What debit card does Washington ESD unemployment use for benefit payments?

Thanks! How long did it take for yours to arrive? My first payment is supposed to be issued this week.

Mine took about 7-10 business days from when I got the approval email. You can track it online once they send it.

Good to know! Are there KeyBank ATMs everywhere or should I plan to use it as credit mostly?

There's a decent amount of KeyBank ATMs around Washington but you can also use it at any ATM that doesn't charge fees. The card website has an ATM locator.

Interesting, I'll check that out. I tried calling Washington ESD yesterday and gave up after 2 hours on hold.

Is that legit? Sounds too good to be true with how impossible it is to reach anyone at Washington ESD these days.

Yeah it's real, I used it last month when my weekly claim got stuck. Much easier than the regular phone system.

Do I need to do anything special to activate it or just call the number on the card?

Just call the activation number on the sticker. You'll need your SSN and some other basic info. Takes like 5 minutes.

You can actually set up direct deposit instead of using the card. There's an option in your Washington ESD account to switch payment methods.

WAIT REALLY?? Why didn't anyone tell me this 6 months ago when I first filed?!

Yeah go to your SecureAccess Washington account and look under payment preferences. Takes a few weeks to switch over though.

Oh that's annoying. Is that a common problem with the card?

It happens sometimes at gas stations because they put a temporary hold for like $100 even if you're only buying $20 in gas. The card doesn't always have enough for the hold.

Yes you can transfer online through the KeyBank card website. I think there might be a small fee for transfers but it's better than carrying two cards around.

Perfect, that's exactly what I wanted to know. Thanks!

Good point, I hadn't thought about that. Is it in a plain envelope or does it say unemployment on it?

It says KeyBank on the outside but nothing about unemployment specifically. Still pretty obvious if you know what to look for though.

It should work anywhere Visa is accepted but you'll probably get hit with international fees. Check the card terms when you get it.

Makes sense, I'll look into that. Hopefully won't need it but good to know.

Great idea! Can you set up the app before you get the physical card?

You need the card number to set up the app, so you have to wait until it arrives. But you can download it ahead of time.

They used to mail paper checks? That sounds like it would take forever.

Yeah this was like 10 years ago when I was on unemployment the first time. The debit card system is much faster and more convenient.

No fees for balance inquiries at KeyBank ATMs. Other banks might charge you but that's their fee, not KeyBank's.

Good to know, I'll stick to KeyBank ATMs for balance checks then.

That's weird, maybe call KeyBank customer service? Could be a fraud hold or something wrong with the card itself.

Yeah I'll call them today. It was embarrassing having to leave my groceries at the checkout.

If you need to reach someone about card issues quickly, that Claimyr service I mentioned earlier might be able to connect you to Washington ESD to check if there's a problem on their end too.

You can do direct deposit to your own bank account if you prefer that over the card.

Yeah but that takes weeks to set up and I needed the money right away when I first filed.

No problem! This thread helped me too, lots of good info from everyone.

Yikes, that's terrible! Did he get the money back?

It took like 2 months and a lot of paperwork but KeyBank eventually refunded the fraudulent charges. Still a huge hassle though.

That's helpful! I'll try that if mine doesn't show up by next week.

How long did the switch take? I'm thinking about doing that too.

About 3 weeks from when I submitted the direct deposit form. You still get the card payments until the switch goes through.

Thanks everyone for all the helpful info! Feel much better prepared now.

Agreed! I just got my KeyBank Reliacard last week and it's been working fine so far. The activation process was super quick too - literally took 5 minutes on the phone. One thing I'd add is to make sure you check the card balance regularly through the app since payments can take a day or two to show up after Washington ESD processes them.