- Social Security
- Supplemental Security Income
- Veterans Compensations and Pension (Veteran's Education/MGIB, Education/Selected Reserve, Vocational Rehabilitation, and Life Insurance must currently use Method 2 below)
- Federal Civil Service (Retirement/ Annuity)
Method 2: Paychecks, State Government Benefits and Other Sources of Income
- Ask your payroll or benefits office if they offer Direct Deposit. If they do, simply log-in to your account and click the “Add Funds” menu option. Select “Direct Deposit” to get started, and we will create a personalized direct deposit form for you.
- Fill out the Direct Deposit form and give it to your payor and they will enroll you.
- Once you've submitted your form, you will normally start receiving your pay or benefits on your card within 1 to 2 pay periods.
Do I have to Direct Deposit my entire paycheck? How much of my pay can I elect for Direct Deposit?
With the exception of certain federal government benefit payments, you can elect to have as much or as little of your paycheck or benefits payment deposited to your Green Dot Prepaid Card as you like. The choice is completely yours, and you can cancel or change the amount of your Direct Deposit at any time.
However, if you enroll in Direct Deposit for Social Security, Supplemental Security Income, Veterans Benefits, or Federal Civil Service, the entire amount of your benefit payment must be deposited to your Green Dot Prepaid Card. You can cancel the Direct Deposit of your federal government benefits at any time, but you cannot change the amount of your federal benefits Direct Deposit.
How can I be sure the deposit was made?
You can review your Transaction History online to ensure the deposit was made. You can also call our automated Green Dot Support Line at 1-866-795-7597 to hear your most recent direct deposit amount and date. In addition, your payor will usually give you a payment stub or notice that lets you know the amount of the payment deposited to your account.
My direct deposit was supposed to be deposited today, but I don’t see it on my available balance. What happened?
- Contact your payor to verify that the direct deposit was sent. If so, ask them for the TRACE # of your direct deposit transaction.
- Once you have the TRACE #, call Green Dot Customer Support toll-free at 1 (866) 795-7597 and Green Dot will investigate the transaction. NOTE: If you have recently reported your Card lost or stolen please make sure to tell the Green Dot Customer Support Specialist when you call.
- We will get back to you within 48 business hours with the status of your direct deposit.
- Social Security and Supplemental Security Income: Contact the Social Security Administration at (800) 772-1213 or visit the Social Security website
- Veterans Benefits: Contact the Department of Veterans Affairs at (877) 838-2778
- Federal Civil Service: Contact the Office of Personnel Management/ Civil Service at (888) 767-6738
How do I cancel my Direct Deposit?
To cancel your Direct Deposit, you must contact your employer or the payor of your benefits. They will tell you how to cancel the service. Cancelling Direct Deposit will in no way impact the use of your Green Dot Prepaid Card.
- Social Security and Supplemental Security Income: Contact the Social Security Administration at (800) 772-1213 or visit the Social Security website
- Veterans Benefits: Contact the Department of Veterans Affairs at (877) 838-2778
- Federal Civil Service: Contact the Office of Personnel Management/ Civil Service at (888) 767-6738
Can I stop using Direct Deposit and still keep my Card?
Yes. If you decide you no longer want to use Direct Deposit, just contact your payor. They will tell you how to cancel the service. Canceling direct deposit will in no way impact the use of your Green Dot Prepaid Card.
Can tax refunds for other people be direct deposited to my card?
No. In accordance with IRS guidelines you can direct your refund to your card; you cannot direct your refund to someone else’s card. If we receive a tax refund intended for individuals other than the cardholder, the refund will be rejected and/or your card may be blocked, pending additional verification. For more details from the IRS about tax refunds, click here.
Tax Refund
How can I get my tax refund Direct Deposited to my card?
Having your tax refund automatically deposited to your card is easy! When you fill out your tax return, simply enter your card's routing and direct deposit number in the space provided on your tax form. Note that for direct deposit and tax refund purposes, your card is designated as a "checking" account, check that box on your tax form.
How do I check the status of my tax refund?
We do not have the status of your tax refund. The IRS provides estimated dates for when federal refunds will be sent. If you have not yet received your refund and would like to check the status, please visit the IRS web site at www.irs.gov and select "Where’s My Refund" or call the IRS Refund Hotline at (800) 829-1954.
For information about your state refund, please contact your state government agency.
Can I receive tax refunds for other people on my card?
No. In accordance with IRS guidelines you can direct your refund to your card; you cannot direct your refund to someone else’s card. If we receive a tax refund intended for individuals other than the cardholder, the refund will be rejected and/or your card may be blocked, pending additional verification. For more details from the IRS about tax refunds, click here.
Your Balance and Transaction History
How do I check my card balance and transactions?
You may check your balance and transaction history online 24/7 by logging into your account on this website. You may also call customer support at 866-795-7597. There is no charge to check your balance online or over the phone. You can also sign up for account alerts, a special feature that allows you to receive your Card balance to your email, cell phone or both. Additionally, you can register to be able to send a text message to Green Dot to request your balance. Please note that we do not charge customers to receive a text message. However, your mobile provider's standard rates for sending and receiving text messages still apply.
What are pending transactions?
This is the amount of money that has been set aside for purchases made with your Card, but have not yet been collected by the merchant.
What is the difference between purchases that are pending and posted?
Due to the way merchants process transactions, purchases may not post to your card for a few days. To make sure you have enough money for a purchase, merchants request approval for the purchase amount. This holds the money for them and is considered a “pending” purchase until the merchant actually collects the money from us which is when it becomes a “posted” purchase. You can review your pending and posted purchases on the Transaction History page.
Why is the amount pending sometimes different than what I actually spent?
