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Get Your Benefit Payment Through The Direct Express® CardSSA Publication No. 05-10073, September 2008, ICN 467520 [View .pdf] |
If you don’t have a bank account and you wait anxiously every month for the mail carrier to deliver your check from Social Security, Direct Express® is for you. If you already have an account with a financial institution, ask us about Direct Deposit. Direct Deposit is the easy, convenient way for your benefits to go automatically into your account. |
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What is Direct Express®?The Direct Express® card is a new debit card you can use to access your benefits. And you don’t need a bank account. With the Direct Express® card program, we deposit your federal benefit payment directly onto your card. Your monthly benefits will be available on your payment day – on time, every time. You can use the card to make purchases, pay bills or get cash at thousands of locations. And most transactions are free. The Direct Express® card is both safer and more convenient than paper checks. Anyone receiving Social Security or Supplemental Security Income payments can enroll. No more waiting for the mail or worrying about lost or stolen checks.
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Why should I sign up for Direct Express®?
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How do I use the card?The Direct Express® card is simple and easy to use. You can use it to:
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How secure is the card?The Direct Express® card offers a number of benefits that make it safer and more secure than checks:
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Can I use the card without any fees?Yes, it is possible to use your card for free. There is no sign-up fee and no monthly account fee. Many other services are provided free of charge, including:
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Are there any fees? |
Service | Fee |
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ATM cash withdrawal, surcharge may apply | $0.90 each withdrawal* |
Monthly paper statement mailed to you | $0.75 each month |
Direct Express® bill pay | $0.50 each time |
Funds transfer to a personal U.S. bank account | $1.50 each time |
Card replacement | $4 after one free each year |
Overnight delivery of replacement card | $13.50 each time |
International ATM cash withdrawal – currency conversion fee (3%) will be added |
$3 plus 3% each withdrawal |
International transaction outside U.S. – currency conversion fee (3%) will be added |
3% each transaction |
*After any free withdrawals you may be entitled to, as explained in "Can I use the card without any fees?" |
It’s quick and easy to sign up for the card. Call the toll-free
Direct Express® hotline at 1-877-212-9991. Sign up
online at www.USDirectExpress.com.
Also, Social Security can help you sign up.
Our website is a valuable resource for information about all of Social Security’s programs. There are a number of things you can do online.
In addition to using our website, you can call us toll-free at 1-800-772-1213. We can answer specific questions from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday. We can provide information by automated phone service 24 hours a day. (You can use our automated response system to tell us a new address or request a replacement Medicare card.) If you are deaf or hard of hearing, you may call our TTY number, 1-800-325-0778.
We treat all calls confidentially. We also want to make sure you receive accurate and courteous service. That is why we have a second Social Security representative monitor some telephone calls.
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