[woman] For many years, millions of Californians
have relied on the Employment Development Department, EDD,
to receive their critical unemployment
and disability benefits.
Up until now, customers have had to wait for checks
to arrive by mail.
But, not anymore.
The EDD has introduced the new EDD debit card,
a faster, more convenient and more secure way
of receiving those needed benefits.
The new VISA-branded cards
provided by our partner, Bank of America,
offers many benefits,
especially for those without bank accounts,
who used to have to pay check-cashing fees
to access their money.
Best of all, customers get options,
and can avoid any fees, simply with careful use of the card.
You can withdraw cash at any ATM
or bank or credit union that accepts VISA.
You can use the card for purchases
anywhere VISA cards are accepted.
And you can even choose to transfer
some or all of your benefits
to your own personal bank account
by direct deposit transfer.
What are some of the initial reactions from customers?
I don't have to wonder where the check is.
The money's there right away,
the very day it's authorized.
So I don't have to go to the bank, wait in line and...
...and wait to cash my check.
And I have enough stuff to worry about.
This makes it a lot easier.
The EDD debit card is issued
after you are determined to be eligible for unemployment,
state disability or paid family leave insurance benefits.
When you receive your card,
simply follow the directions that come with your new card
to activate the account.
But the verification was real easy,
took less than five minutes.
To activate the card, just call Bank of America
at 1-866-692-SUB|0 N .
Or you can activate the card account on-line
at www.bankofamerica.com /eddcard.
You'll be asked for the last four digits
of your Social Security number,
or in some cases, the last four digits of an ID number
or ECN, assigned to you by EDD.
You will need to select your four digit
personal identification number or PIN.
Your PIN is the access code to your account
for point-of-sale purchases and ATM transactions.
To help keep your card account secure,
you'll need to memorize this number
and not share it with anyone.
You should also sign the reverse side of your card
and read the materials that come with the card
for important information about your account
including how to avoid fees.
Now that you've activated your card,
you are free to use it in a number of ways.
To retrieve cash, you can either visit an ATM,
or any bank or credit union
where VISA cards are accepted.
And it just shows up on the balance.
I can look at it on my computer,
or I can take the card to an ATM and look at the balance.
And the money's there on the day they say it'll be there.
You get a free, unlimited number of cash withdrawals
at Bank of America ATM's, and B of A will not charge
for two withdrawals per each benefit deposit
made to your card at ATM's outside of their network.
While B of A may not charge a fee,
be aware that some other banks may charge a fee
at their ATM locations.
At the ATM, simply select "checking"
and enter the amount you wish to withdraw.
You can also check your balance
free of charge at the ATM
by selecting "checking" and "balance inquiry."
Another option is to withdraw
up to the full balance on your account
by first checking your account balance
and then walking into any bank or credit union
that accepts VISA cards.
I, uh... I like the fact that if something happens
I can go withdraw all the amount, every bit of it,
off this card with no questions.
I don't have to... there's no limit.
It's not like you go to the bank
and oh, you got 200 today,
and have to wait till tomorrow to take out the next.
Simply approach a teller, present your card,
and request the amount of money you want
from your available balance.
There will be no charge for the withdrawal.
But, please be aware
the teller cannot access your account balance.
You can also retrieve cash
by selecting the "cash back" feature
when making a purchase using your card.
I can use it anywhere.
I like how if I go to the grocery store
or the gas station or out to eat anywhere
with my family, I can use it,
and it's very accessible.
There are millions of locations that accept VISA debit cards.
You can even shop on-line,
or make utility and phone payments.
The card can be used like a credit card,
or debit card. For use as a credit card,
just swipe the card and sign the receipt.
For use as a debit card,
swipe your card and select "debit."
Then enter your PIN number.
If you want some cash back, select the amount
up to the maximum allowed by the merchant
and it'll be added to your purchase.
But you must keep track of your account balance.
If you do not have enough available in your account
to cover the full cost of your purchase,
your card will be rejected. While you will not be allowed
to go over your available balance,
you can request to pay a portion of your purchase with
the card and pay the remainder of the bill separately.
Just like with using any debit card,
some merchants may charge a fee.
Such fees are usually identified at the point of purchase.
You can choose to continue with the purchase,
and accept the fee, or discontinue the purchase
and go elsewhere where no fees are charged
for using a debit card.
Another option is to make a direct deposit transfer
by transferring some or all of your benefits
to your own checking or savings account.
Well, with a new baby, it was, um...
It was a good option for us to do direct deposit,
because it's hard to go to the bank.
You can do this the first time you receive benefits,
to continue throughout your claim,
or you can choose to make separate transfers
for each benefit period. It's really up to you.
Simply call or contact Bank of America on-line
and follow the instructions provided.
It was pretty easy. We were able to...
On the back of the card it has the website that you go to,
and then from there we just followed the steps
and figured out how to do the transfers.
So we do check it from time to time,
just to make sure that everything's going smoothly
and transferring over, but we also get
e-mails as well that say that the deposit has been made.
To set up the transfer,
you will need to know your bank routing number
located on your bank documents or checks.
In addition, you'll need to provide an e-mail address
when setting up a direct deposit transfer
in order for Bank of America to be able to notify you
as soon as benefits are deposited successfully
into your personal bank account.
These transfers are done electronically
through a federal system.
There can be a delay until the next business day
if the transfer needs to be made over a weekend
when banks are closed. You may choose to only have
a portion of your benefits
transferred to your personal banking account
and keep the remainder on your card,
so those funds are immediately available.
The new EDD debit card
is good for all EDD benefit programs for three years.
So be sure to keep your card,
and continue completing and submitting all claim forms
required through the remainder of your claim
in order to continue receiving your benefits.
For any questions regarding your unemployment
disability or paid family leave claim,
visit the EDD website
at www.edd.ca.gov
for a variety of resources
including frequently asked questions
and contact phone numbers for the benefit programs.
Thank you for calling Bank of America.
For any questions regarding your debit card,
or to check your card account balance,
please call Bank of America Customer Service
at 1-866-692-SUB|0 N ,
or contact the bank on-line
at www.bankofamerica.com /eddcard.
The new EDD debit card provides the convenience
and security of a card at a time of great challenge.
And just like the benefits,
it's there to make things just a little easier
when you need a helping hand