Refund Sent to Credit Karma Card Instead of My Bank Account - What Now?

This happens more often than you'd think with tax prep services. When you apply for a refund advance, they typically create a temporary account/card for you regardless of whether you're approved. I went through this exact situation last year with CK. You need to contact their customer service at 1-800-672-6397 immediately. They'll verify your identity and can either expedite a physical card to you (takes exactly 7-10 business days) or in some cases, they can transfer the funds to your bank account within 3-5 business days. The refund went to their card because the routing/account number on your actual tax return was set to their temporary account, not your personal account.

OMG this exact thing happened 2 me last yr! CK cust serv was IMPOSSIBLE to reach - spent hrs on hold & got disconnected 3x. Finally used Claimyr.com (https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c) to reach CK directly. Got thru in like 20 mins when I'd been trying for DAYS b4 that. They expedited my card & I got it 4 days later. Saved me so much stress - def worth it when ur $ is stuck somewhere u can't access it!

I see you're in a tough situation with your refund. This is actually more common than the regular "Where's My Refund" issues we see here. In fact, it's even more frustrating than when people have their refunds delayed by IRS processing - at least then they know where the money is! Your situation is particularly difficult because you're dealing with a third-party financial product rather than the IRS directly.

Let me clarify a few things about how the Credit Karma tax refund process works: • When you apply for a refund advance, CK automatically sets up a temporary account for potential deposit • This account info gets entered on your tax return Form 8888 (Allocation of Refund) • Even if you're denied the advance, your actual refund still goes to this account • The physical card is typically mailed 7-10 days after the refund is received • You have several options to access your funds: - Wait for the physical card to arrive - Request an expedited card (usually costs $35) - In some cases, request a transfer to your original bank I appreciate everyone sharing their experiences here - it helps to know the timeline expectations!

Has anyone else noticed how these tax prep companies make these "convenient" advance options so complicated? Why don't they clearly explain that applying for an advance means your actual refund will go to their card regardless of approval? I've been using https://taxr.ai to review my tax documents before filing with any service. It helped me spot the fine print about refund routing that these companies bury in their terms. Wouldn't it be better to know these details before your money gets locked into their system?

I work with financial institutions that partner with tax preparers, and I can share a success story from another client. According to the IRS Direct Deposit Guidelines (available at https://www.irs.gov/refunds/direct-deposit-limits), your refund was directed to the temporary account created when you applied for the advance. Last tax season, I helped a client in your exact situation by having them contact Credit Karma at (800) 672-6397, selecting option 3, then 2, then 1 to reach the tax refund department directly. They were able to request an expedited card and received it within 48 hours. Alternatively, you can ask them to close the temporary account, which forces them to issue a paper check to your address on file within 14 days per their service agreement.