The Direct Express^® Card

The Benefits of Direct Deposit, For Those Who Prefer a Prepaid Debit Card

The Direct Express^® card gives you the advantages of direct deposit without requiring a bank account and is an option for those who prefer a prepaid debit card recommended by the Treasury Department:

Fast and Easy – Your money goes straight into the Direct Express^® card account on payment day each month. There’s no need to wait for the mail to arrive or to make a special trip to cash a check.
Safe – There’s no risk of lost or stolen checks, no need to carry large amounts of cash, and your money is insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) up to the maximum allowed by law.
Convenient – Use your card to make everyday purchases everywhere Debit MasterCard^®is accepted. You can make purchases, pay bills, buy money orders and get cash at thousands of locations nationwide. You can use your card 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Card Services and Fees

There are no sign-up, monthly account or overdraft fees. Free services include:

Purchases at retail locations.
Cash back with purchases.
Optional notification of deposits to debit card by phone, email or text message.
Optional low balance alert when account balance falls below a certain level.
Access to the website 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Unlimited balance inquiries at ATMs, by phone or online.
Access to the toll-free customer service number 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Cash withdrawals through bank or credit union tellers.
One free replacement card per year.
One free ATM cash withdrawal for each deposit posted to your account each month, provided you use one of the more than 50,000 surcharge-free network ATMs.

Optional services available for a fee include:

ATM cash withdrawals after free transactions are used in U.S including the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands. Surcharge by owner may apply. ($0.90 each withdrawal after free transactions are used)
Monthly paper statement mailed to you. ($0.75 per month)
Funds transfer to a personal U.S. bank account. ($1.50)
Card replacement after one free each year. ($4.00 per card after one (1) free each year)
Expedited delivery of replacement card. ($13.50 each time)
ATM cash withdrawal outside of U.S. Surcharge by ATM owner may apply. ($3.00 plus 3% of amount withdrawn)
Purchases at Merchant Locations outside of U.S. (3 percent of purchase amount)