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DWD > Unemployment for Individuals > Debit Card Program > Debit Card FAQ Debit Card FAQ

What is the Visa Prepaid Debit Card?

The Visa Prepaid Debit Card is the new way for you to receive your unemployment insurance benefits. Your benefits will be directly deposited into your personal card account, a Visa prepaid debit account. The Indiana Department of Workforce Development will post your weekly deposits to the account for your convenience. You are not allowed to spend more than the amount of funds posted to your account. Your card can be used to withdraw funds from either ATMs or bank tellers, and it can be used for purchases directly from retailers (grocery, department store, pharmacy, etc.) everywhere Visa Debit Cards are accepted.

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How do I get the new Visa Debit Card?

  • You must be eligible to receive unemployment benefit.
  • Your card will be sent to you in the mail, after your eligibility determination.
  • You should activate your card immediately after you receive it by calling our customer service number (1-888-393-5866) and selecting a PIN, as instructed when you receive your card in the mail.
  • You may use your card only after benefits have been deposited in your account.

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What are the benefits of using the new Visa Debit Card?

  • No waiting for the check to be mailed.
  • No worries about getting your check cashed or expensive check cashing fees.
  • Spend your money by presenting your Visa Debit Card at a number of locations.
  • Use your money whenever you choose – it is safe, fast, and convenient.
  • Customer service toll-free number (1-888-393-5866) is available to answer your questions and obtain your balance.

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How do I use my Visa Debit Card to get cash at an ATM or Bank?

  • You are allowed one (1) free cash withdrawal with each deposit to your account at either a participating bank ATM or a Visa Member bank teller window.
  • If you have no deposits in the month, you are allowed one (1) free cash withdrawal at a participating bank ATM.
  • You can get free ATM cash withdrawals only at PNC Banks, or MoneyPass ATMs.
  • When using your card at an ATM, insert the card and enter your PIN.
  • Press either the checking or savings button on the ATM.
  • Select “Cash Withdrawal.”
  • Enter the amount of cash needed and press “Enter.”
  • Don’t forget to take your receipt.
  • You may use your Visa Debit Card to perform a bank teller transaction at any Visa member bank.
  • Visa member banks are banks that accept Visa cards and will often display the Visa logo on and around their bank branch offices.
  • If you are unsure if your bank is a Visa member bank, simply ask the teller.
  • 95% of banks in Indiana are Visa member banks, and you can perform your free transaction at any of these banks’ teller windows.
  • When using your card at the bank teller window, present your card and tell the cashier the amount of cash you wish to receive. You may be asked to show identification and sign a receipt.

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How do I transfer funds into my personal checking or savings account by phone?

  • Fund transfer by phone is always free of charge
  • Call 1-888-393-5866
  • Enter your card number and PIN
  • Choose option 6 (Transfer funds to your bank)
  • Enter the transfer amount in dollars and cents using the * key as the decimal point (ex. $390.00 would be entered as 390*00)
  • Enter the routing and account number where you’d like the funds transferred (See illustration below)
  • Allow 1-3 business days for the funds to be available in your account. The wait will vary based on your personal bank’s deposit availability policies.
  • If your transfer fails, you will be notified within 5 business days and the funds will be returned to your debit card account.
  • Once you’ve successfully entered your routing and account numbers, you will not have to re-enter them each week. Instead, you will be able to choose to transfer to the same account you’ve already entered.
  • You must call to make the transfer in each week you choose to transfer. The transfer will not occur automatically!

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Why is my transfer by phone taking so long?

  • Funds transferred by phone should take 1-3 business days to appear in your personal checking or savings account.
  • The delay depends on the deposit availability policy of your personal bank.
  • If you entered either your routing or account number incorrectly, the transfer will not complete. It may take up to 5 business days for the funds to be returned to your debit card.
  • Be very careful to make sure you enter your information correctly.

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What do I do if I entered the wrong routing/account number for my phone transfer?

  • If you enter an incorrect routing and/or account number for your transfer, the funds will be returned to your debit card account within 5 business days.

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Do I have to call to transfer funds every week?

