How to withdraw money from NY unemployment debit card - ATM fees?

You have a few options for accessing your NY unemployment funds from the debit card: 1. ATM withdrawals - Use KeyBank or Allpoint ATMs for NO FEES. You can find them using the ATM locator on the back of your card or through the KeyBank website. 2. Bank transfer - Log into your debit card account online and set up a transfer to your personal bank account. This is free but takes 1-2 business days. 3. Cash back at stores - Make a small purchase at grocery stores or pharmacies and select cash back at checkout (usually fee-free). 4. Pay bills directly - You can use the card to pay bills online like a regular debit card. I'd recommend setting up the bank transfer option if you plan to receive benefits for a while. It's more convenient than making ATM trips every week.

just use any atm but watch out they charge like $3 each time. i usually just take out the max amount at once so i only pay the fee once

I've been on NY unemployment since January and the easiest method is setting up direct deposit transfers to your bank account. You need to: 1. Visit www.keypayment.com/nyunemployment 2. Register your card (you'll need your card number and personal info) 3. Go to "Transfer Funds" section 4. Enter your bank routing and account numbers 5. Set up either one-time or recurring transfers The money typically appears in my bank account the next business day. This way you avoid all ATM fees and don't have to carry cash around. Hope this helps!

AVOID USING RANDOM ATMS!!!! I made that mistake and got charged $3.50 by the ATM operator PLUS another $2.50 by KeyBank! Total ripoff! The fine print on these unemployment cards is ridiculous - they make it hard to get YOUR OWN MONEY without paying fees!!!

I tried calling unemployment dept about my card last week when I couldn't activate it but couldnt get through to anyone. Kept getting busy signals or hung up on after waiting 45+ mins. Super frustrating when you need access to your money. Anyone else had this problem?

u can use the card like a regular debit card 2. i just use mine at the grocery store n for online shopping. easier than atms

One more tip: make sure you keep track of your balance! The KeyBank unemployment card doesn't have overdraft protection, so if you try to withdraw more than what's available, you'll get hit with a declined transaction fee. I recommend downloading the KeyBank app to check your balance before making withdrawals.

Thank you everyone for your help! I was able to register on the KeyBank site and set up a transfer to my checking account. The money should be there tomorrow. This is so much easier than I thought it would be!

Great advice everyone! I just wanted to add that you can also get cash back at most grocery stores, pharmacies, and even some gas stations when you make a purchase with the card. Usually no fees for this method either. I typically buy something small like gum or a drink and get $20-40 cash back when I need it. It's convenient if there's no KeyBank ATM nearby and you need cash quickly.

Just wanted to chime in with another option that's worked well for me - if you have a credit union account, many of them are part of the CO-OP network which means you can use their ATMs fee-free with your unemployment card too. I bank with a local credit union and their ATMs don't charge any fees when I use my NY unemployment debit card. It's worth checking if your bank or credit union participates in any shared ATM networks. Also, some people don't realize you can split transactions - so if you need $100 but the ATM daily limit is $400, you can do one withdrawal and then immediately do another if needed (just make sure you're at a fee-free ATM first!).

Another helpful tip I discovered - if you need to send money to someone (like paying a friend back or sending money to family), you can use apps like Venmo, Cash App, or Zelle with your unemployment debit card. Just add it as a funding source in the app. This has been super convenient for me when I need to split bills with roommates or pay someone back quickly. Most of these apps don't charge fees for standard transfers, though some might have small fees for instant transfers. Just make sure to keep track of your spending since it's easy to forget about app purchases when checking your card balance later!