Where can I use my NYS Department of Labor unemployment debit card - need help with accepted locations
Just got my first unemployment payment on the KeyBank debit card from NYS Department of Labor and I'm not sure where I can actually use this thing. I tried to get cash back at a grocery store yesterday and they said no. Can I use it at ATMs? What about online purchases? I need to pay rent and buy groceries but don't want to get stuck somewhere if the card doesn't work. Anyone know the rules about where these unemployment cards are accepted?
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Kennedy Morrison
You can use your NYS unemployment debit card anywhere Mastercard is accepted - that includes most stores, restaurants, gas stations, and online retailers. For ATMs, you can use it at any KeyBank ATM for free, or other ATMs but they might charge fees. Some grocery stores don't allow cash back on government benefit cards, but you can definitely use it to pay for purchases directly.
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Lily Young
•Thank you! Do you know if there are any daily spending limits I should be aware of?
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Wesley Hallow
i use mine everywhere, walmart target amazon whatever. just dont try to get cash back at like dollar stores and stuff they usually say no to that
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Justin Chang
I had trouble reaching someone at KeyBank when my card got declined for no reason. If you run into issues contacting them about card problems, I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to an actual NYS Department of Labor agent who could fix the payment issue on their end. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Way easier than sitting on hold for hours.
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Grace Thomas
•Interesting, never heard of that service before. Was it expensive to use?
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Justin Chang
•They don't really focus on cost - it's more about actually getting through to someone when you're stuck. Saved me a lot of frustration honestly.
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Hunter Brighton
The daily ATM limit is usually $400 and daily purchase limit is $2500 but check your card materials to be sure. Also heads up that some landlords don't accept debit cards for rent so you might need to get a money order from the post office or something.
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Lily Young
•Good point about rent! I'll check with my landlord first before assuming.
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Dylan Baskin
Just be careful about ATM fees!! I got hit with like $3 charges at random ATMs before I figured out the KeyBank ones are free. There's an app that shows you where the free ones are located.
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Anastasia Kozlov
I've been using my unemployment card for about 3 months now and it works pretty much everywhere. One tip - if you need cash, CVS and Walgreens usually allow cash back up to $35 with a purchase, even when grocery stores won't. Also, make sure to keep your receipts because sometimes transactions take a day or two to show up in your balance and you don't want to accidentally overdraft.
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Ali Anderson
•That's really helpful about CVS and Walgreens! I didn't know they'd do cash back when grocery stores won't. The tip about keeping receipts is smart too - I'll definitely do that to avoid any overdraft issues. Thanks for sharing your experience!
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