Can I use my Washington ESD unemployment card on Cash App for transfers?
I just got my Washington ESD debit card and I'm wondering if I can link it to Cash App to send money to my sister who helps with groceries. The card works fine at ATMs and stores but when I try to add it to Cash App it keeps getting declined. Has anyone successfully used their unemployment debit card with Cash App or other money transfer apps? I really need to be able to send her money easily since she's been covering my expenses.
51 comments
Join the conversation
Dylan Mitchell
Most unemployment debit cards have restrictions on certain types of transactions including peer-to-peer transfers like Cash App. The Washington ESD card is designed primarily for purchases and ATM withdrawals. You might have better luck using the ATM to get cash and then depositing it into your regular bank account.
0 coins
Fatima Al-Hashemi
•That makes sense but it's such a hassle. I don't have a regular bank account right now which is why I was hoping Cash App would work.
0 coins
Sofia Martinez
•You could try Venmo or Zelle but they probably have the same restrictions. Most of these cards block money transfer apps.
0 coins
Dmitry Volkov
I had the same problem! The unemployment card won't work with any of the money apps I tried - Cash App, Venmo, PayPal, none of them. It's really frustrating when you need to send money to family.
0 coins
Fatima Al-Hashemi
•Did you find any workaround? This is really limiting my options for helping my sister.
0 coins
Dmitry Volkov
•I ended up getting a prepaid card at the grocery store and loading it with cash from the ATM. Then I could use that prepaid card with Cash App. Extra step but it worked.
0 coins
Ava Thompson
The Washington ESD debit card has specific merchant category restrictions built in. Money transfer services like Cash App are typically blocked because they're considered high-risk transactions. You can find the full list of restrictions in the materials that came with your card.
0 coins
Fatima Al-Hashemi
•I threw away all that paperwork thinking it was just junk mail. Is there somewhere online I can find the restrictions?
0 coins
Ava Thompson
•Yes, check the Washington ESD website or the card issuer's website. There should be a section about allowed and prohibited transactions.
0 coins
CyberSiren
this is so stupid why cant we use our own money however we want!! i hate all these restrictions on everything
0 coins
Miguel Alvarez
•I understand the frustration but the restrictions are there to prevent fraud and abuse of the system. Unfortunately it does make things harder for legitimate users.
0 coins
CyberSiren
•still dumb tho, like if its my money i should be able to send it to whoever
0 coins
Zainab Yusuf
I've been trying to figure this out for weeks too. The card works everywhere else but not on any money transfer apps. I called the customer service number on the back of the card and they confirmed it's blocked for security reasons.
0 coins
Fatima Al-Hashemi
•At least you got through to customer service! I tried calling but gave up after being on hold forever.
0 coins
Dylan Mitchell
•If you need to reach Washington ESD about card issues, I found this service called Claimyr that helps you get through to an actual agent. They have a website at claimyr.com and there's a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Really helped me when I had problems with my card being frozen.
0 coins
Connor O'Reilly
Can you do a cash advance at the bank? Some banks let you do that with debit cards.
0 coins
Fatima Al-Hashemi
•I never thought of that! I'll have to check what banks are around here and see if they'll do cash advances.
0 coins
Ava Thompson
•Cash advances usually have fees though, so make sure to ask about that first.
0 coins
Yara Khoury
I had this exact same issue last month! The unemployment card doesn't work with Cash App but I found a workaround. You can use the card to buy a money order at the post office or grocery store, then deposit the money order into your sister's account or your own account if you get one.
0 coins
Fatima Al-Hashemi
•That's actually a really good idea! How much do money orders cost?
0 coins
Yara Khoury
•Usually around $1-2 depending on where you get it. Way cheaper than other options and definitely works with the unemployment card.
0 coins
Keisha Taylor
Wait, are you sure it's the unemployment card causing the problem? Sometimes Cash App just randomly declines cards for no reason. I had to try adding my regular debit card like 3 times before it worked.
