NY unemployment tourism check deposit problems - anyone else struggling?

I had the same issue last week! Chase Bank put a 7-day hold on mine. I asked to speak with a manager and explained it was a government-issued check, which usually shouldn't have a hold. The manager reduced it to 3 days after I showed documentation proving it was legitimate. Bring your NY.gov account info and any emails about the tourism benefit to support your case.

mine went thru fine at keybank last week. didnt have any hold. maybe try a different branch?

This is a known issue with the new tourism incentive checks. The NYSDOL updated the check format in January 2025, and some banks haven't updated their systems to recognize them. The check should have a holographic seal in the corner and a microprint border - point these security features out to your bank. According to NYSDOL guidelines, these government checks should be treated like any other government check with standard hold policies. If they continue giving you trouble, you can file a complaint with both NYSDOL and the CFPB (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau).

i tried mobile deposit and it got rejected twice!! had to go in person and they STILL gave me problems. ended up having to cash it at one of those check cashing places and they took like $40 fee. total bs

I had this exact problem and wasted THREE DAYS trying to get my bank to process it. After getting nowhere with branch staff, I finally called NYSDOL directly about it. The agent I spoke with provided me with a verification code that I could give to my bank, which finally resolved the issue. Trying to call NYSDOL was a nightmare though - was on hold for hours and kept getting disconnected. I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to connect with an agent quickly. They have this service where they hold your place in line and call you when an agent is available. Saved me hours of frustration. There's a video explaining how it works: https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE Once I got through to NYSDOL, they resolved it quickly. The agent explained banks are having trouble because these tourism checks look different from regular unemployment payments.

The whole tourism check thing is ANOTHER example of NY unemployment's incompetence!!! Why couldn't they just direct deposit like NORMAL benefits?? My sister works at a bank and she said they've had dozens of people coming in with these checks and they're causing problems because the routing numbers are different from regular government checks. Some people are getting them flagged as potential fraud. Great job NYSDOL for making yet ANOTHER simple process into a NIGHTMARE!

I just went through this last week. I think there might be some confusion among banks because these aren't technically standard unemployment payments but rather the special tourism stimulus benefits that were approved in November's budget. When I had problems, I called my local unemployment office (not the main number) and they emailed me a verification letter that I could show my bank. My bank processed it immediately after that. If you're trying to reach someone at unemployment about this, try calling right when they open at 8:00 am - that's when I had the best luck getting through.

I called Bank of America's customer service line and the rep told me there's actually a specific procedure for these tourism benefit checks! Apparently, they need to be processed differently than regular government checks. The hold is still in place but at least I know it's legitimate. For anyone else dealing with this - make sure to specifically mention it's a "New York State Tourism Recovery Benefit" check, not just a regular unemployment check. That seemed to help the customer service person find the right information. I'm also going to try the verification code approach that was suggested. Thanks everyone for your help! At least I know I'm not alone in dealing with this frustrating situation.

my cousin works at ny unemployment and said they got tons of calls about these checks. somthing about the printer they used making them look different from usual. they should really send an email warning people this might happen