Money Network card nightmare - EDD payments frozen for no reason

omg same thing happened to my brother last month!! his account was locked for "security review" for like 2 weeks with no explanation. money network is THE WORST. edd should just use direct deposit for everyone instead of these garbage cards

The Money Network card system does have serious issues, but there are some things you can try: 1. Request a supervisor when you call - regular reps often can't override security flags 2. Log into your Money Network account online and verify all your info is correct 3. Check if there's a daily withdrawal limit you might have hit 4. Try a smaller transaction first ($20) at a major retailer Also, for future payments, you can switch to direct deposit through UI Online. Go to "Payment Method" under "Contact Information" and change it there. Won't help for the current situation, but prevents this nightmare next time.

this is why i always transfer the money OUT of the card as soon as it hits lol. never leave it sitting there. money network is trash.

I had the EXACT same problem in January! Spent hours getting nowhere with Money Network. Finally got through to an actual EDD representative who was able to help escalate the issue on their end. Try using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get connected to an EDD rep quickly - they helped me bypass the phone queue nightmares. There's a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km The EDD rep I spoke with said they've been seeing lots of issues with Money Network cards getting randomly flagged. Once I had EDD intervene, my funds were released in 2 business days.

Just to clarify a few things about Money Network cards and security holds: 1. Money Network is indeed the official EDD payment provider, not a scam, though their service certainly leaves much to be desired. 2. Security holds typically happen for one of these reasons: - First large deposit to a new card - Multiple failed PIN attempts - Unusual transaction patterns - Accessing account from multiple devices/locations - Name/address verification issues 3. EDD can indeed intervene in some cases, but you need to speak with a Tier 2 specialist, not just any representative. 4. If you need emergency access to funds, you can request an expedited review by stating you have urgent financial hardship (rent, utilities, etc.) For anyone reading this, direct deposit is absolutely the better option to avoid these issues entirely.

i know this sounds weird but try calling them early morning like 7:01am exactly when they open. thts how i got thru after trying for days. also when u finally talk to somone don't let them transfer u EVER. as soon as they transfer the call drops lol

Money Network is a joke. My card worked for 2 weeks then suddenly stopped. Called 14 times before getting someone who actually helped. Turns out my birthday was entered wrong in their system (off by one day) which triggered a security lock even though I'd already used the card!!! The rep had to send forms to their "security team" and it took 8 business days to fix. I was livid. My advice - be SUPER persistent. Call multiple times a day. Ask for a case number every time. Request supervisors. Document everything. And yes, switch to direct deposit the SECOND you can.

idk if this helps but my friend had her card frozen and she went to Bank of America and they let her withdraw some of the money even tho the card was messed up. might be worth trying

UPDATE: Finally got this resolved! After trying everything, what finally worked was calling EDD directly using that Claimyr service someone recommended. Got through to a Tier 2 specialist who confirmed my identity and submitted an emergency release request to Money Network. My funds were unfrozen 24 hours later! For anyone else dealing with this: 1. Get an EDD rep involved directly - Money Network customer service is mostly useless 2. Specifically ask for the "emergency financial hardship" review if you have bills due 3. IMMEDIATELY set up direct deposit for future payments Thanks everyone for the advice and support!

This thread is incredibly helpful! I'm dealing with a similar situation right now - my Money Network card has been frozen for 5 days with $1,840 sitting in there that I desperately need. Been calling them daily with no luck. Based on what I'm reading here, sounds like I need to stop wasting time with Money Network customer service and go straight to EDD. Quick question for anyone who's been through this - when you call EDD and ask for the Tier 2 specialist, do you need to have a specific case number or reason code from Money Network first? Or can you just explain the situation and they'll help escalate it? Really don't want to get stuck in another phone queue maze if I'm not prepared with the right info. Thanks for sharing your experiences everyone - this is exactly the kind of real-world advice that actually helps people navigate this broken system!

Reading through this thread as someone who went through this exact nightmare 6 months ago - everything everyone is saying is spot on. Money Network's "security review" process is basically designed to frustrate people into giving up on their benefits. I was locked out for 12 days with $2,400 sitting there while I watched late fees pile up on my bills. What finally worked for me was similar to Daniel's approach - got an EDD rep involved who could actually do something about it. But here's an additional tip that saved me time: when you call EDD, immediately say "I need help with a Money Network payment card security hold that's preventing access to my unemployment benefits." Don't let them try to transfer you to Money Network first - that's just wasting time in circles. Also, once this gets resolved, set up direct deposit THAT DAY. Don't wait. I switched immediately and haven't had a single payment issue since. The Money Network card system is fundamentally broken and EDD knows it but keeps using them anyway. Stay persistent everyone - you WILL get your money, it just shouldn't be this hard to access benefits you're legally entitled to!

