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Amina Diallo

Can I link my PA UC Money Network card to Cash App? How long does mailing take?

Just got approved for PA unemployment and they said I'll be getting a Money Network card in the mail. Two questions: 1) Does anyone know if you can link this card to Cash App? I manage most of my bills through there and it would make things so much easier 2) How long did it take for your card to arrive after you were approved? I'm trying to figure out when I can expect to actually access my funds Thanks in advance for any help! This whole process has been really confusing.

got mine in 7 days. can link to venmo not sure about cashapp tho

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Thanks! 7 days isn't too bad. Did you get any kind of tracking number or just had to wait for it to show up?

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The Money Network card typically takes 7-10 business days to arrive after your claim is approved. There's no tracking available, unfortunately. Regarding Cash App - yes, you can link your Money Network card to Cash App as a payment method. You'll need to enter it as a debit card in the Cash App settings. Just make sure your Money Network card is activated first by calling the number on the sticker when you receive it. Also, you should know you can set up direct deposit instead of using the card. Log into your PA UC account, go to payment information, and you can enter your bank details if you prefer funds going straight to your account.

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This is super helpful, thank you! I'll definitely try linking to Cash App once I get the card. Might look into the direct deposit option too but for now I just want to get access to the funds ASAP.

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BE CAREFUL linking to cashapp!!! I did this last year and somehow my account got flagged and they FROZE my money network card for TWO WEEKS!!!! Had to call Money Network like 5 times and nobody could help until finally I got someone who fixed it. I would NOT recommend doing this!!!

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Oh no, that sounds awful! Maybe I'll just stick with using the card directly then. Did they ever explain why it got flagged?

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They said something about "unusual activity" but wouldnt give details. I think its because I transferred the whole balance at once. Maybe if you do smaller amounts it would be ok but not worth the risk imo

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I've been waiting for my card for THREE WEEKS now and still nothing! Called PA UC at least 20 times and can't get through to a person. Starting to think it was stolen from my mailbox or something. Does anyone know if there's a way to check the status??

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If you've been waiting that long, you should definitely contact Money Network directly, not UC. Their number is 888-233-5916. They can tell you when the card was mailed and can issue a replacement if needed. UC agents can't actually help with card issues once they've been sent to Money Network. For anyone struggling to reach PA UC representatives about other claim issues, I'd recommend trying Claimyr (claimyr.com). They have a service that helps you get through to an actual unemployment agent instead of waiting for hours. Saved me tons of time when I had an open issue. They even have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2

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Random question but related to the Money Network card - can you withdraw cash from ATMs with it? And do they charge fees?

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Yes, you can use ATMs with the Money Network card. You get one free ATM withdrawal per deposit period at in-network ATMs (MoneyPass or Allpoint), after that there's a $2.50 fee. Out-of-network ATMs will always charge a fee (usually $3-5 depending on the ATM), plus Money Network's own fee. You can find free in-network ATMs using the Money Network mobile app or website. Also worth knowing - you can get cash back for free when making purchases at most grocery stores and some other retailers by selecting "debit" and entering your PIN.

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u can also just transfer all the $ to ur bank then to cashapp if u want. thats what i did, no problems

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That's a good idea too! Seems like the safest option based on what everyone's saying. Thanks!

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I got my card in exactly 8 days! And yes, I have mine linked to Cash App with no issues. Been using it that way for 2 months now. As long as you activate it properly first, it works just fine. Your mileage may vary tho based on what others are saying!

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ur really lucky then!! must be a regional issue or something. or maybe they fixed whatever was causing the problems last year when i tried

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Thanks everyone for all the helpful responses! I think my plan now is to: 1) Wait for the card (sounds like 7-10 days is typical) 2) Activate it properly when it arrives 3) Try setting up direct deposit to my bank account 4) Use my bank account to fund Cash App instead of linking directly Appreciate all the advice and warnings. This community is awesome!