Yes. You must call each week that you would like funds transferred. If you don’t want to use the transfer by phone option, you can always withdraw your funds from a participating ATM or teller window, or use your card for point-of-sale purchases.

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What is the different between transfer by phone and direct deposit?

You must call to initiate the transfer each time you would like to transfer funds by phone. With each transfer you must specify the amount you would like transferred. Direct deposit programs generally only allow you to set up the deposit for certain amount, which will repeat on its own. Indiana does not offer direct deposit for unemployment insurance claimants. Indiana does offer the option of funds transfer by phone.

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How do I use my Visa Debit Card to make purchases?

  • Simply present your card when paying.
  • The money is automatically deducted from your account.
  • You may also ask for cash back with your purchase at many merchant locations.

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Where can I use my Visa Debit Card to make purchases?

  • You can use your Visa Debit Card anywhere you see the Visa, Interlink, or Plus logos displayed.

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Why can I perform a free transaction at certain banks, but not at those banks’ ATMs?

You get 1 free bank transaction each time a deposit is made on your card. This free transaction can be EITHER an ATM transaction or a bank teller transaction, but these transactions are only free if they are made at certain banks. The same bank that offers a free teller transaction may not offer a free ATM withdrawal. Free transactions can be made at the following locations:Free ATM withdrawal (1 per deposit) only at the following locations:



money pass

PNC Bank

 

Free bank teller transaction (1 per deposit) only at the following locations:

ANY Visa Member bank

IMPORTANT: You can only get a free ATM withdrawal at the above listed ATMs. If you are using a Visa Member bank that is not one of the banks listed above (National City), only bank teller transactions will be free, not ATM transactions.

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Can I transfer the money on my Visa Debit Card to my personal checking or savings account?

Yes. You can do this by phone or by visiting your bank.

To transfer by phone:

  • Call 1-888-393-5866
  • Enter your card number and PIN
  • Choose option 6 (Transfer funds to your bank)
  • Enter the transfer amount in dollars and cents using the * key as the decimal point (ex. $390 would be entered as 390*00)
  • Enter the routing and account number where you’d like the funds transferred (See illustration below)
  • Allow 1-3 business days for the funds to be available in your account. The wait will vary based on your personal bank’s deposit availability policies
  • If your transfer fails, you will be notified within 5 business days and the funds will be returned to your debit card account.

To transfer by visiting your bank:

  • Make sure the bank where you keep your personal checking or savings account is a Visa Member bank (95% of Indiana banks are Visa Member banks).
  • Take your card to your bank teller window and ask that an amount be transferred to your personal checking or savings account.
  • Tellers may refer to this process as a “cash advance” procedure. The teller will withdraw the funds from the card and deposit them it into your account.
  • This withdrawal counts as your free withdrawal and should be entirely free.
  • If your bank usually charges you a fee for making deposits in your account, you will still be charged that fee.
  • You DO NOT have to go to the bank ATM to make this transaction. In fact, you will be charged a fee for using an ATM at a bank that is not one of the participating bank ATMs (National City or MoneyPass). However, you will not be charged a fee for making withdrawals at the bank teller window.

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What should I do if the teller doesn’t recognize the card?

Verify that you are at a VISA bank and then call 1-888-393-5866 and report the bank location.

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How do I perform an ATM balance inquiry?

You may check your ATM balance at ATMs for $0.40 (plus an additional surcharge if you do not use a surcharge-free ATM)

Follow these steps.

  • Insert your card
  • Enter your PIN
  • Press the “Balance Inquiry” button
  • You will receive a printed receipt of your current balance
  • Participating ATMs include:
    • MoneyPass ATMs
    • PNC 

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What is an ATM surcharge?

A surcharge is a fee charged by the bank or entity that owns the ATM. This fee is not charged by your Visa Debit Card account manager and you will be charged this surcharge fee in addition to any fees you may be charged by your debit card account manager. To avoid this fee, make all of your ATM withdrawals from surcharge-free ATMs.

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What is an ATM denial?

An ATM denial occurs when you try to withdraw more money than you have available in your account. You get one free ATM denial per deposit, but your free denials expire at the end of each month. An incorrect PIN entry is not an ATM denial.