0 coins
Fatima Al-Hashemi
•I tried multiple times over several days and it keeps saying the card can't be verified. I'm pretty sure it's because it's the unemployment card.
0 coins
Dmitry Volkov
•No it's definitely the unemployment card. I have other cards that work fine with Cash App but the Washington ESD card always gets declined.
0 coins
StardustSeeker
This is why I always tell people to get a regular bank account as soon as possible. The unemployment card is just temporary and has too many limitations.
0 coins
Fatima Al-Hashemi
•I know but opening a bank account is hard when you don't have steady income. Most banks want direct deposit or minimum balances.
0 coins
StardustSeeker
•Credit unions are usually more flexible and have lower requirements. Might be worth checking out.
0 coins
Paolo Marino
I work at a grocery store and I see people using their unemployment cards to buy gift cards all the time. Maybe you could buy a Visa gift card and use that with Cash App?
0 coins
Fatima Al-Hashemi
•That's smart! Do you know if there are fees for buying gift cards with the unemployment card?
0 coins
Paolo Marino
•There's usually an activation fee for the gift card itself but I don't think there are extra fees for using the unemployment card to buy it.
0 coins
Amina Bah
I've been dealing with this for months and it's so annoying. The restrictions on what you can do with your own unemployment money are ridiculous.
0 coins
Oliver Becker
•I feel you. It's like they don't trust us to manage our own money responsibly.
0 coins
Miguel Alvarez
•The restrictions exist because of past fraud issues, but I agree they make life harder for people who just need to manage their finances normally.
0 coins
Natasha Petrova
Have you tried calling Washington ESD directly to ask about this? They might be able to give you official guidance on approved ways to transfer money.
0 coins
Fatima Al-Hashemi
•I've tried calling but can never get through. The phone lines are always busy or I get disconnected.
0 coins
Dylan Mitchell
•That's exactly why I mentioned Claimyr earlier - they specialize in getting you connected to Washington ESD agents when the regular phone lines aren't working. Really saved me a lot of frustration.
0 coins
Javier Hernandez
My brother had this same problem and he ended up going to a check cashing place. They let him get cash using the unemployment card and then he could do whatever he wanted with the cash.
0 coins
Fatima Al-Hashemi
•Are there fees for that? Check cashing places usually charge a lot.
0 coins
Javier Hernandez
•Yeah there are fees but it might be worth it if you really need to send money to your sister regularly.
0 coins
Emma Davis
This thread is making me realize how many restrictions there are on unemployment cards. I just got mine and hadn't tried using it for anything other than groceries yet.
0 coins
Ava Thompson
•It's good to know the limitations upfront. The card works fine for most everyday purchases but there are definitely restrictions on financial services.
0 coins
Fatima Al-Hashemi
•Yeah I wish I had known about all these restrictions before I needed to send money to my sister. Would have saved me a lot of trial and error.
0 coins
LunarLegend
I wonder if PayPal would work better than Cash App? Sometimes different apps have different restrictions.
0 coins
Dmitry Volkov
•I tried PayPal too and it didn't work either. I think all the money transfer apps have the same restrictions for unemployment cards.
0 coins
Fatima Al-Hashemi
•Yeah that's what I'm starting to figure out. Seems like the card itself blocks these types of transactions.
0 coins
Malik Jackson
The ATM-to-cash-to-prepaid-card method mentioned earlier seems like the most reliable workaround. It's extra steps but at least it works.
0 coins
Fatima Al-Hashemi
•That's probably what I'll end up doing. Thanks everyone for all the suggestions, this has been really helpful!
0 coins
Yara Khoury
•Don't forget about the money order option too - that's usually the cheapest way if you don't need the money to be available instantly.
0 coins
Isabella Oliveira
I'm bookmarking this thread because I know I'm going to need this info eventually. Thanks for asking the question OP!
0 coins
Fatima Al-Hashemi
•Glad it helped someone else too! Hopefully Washington ESD will make these cards more flexible in the future.
0 coins
Ravi Patel
•Probably not going to happen anytime soon but we can hope!
0 coins