern and always use the same receiving account. One thing to keep in mind is that even with direct deposit, EDD will still have the same verification and processing times before releasing payments. The only difference will be eliminating the step of transferring from the card to your bank.

@profile5 The point is you wouldn't need to manually transfer money from the Money Network card to your bank account, which typically adds 1-3 business days depending on your bank. The funds would go directly to your checking account as soon as EDD releases the payment after certification. It eliminates one step and reduces the overall time to access your funds by several days.

Thanks everyone for the info! I'll try setting up those automatic transfers in the app as suggested. And I'll keep my fingers crossed that they actually implement direct deposit this year. It's good to know they're at least discussing it. I wonder if contacting our state representatives might help push this forward faster? Has anyone tried that approach?

i just want to say i LOVE the money network card lol. am i the only one? i don't have a regular bank account so this works better for me. hope they keep it as an option

I'm really hoping this Q3 2025 timeline is accurate! I've been dealing with the Money Network card for almost a year now and it's been such a headache. The random maintenance windows always seem to happen at the worst times, and I've had issues with ATM withdrawals being declined even when I had funds available. Has anyone else experienced problems with using the card at certain retailers? I've noticed some places like Costco don't accept it, which is frustrating when you're trying to buy groceries in bulk to save money while on unemployment. Direct deposit would solve all these issues since I could just use my regular debit card everywhere. @Malik Jenkins - thanks for sharing that inside info from the stakeholder meeting! Do you know if they mentioned anything about whether existing claimants would be automatically enrolled in direct deposit or if we'd have to opt-in manually?

I just called EDD yesterday about a different issue and asked the rep about direct deposit while I had them on the line. They said they're "working on it" but couldn't give me any specific timeline beyond "sometime this year." The rep did mention that when it becomes available, we'll probably need to log into our EDD online account and manually add our banking information - it won't be automatic. Also wanted to mention for anyone having issues with the Money Network card at retailers - I've found that running it as "credit" instead of "debit" works better at places that sometimes decline it. And if you're shopping at Costco, you can buy Costco cash cards online with the Money Network card, then use those in-store. It's an extra step but works as a workaround until we hopefully get direct deposit!