This whole thread perfectly captures the Money Network nightmare! I'm currently on day 6 of my card being frozen with $1,620 trapped in there. Called Money Network 8 times and keep getting the same scripted responses about "security reviews" and "7-10 business days." Meanwhile my car payment bounced and I'm getting hit with overdraft fees from my bank. Reading everyone's experiences, it's clear the solution is getting EDD directly involved rather than banging your head against Money Network's useless customer service wall. Going to try that Claimyr service tomorrow morning and use the exact script Natasha mentioned. This system is absolutely designed to wear people down - make it so frustrating that people just give up on collecting benefits they earned. It's criminal that a state agency partners with such a dysfunctional company for something as critical as unemployment payments. Thank you everyone for sharing your stories and actual solutions that work!

I'm dealing with this exact same issue right now - day 3 of my Money Network card being frozen with $1,340 stuck in there. This thread is a lifesaver! I had no idea EDD could intervene directly with Money Network security holds. I've been wasting hours calling Money Network and getting nowhere fast. Based on everyone's advice here, I'm going to skip any more calls to Money Network and go straight to EDD using that Claimyr service. The script Natasha shared is perfect - "I need help with a Money Network payment card security hold that's preventing access to my unemployment benefits." It's absolutely ridiculous that we need these workarounds just to access our own benefit payments. The fact that EDD can resolve these issues in 24-48 hours while Money Network gives people the runaround for weeks shows how broken this system is. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and actual solutions! Will definitely update once I get through to EDD and hopefully get this resolved.

This thread is incredibly valuable - I'm saving it for future reference! Currently on day 2 of my own Money Network card freeze with $1,980 trapped in there. Reading everyone's experiences makes it crystal clear that calling Money Network directly is just spinning your wheels. The pattern is so obvious: Money Network gives you the runaround for weeks while EDD can actually resolve it in 24-48 hours. Going to skip the Money Network customer service nightmare entirely and use that Claimyr service to get straight to an EDD Tier 2 specialist. Really appreciate everyone sharing their specific scripts and step-by-step approaches - this is exactly the kind of real-world intel that actually helps people navigate this broken system. The fact that we need a whole playbook just to access our own benefit payments is absolutely ridiculous, but at least there's a proven solution that works. Will definitely update once I get this resolved. Thanks for creating such a helpful resource thread!

This thread has been absolutely invaluable! I'm currently dealing with the same Money Network nightmare - day 4 of my card being frozen with $1,560 stuck in limbo. I've called Money Network 6 times and gotten nothing but the same useless "security review" responses while my bills are piling up. Reading through everyone's experiences, it's crystal clear that Money Network customer service is designed to frustrate people into giving up. The fact that EDD can resolve these issues in 24-48 hours while Money Network drags it out for weeks is proof of how broken this system is. I'm done wasting time with Money Network - going straight to EDD using the Claimyr service and the script everyone has shared. The specific advice about mentioning financial hardship and having all your info ready is exactly what I needed to know. Thank you all for sharing your real experiences and actual solutions that work! This is the kind of community support that makes a real difference when you're dealing with these bureaucratic nightmares. Will definitely update once I get through to EDD and hopefully join the success stories!

This thread should be pinned as a resource! I'm currently on day 8 of my Money Network card being frozen with $2,340 stuck in there, and reading everyone's experiences has been eye-opening. I've been doing exactly what doesn't work - calling Money Network repeatedly and getting nowhere. The pattern is so clear from all these stories: Money Network customer service is completely powerless to actually resolve security holds, while EDD can get it fixed in 1-2 days. I had no idea EDD could intervene directly with these payment card issues! Going to try the Claimyr service first thing tomorrow morning using the exact approach everyone has outlined. The specific scripts and tips shared here (especially about mentioning financial hardship and having all info ready) are incredibly helpful. It's honestly shocking that a state agency continues to partner with such a dysfunctional payment provider when there are so many documented issues. But at least this community has figured out the actual solution that works. Thank you everyone for sharing your real experiences - this thread is going to help so many people get their benefits unlocked!

This entire thread is incredibly helpful and should definitely be bookmarked by anyone dealing with Money Network issues! I'm actually going through this right now - my card has been frozen for 3 days with $1,425 trapped in there. I was getting ready to spend another day calling Money Network customer service, but after reading all these experiences I'm convinced that's just going to be a waste of time. The consistency in everyone's stories is remarkable - Money Network gives you the runaround for weeks while EDD can resolve it in 1-2 days. I had no idea that EDD could directly intervene with Money Network security holds! The specific scripts and step-by-step approaches shared here are exactly what I needed. Going to use the Claimyr service tomorrow and follow the proven playbook: ask for help with "Money Network payment card security hold," emphasize financial hardship with specific bill due dates, and make sure the EDD rep submits the emergency release request directly rather than transferring me back to Money Network. Thank you to everyone who shared their real experiences and solutions - this community support makes all the difference when you're dealing with these broken systems. Will definitely update once I get this resolved and immediately switch to direct deposit to avoid this nightmare in the future!