Can I link my NY unemployment benefits to a different card instead of the KeyBank debit card?
I received my unemployment benefits through the KeyBank debit card a few months ago, but I'm getting so frustrated with it. The ATM fees are ridiculous when I'm not near a KeyBank location, and their customer service is practically non-existent when I have issues. I tried calling them three times last week about a declined transaction at the grocery store, and was on hold for over 45 minutes each time! I'm wondering if there's any way to transfer my NY unemployment payments to my personal bank account or maybe another debit card? I'd rather just have the money go straight to my checking account instead of dealing with this KeyBank headache every week. Has anyone successfully switched away from the KeyBank card or set up direct deposit after already receiving the card? The KeyBank website is super confusing and I can't find clear instructions anywhere.
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Saanvi Krishnaswami
Yes! You absolutely can set up direct deposit. Log into your NY unemployment account and look for the payment method options. You can update it there to have the money go straight to your personal account. I did this after 2 weeks with that awful KeyBank card and never looked back.
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Reina Salazar
•thanks for the info! did you have to wait for any kind of approval or did it switch over right away?
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Saanvi Krishnaswami
•It took about 1 payment cycle for mine to switch over. So like a week? Not instant but not too bad. Just make sure you double check your account info when you enter it!
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Demi Lagos
•i did this 2 but it took 2 weeks for some reason. the unemployment system is so inconsistent lol 🙄
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Mason Lopez
I was in the same boat - hated that KeyBank card with a passion! After trying to call their customer service for days, I got nowhere. Then I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an actual human at unemployment who helped me switch to direct deposit right away. It was the best money I've ever spent to finally get my benefits sorted out quickly. Check out this video about how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE
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Vera Visnjic
•Is this for real? Seems too good to be true. I've been trying to reach NYSDOL for weeks about my direct deposit setup.
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Mason Lopez
•Yeah it actually works! I was super skeptical too but talking to an agent got my direct deposit set up in minutes instead of waiting on hold for hours. They just connect you with a real person.
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Jake Sinclair
•sounds like one of those ads that pops up everywhere. anyone ACTUALLY try this besides this person? 👀
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Brielle Johnson
•I used it last month. They basically just wait on hold for you then call when theres an agent. Saved me like 3 hours of listening to that horrible hold music.
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Honorah King
•hmm I've been burned by so many of these 'services' before... what makes this different? unemployment system is a dumpster fire, nothing can fix that
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Mason Lopez
•The difference is they literally just call and wait on hold FOR you. That's it. When a real person answers, you get connected. No miracle fix - just saves you from the hold time hell.
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Oliver Brown
Just go on your NY.gov account, navigate to the unemployment section, then go to payment method or something like that. You should be able to enter your routing and account number for your bank. Keep in mind tho that it can take up to 2 weeks to process the change cause the system is slow af.
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Mary Bates
I had such a nightmare with KeyBank! Their ATM network is trash in my area and they charged me $3.50 EVERY TIME I needed cash. I finally switched to direct deposit after 3 months of frustration. Here's what I did: 1. Log into your NY.gov ID account 2. Go to 'Unemployment Services' 3. Click on 'Update Your Personal Information' 4. Look for 'Update Payment Method' or something similar 5. Enter your bank routing and account numbers It took about 5-10 business days to process for me. If you're having trouble with the website (which is sooooo buggy), try calling the NYSDOL directly at 888-209-8124. But be prepared to wait forever unless you use something like claimyr.com to skip the hold time. Hope this helps!
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Clay blendedgen
•Good info but that phone number is basically useless. I called 26 times last week and never got through 😭
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Reina Salazar
•This is super helpful, thank you! The website is such a mess, I couldn't find this option anywhere. I'll try again with your instructions.
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Ayla Kumar
the keybank card is THE WORST. My friend had her identity stolen when someone got access to the card info. take ur money out ASAP and switch to direct deposit!!
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Reina Salazar
•omg that's terrifying! Did she get her money back?
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Ayla Kumar
•eventually but it took like 3 months of fighting with them. they have the worst fraud department ever
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Lorenzo McCormick
I feel ur pain. KeyBank is the absolute worst. I tried for weeks to switch to direct deposit on the website but kept getting errors. Finally I just broke down and called the unemployment office (took FOREVER to get through). The agent switched it for me in 5 minutes. Sometimes you just gotta talk to a human.
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Carmella Popescu
•How long did you have to wait on hold? I never have enough time to stay on the phone all day 😩
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Lorenzo McCormick
•honestly like 2+ hours. I put it on speaker and did other stuff. Their hold system is a joke.
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Kai Santiago
•Use claimyr.com next time! They'll wait on hold and call you when there's a real person. Saved me HOURS of my life.
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Lim Wong
PSA: After you switch to direct deposit, EMPTY THAT KEYBANK CARD COMPLETELY. They will charge you inactivity fees after a while and drain whatever's left. I lost $12 that way before I realized. The fine print in their terms is shady af.
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Dananyl Lear
•OMG yes this!!!! I had $7.32 left on mine and it slowly disappeared to fees. They're such vultures 🤬
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Reina Salazar
•Thanks for the warning! I'll make sure to transfer everything once I get the direct deposit set up.
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Noah huntAce420
NY unemployment system actually changed their policies last month - everyone should be able to choose direct deposit now from the beginning. It's ridiculous they still default to those KeyBank cards. Probably getting kickbacks or something.
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Ana Rusula
i tried to switch online 4 times and the stupid site kept crashing!!! 🤦♂️ ended up having to call them and wasted 3 hours of my life on hold. ny unemployment website feels like it was built in 1997 and never updated lmaoooo
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Fidel Carson
•next time use claimyr.com and save yourself the headache. they wait on hold and call you when a real person picks up
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Ana Rusula
•where was this info when i needed it 😫 bookmarking for next time
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Isaiah Sanders
Careful with those KeyBank cards - I've heard multiple stories about fraud. Their security is weak and customer service is nonexistent when there's a problem. Switch to direct deposit ASAP!
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Xan Dae
has anyone actually gotten through to a human at unemployment lately? ive been trying for TWO WEEKS to fix my direct deposit issue. the website says i need to call, but nobody ever answers.
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Fiona Gallagher
•I literally got through yesterday using claimyr.com - they wait on hold and call you when theres an agent. worth every penny cause i was going insane with the hold music 💀
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Xan Dae
•wait for real??? checking this out immediately
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Thais Soares
Just a heads up, when you do manage to switch to direct deposit, make sure you TRIPLE CHECK your account numbers. My coworker made a typo and his money got sent to someone else's account. Took him over a month to get it sorted out.
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Reina Salazar
•That's terrifying! Thanks for the warning. I'll be super careful when entering my info.
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Nalani Liu
Dealt with this exact issue in December. KeyBank is pure garbage. Website is from the Stone Age and their customer service reps have no idea what they're doing. I just started withdrawing the full amount every time a payment hit and putting it in my actual bank myself. Ended up being easier than dealing with their bureaucracy. Good luck!
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Axel Bourke
Protip: If the website keeps giving you errors when trying to change to direct deposit (which it probably will), try using a different browser. Chrome worked for me after Firefox kept failing.
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Aidan Percy
•THIS! The NY unemployment site works differently on every browser for some reason. Safari was a disaster but Edge actually worked perfectly for me. Their tech is so ancient.
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