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How do I know if my ATM is charging me a surcharge?

Read all of the ATM messages carefully. You will not be charged a surcharge unless you agree to it. You may cancel any transaction to avoid incurring the surcharge fee. Press “Enter” to accept the surcharge fee and continue with your transaction.

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Which ATMs are surcharge-free?

The following ATMs will never charge you a surcharge, though you may incur transaction fees when using these ATMs. ATMs at these locations may still ask you to agree to pay a surcharge, but you will not actually incur this fee. You must agree to accept the surcharge in order to complete your transaction, but the surcharge will not actually be subtracted from your account balance.



money pass

PNC Bank

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I went to a surcharge-free ATM, but it still said that I had to pay a surcharge. Why?

The ATM surcharge message will still appear even if you are using one of the surcharge-free ATMs. Accept the surcharge if you want to make the transaction. You WILL NOT actually be charged the surcharge amount as long as you’re using a surcharge-free ATM. Surcharge-free ATMs include the following:



money pass

PNC Bank

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How do I avoid paying fees?

  • Transfer your funds to your personal checking or savings account by phone. You are allowed unlimited free phone transfers.
  • Use your free cash withdrawals at participating bank ATMs or any Visa Member bank teller window.
  • Take your Visa Debit Card to your personal bank and ask that the balance be transferred to your personal checking or savings account (make sure your bank is a Visa bank to ensure you don’t incur a fee)
  • Avoid using ATMs that are not participating in the program.
  • Ask for cash back with your purchases for cash throughout the month.

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Are there fees for using the card?

  • There are no monthly fees for managing your funds.
  • You are allowed one (1) free cash withdrawal with each deposit to your account at either a participating bank ATM or a Visa Member bank teller window.
  • You are allowed unlimited free transfers by phone to your personal checking or savings account.
  • The following fees apply:

Click here for printable fee information

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What are the customer service fees?

Each month, you are allowed two (2) free calls to the customer service integrated voice response (IVR) plus one additional call each time money is deposited into your card account.

You can use the IVR to check your balance, hear your transaction history, or discuss your account information and transaction history with an operator.

After you have used all of your free calls, your account will be charged $0.40 for each additional call made during the calendar month.

There is never a charge for reporting a lost or stolen card or to question a transaction posted to your account.

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What are the fees for using the EPPICard account website?

Use of the EPPICard website for monitoring your account activity is always free. The site is located at http://www.eppicard.com/ .

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Do I have a choice how I get my benefits? Can I still get a check?

No. The Department of Workforce Development will no longer issue checks.

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How will I know when money has been deposited into by account?

You may choose to receive electronic notification that funds have been deposited into your account. You can request the notification to come via telephone or email. You may request telephone notification using the IVR at the time you activate your card or at any time after card activation. Follow the prompts to set up your phone notification preference.

For email notification of deposits to your account, go to http://www.eppicard.com/ Set up your web ID and password and enter your email address. Each time a deposit is made on your account you will receive an email notification.

Funds are available for withdrawal at 5:00PM (Eastern) the day they are deposited into your account.

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The call center or EPPICard site told me my funds had been deposited, but when I went to my bank they were not available. Why?

Funds are not available until 5:00PM (Eastern) the day they are deposited into your account.

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I tried to withdraw my full account balance from an ATM or Teller and was denied because of insufficient funds. Why?

After you have used your one free ATM or Visa bank teller withdrawal per deposit you will be charged $2.10 for additional teller transactions or $1.05 for additional ATM transactions. When you make these transactions after your one free transaction, the card processing system will add that fee to the amount you want to withdraw. So if you try to withdraw $100 at a teller and your balance is $100, the system will try to withdraw $102.10, which will result in an insufficient funds situation.

To avoid this, try to withdraw $2.10 less than your total balance (at a teller) or $1.05less (at an ATM). This will prevent your transaction from being denied due to insufficient funds.

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When is the Visa Debit Card customer service line available?

The call center is available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.

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What is the number for the Visa Debit Card customer service line?

1-888-393-5866
This number is also printed on the back of your card.

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When using an ATM to withdraw funds, which selection (checking, savings, or credit card) do I choose?