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That sounds like a solid plan! Direct deposit is definitely the most reliable method. Once you set that up, funds should arrive in your bank account within 2-3 business days after your weekly claim is processed.

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Just wanted to add my experience - I got my Money Network card last month and it took exactly 9 days to arrive. No tracking unfortunately, but it did show up right in that 7-10 day window everyone mentioned. I haven't tried linking it to Cash App yet after reading about the potential issues, but I did successfully set up direct deposit through the PA UC website. It was pretty straightforward - just needed my bank routing and account numbers. Now my weekly benefits go straight to my checking account within 2-3 business days like others mentioned. One tip: make sure to keep the Money Network card even if you switch to direct deposit! Sometimes there can be delays with direct deposit for various reasons, and they might put a payment back on the card as a backup.

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That's really good advice about keeping the card even after setting up direct deposit! I wouldn't have thought of that. Thanks for sharing your timeline too - 9 days seems pretty consistent with what everyone else is reporting. I feel much more confident about the whole process now.

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I just wanted to share my recent experience since I was in the exact same situation a few weeks ago! My Money Network card took 8 days to arrive, which was right in that expected timeframe everyone mentioned. I was also really wanting to link it to Cash App for convenience, but after reading all the horror stories about accounts getting flagged, I decided to play it safe. Instead, I set up direct deposit through the PA UC portal (took about 5 minutes once I had my banking info ready) and now I just transfer from my bank to Cash App when needed. The direct deposit has been working perfectly - funds show up in my account every Tuesday or Wednesday after I certify on Sunday. Much less stressful than worrying about card issues! One thing I learned the hard way: make sure your address is 100% correct in your UC profile before they mail the card. My building number was slightly wrong and it delayed everything by an extra week while they sorted it out with the postal service.

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Thanks for sharing your experience! That's a great point about double-checking the address - I'll make sure to verify mine is correct in my profile. The direct deposit route sounds like the way to go based on everyone's feedback. Better to be safe than deal with frozen accounts! Did you have to wait for the first payment to come on the card before you could switch to direct deposit, or were you able to set it up right away after approval?

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Hey everyone! I'm in a similar situation - just got approved for PA UC yesterday and trying to figure out the best approach for accessing my benefits. Reading through all these responses has been super helpful! Based on what everyone's shared, it sounds like the Money Network card will arrive in about 7-10 days, but I'm leaning toward setting up direct deposit right away to avoid any potential issues with linking to third-party apps. Quick question though - for those who set up direct deposit, did you have to wait to receive the physical card first before you could change your payment method in the UC portal? Or can you switch to direct deposit immediately after approval even before the card arrives? Also seeing some mixed experiences with Cash App integration - seems like it works for some people but others had major issues with account freezes. Definitely makes me want to stick with the bank transfer approach to be safe! Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and timelines. This thread is exactly what I needed to read!

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Great question! I can answer this from my recent experience - you can actually set up direct deposit immediately after your claim is approved, even before the Money Network card arrives. You don't need to wait for the physical card at all. Just log into your PA UC account, go to the payment information section, and enter your bank routing and account numbers. I set mine up the day after I got my approval email and never even activated my Money Network card when it eventually arrived (though I'm keeping it as backup like others suggested). My first payment went straight to my bank account about a week later. The key is just making sure your bank info is entered correctly since any mistakes could delay your payments. Double-check those routing and account numbers! And yeah, after reading all these mixed experiences with Cash App, the bank transfer route definitely seems like the safest bet.

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Just wanted to add another data point - I'm currently waiting for my Money Network card (approved 5 days ago) and this thread has been incredibly helpful! Planning to go the direct deposit route based on all the feedback here. One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet - has anyone had experience with what happens if you need to access your funds before the card arrives AND before direct deposit kicks in? Like if there's an emergency situation? I'm hoping my card arrives in the typical 7-10 day window, but just wondering if there are any backup options if it gets delayed or lost in the mail. Also really appreciate everyone sharing their actual timelines - it's so much better than the vague "7-10 business days" they give you on the website. Sounds like most people are getting theirs right around the 8-9 day mark which is reassuring!