You should select "checking" or “savings” when making a withdrawal at an ATM.

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Will I be able to add other funds to my card, in addition to what the Department of Workforce Development puts on it?

No. Only the state can deposit funds to the card.

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Will I earn interest on the funds in my Visa Debit Card account?

No. The account does not earn interest.

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Can the State view or track my transactions?

No. For privacy reasons, your debit card account manger will not share card account numbers or transaction details with the State of Indiana or the Department of Workforce Development. Only the cardholder will have access to that information.

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What should I do if I forget my PIN?

Call the customer service number on the back of your card. The Department of Workforce Development does not have access to your PIN. PIN issues must go through the Indiana Debit Card Customer Service Center.

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What happens if the card is lost or stolen?

Call the toll-free Indiana Debit Card Customer Service Center, 1-888-393-5866, to report a lost or stolen card. A new card will be issued and any remaining balance will be transferred to the new card. If you report the missing card immediately and have not compromised your PIN, you will not be responsible for any confirmed fraudulent activity that occurs on your card.

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How do I get my name or address changed on this account?

Call the Indiana Debit Card Customer Service Center at 1-888-393-5866 to change the address on the account.

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Can someone other than the person whose name is on it use the card?

For security reasons, you should never share your PIN or allow anyone else to use your card.

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Can I use the card to build a credit history?

No. The card does not help establish credit history since no credit check is required to receive the card, and it is not tied to a bank account or a credit line.

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What should I do with the card after the money is gone?

Keep it. We’ll use it to pay you the next time you draw unemployment benefits.

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What do I do if I’m charged an unexpected transaction fee?

Call 1-888-393-5866 and they will help you figure it out. If you are charged a fee that you shouldn’t be charged, you will be reimbursed.

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What should I do if I’m expecting a card in the mail and don’t receive it?

Call 1-888-393-5866 and let them know that you have not received your card. Make sure your mailing address is accurate. Look at your junk mail and make sure it’s not in that pile. In order to protect you from potential card theft, your card will arrive in a white windowed envelope that does not display the Department of Workforce Development name or logo.

Unlike paper checks, debit cards are not shipped from the department’s central office, so it may take an extra day or two for card to reach you. Once you have your card, you will no longer have to wait for a card or check to arrive in the mail. Your deposits will be available on your account the morning after the department processes your voucher.

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What will the card look like when it arrives in the mail?

In order to protect you from potential card theft, your card will arrive in a white windowed envelope that does not display the Department of Workforce Development name or logo.

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Can I request a second card for another individual such as a family member?

No. Only the person approved for unemployment compensation benefit payments will receive a card.

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What do I do after I receive the card?

After receiving the card in the mail, you must call the Indiana Debit Card Customer Service Center at 1-888-393-5866 to activate the card and choose your PIN. You cannot use the card until it has been activated. Cash withdrawals at ATMs require use of your PIN. Again, for security reasons, it is important that you pick a PIN that only you would know. Do not share your PIN or the card with anyone. You should never write your PIN on your card.

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Can I request direct deposit of my check into my personal checking or savings account?

No, not currently.

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Will use of the Visa Debit Card hurt my credit rating?

No. Your card will be a prepaid Visa Debit Card, not a credit card. You will only be able to spend the amount that is stored on the card. You will not be able to purchase anything with your card that you do not currently have the funds in your account to cover. Use of the Visa Debit Card will have no effect on your credit rating.

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Can I get into debt by using the Visa Debit Card?

No. Your card is a prepaid Visa Debit Card, not a credit card. You will only be able to spend the amount that is stored on the card. You will not be able to purchase anything with your card that you do not currently have the funds in your account to cover. Use of the Visa Debit Card will have no effect on your credit rating.

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Can I use my debit card at gas stations?

You may be required to have your debit card balance verified before making purchases at certain retail establishments such as gas stations. This is the policy of these establishments to ensure purchasers have adequate funds on their debit cards to cover desired purchases. This might prevent you from using the pay-at-the-pump feature at gas stations, but you will still be able to use your card to purchase gasoline at these establishments by simply taking your card to the cashier for verification.

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