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That's a really important question about emergency access! From what I understand, unfortunately there aren't many backup options if you need funds before the card arrives or direct deposit is set up. The Money Network card is pretty much the primary method for initial payments. If your card gets lost or significantly delayed, you can call Money Network at 888-233-5916 to request a replacement, but that would add even more time. Some people have mentioned contacting PA UC to see if they can reissue payment to a replacement card, but getting through to an actual person can be really challenging. Your best bet is probably to have some backup funds available for that initial waiting period, or maybe ask family/friends for help if an emergency comes up. Once you get either the card or direct deposit working, you should be good to go for future payments. Hopefully your card arrives right on schedule! Most people seem to get theirs around day 8-9 like you mentioned, so fingers crossed you won't need to worry about backup options.

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I'm in almost the exact same situation - just got approved for PA UC a few days ago and was wondering about the Cash App connection too! After reading through everyone's experiences here, I think I'm going to skip linking directly to Cash App and just go with the direct deposit → bank → Cash App route that several people mentioned. It's really helpful to see the actual timelines people experienced (7-9 days seems to be the norm). I was getting anxious about when I'd actually be able to access my funds, but sounds like it's pretty consistent. One quick follow-up question - for those who set up direct deposit, do you know if there's any delay for the first payment while they switch payment methods, or does it go through normally once it's set up in the system? Thanks everyone for sharing your real experiences instead of just the generic info from the websites!

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Great question about the direct deposit timing! From my experience, there's usually no delay for the first payment once direct deposit is set up in the system - it processes normally with your regular certification cycle. The key is just making sure you get it set up before your next payment is scheduled to go out. I'd recommend setting up direct deposit as soon as possible after approval, even before your card arrives. That way your first payment can go straight to your bank instead of having to wait for the card, activate it, then transfer funds around. The bank → Cash App route definitely seems like the safest approach based on everyone's feedback here. Much less risk than the direct linking horror stories we've seen!

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Just wanted to share my experience as someone who went through this exact situation about 2 months ago! My Money Network card took 8 days to arrive, which was right in that typical window everyone's mentioned. I was really tempted to link it directly to Cash App too, but after doing some research (and seeing stories like Isabella's), I decided to play it safe. Instead, I set up direct deposit right after my approval - didn't even wait for the card. Best decision I made! Now my benefits hit my bank account every Tuesday like clockwork, and I can transfer to Cash App from there with zero issues. Pro tip: when you set up direct deposit, make sure to use a checking account, not savings. Some people have had issues with savings accounts and it can cause delays. Also double-check your routing number - I almost entered my old bank's routing number by mistake which would have been a disaster! The whole process has been smooth sailing once I got direct deposit working. Way less stress than worrying about card issues or account freezes.

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This is exactly the kind of detailed advice I was looking for! Thanks for sharing your timeline and the tip about using checking vs savings - I wouldn't have thought of that but it makes total sense. I'm definitely going to set up direct deposit right away instead of waiting for the card. The Tuesday payment schedule sounds really reliable too. Did you have any issues with the routing number verification or did it go through smoothly once you entered everything correctly?

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I'm so glad I found this thread! Just got approved for PA UC yesterday and was stressing about the whole Money Network card situation. After reading everyone's experiences, I think I have a solid plan now. Sounds like the 7-10 day window for card delivery is pretty accurate based on all the timelines shared here. I'm definitely going to set up direct deposit right away like several people suggested - seems way more reliable than dealing with potential Cash App linking issues. Quick question for those who went the direct deposit route: did you guys still activate the Money Network card when it arrived, or just leave it unused? I'm thinking I should probably activate it as a backup even if I'm using direct deposit, but wasn't sure if that causes any complications. Thanks to everyone who shared their real experiences! This community is incredibly helpful for navigating all the confusing UC stuff.

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