Some merchants, such as hotels, car rentals and restaurants, have a policy that requires them to pre-authorize and temporarily hold an amount of money from your Card balance that is greater than your actual purchase amount. Once your purchase is processed by the merchant, your Card balance will reflect the amount of your actual purchase and the held funds will become available for immediate use. Availability of the pre-authorized funds can take up to 10 days (90 days for car rentals) to be released back into your Card balance.
I bought something but my balance doesn't show any money taken off. Why?
Many website and phone merchants process all of their orders at the end of the day. It may take 24-48 hours before you see the charge on your Card.
Another reason is that most website and phone order companies only charge your Card when the merchandise is shipped, not when it is ordered. The merchant may not charge your account until they ship your merchandise a few days (or weeks) later.
I bought something online and it was declined but I had enough money for the purchase. Why?
The purchase you made online might have been declined because the address you provided to the merchant is different than the address we have on file for your Card. If you need to update your address, please call the number on the back of your card.
I bought something online and it was declined but I still got charged for the purchase. Why?
The funds were placed on hold to cover the cost of your purchase but you were declined because the address you provided to the merchant does not match the address Green Dot has on file for your Card. When this happens, it takes 10 business days for the funds to be released back to your card.
I bought something for X amount of dollars, but my balance is only down by $1. Why?
Many website and phone merchants will do what's called a "dollar authorization." This means that they check to see that your account is valid, but they only hold $1.00 until they ship the merchandise. Then, they'll charge the full amount.
What do I do if I have a question or think there is an error on my card?
It's important to note that merchant names or locations for your transactions may not look familiar. Many merchants use their corporate or headquarters information instead of the particular store where you made the purchase. There may also be a delay in the posted date of the transaction. These are normal business practices. If the amount and date of the purchase are accurate, you may use that as your validation of the charge.
In Case of Errors or Questions About Your Account: Use our dispute form here, or write us at Green Dot Customer Care, P.O. Box 9, West Chester, OH 45071 or telephone us at (866) 795-7597 as soon as you can if you think an error has occurred in your account. We must hear from you no later than 60 days after the earlier of the date you electronically access your account, if the error could be viewed in your electronic history, or the date we sent the FIRST written history on which the error appeared.
(1) Tell us your name and card number.
(2) Describe the error or the transfer you are unsure about and explain as clearly as you can why you believe it is an error or why you need more information.
(3) Tell us the dollar amount of the suspected error.
For registered prepaid card accounts, we will investigate your complaint and will correct any error promptly. If we take more than 10 business days to do this, we will credit your account for the amount you think is in error, so that you will have the use of the money during the time it takes us to complete our investigation.
Card Expiration/Canceling
My Card is about to expire. How can I make sure I will receive my new Card?
Make sure the address you have on file with us is correct. If it is not, you can update it by calling the number on the back of your card.
How do I cancel my card?
To cancel your Card, simply spend down the funds to a $0 balance. Then, call us at the number on the back of your card to close it.
Account Alerts
What are Account Alerts?
Account Alerts is a special feature that will allow you to receive your Card balance to your email or cell phone or both. Please note that we do not charge customers to receive a text message. However, your mobile provider's standard rates for sending and receiving text messages still apply.
What type of Account Alerts can I choose from?
- Daily Balance: get your balance sent to you every day
- Weekly Balance: get your balance sent to you once a week (Mondays)
- Reload Now Alerts: you get reload reminders when your balance gets to $25 or less
You can choose to receive any of these type of alerts sent to your email or as a text message to your cell phone. You can choose to have your account alerts sent to up to two different email addresses.
Please note that we do not charge customers to receive a text message. However, your mobile provider's standard rates for sending and receiving text messages still apply.
I am not getting the Alerts - What can I do?
- Confirm your email address and/or your mobile phone number and carrier are accurate on your Green Dot Account Alerts Maintenance Web page
- Confirm that your wireless plan and carrier allow for receipt of text messages
- You will be unenrolled from account alerts if your Card has been inactive for 60 days. You may re-enroll at any time – log in and go to the Account Alerts page.
Why does the amount delivered on the Alert differ from what is shown online and over the automated telephone service?
The amount on the Alert is typically your balance from the night before the alert was sent. To be sure, please read the entire message as it contains the date and time that your balance was taken. The balance shown online and the automated telephone service is the most current balance.
How do I cancel the Alerts?
Green Dot Mobile
What is Green Dot Mobile?
Green Dot Mobile lets you access the most important information about your Green Dot card on your mobile phone. There are several ways to do this:
- Sign up for Account Alerts to receive your balance via text or email. Learn More
- Send us a text and we’ll text you back with your balance, transaction history or reload locations. You must register your mobile number on GreenDot.com/racing to use this service. Learn More
Do I have to sign up for this service?
Yes, in order to use this service you have to register your mobile number. To register, click here.
How do I check my balance with this service?
Just send a text message "Bal Last4" to 43411 (GD411) where Last4 is the last 4 digits of your Card number.
How do I find the nearest reload location?
Just send a text message "Loc ZipCode" or "Loc City State" to 43411 (GD411)
How much does it cost?
Green Dot does not charge for the use of Green Dot Mobile. However,carrier data and message rate may apply.
Online Bill Pay Service
What's the benefit of signing up for Online Bill Pay?
- Convenient No special trips to pay your bills, no need to write checks, or pay for stamps
- Easy Set up monthly payments and pay your bills automatically
- Track and control your spending
How do I enroll in Online Bill Pay?
It is easy to sign up for Online Bill Pay!
- Select "Online Bill Pay" from the navigation bar
- Click on the "Sign Up Now" button on the right side of the page
- After you have accepted the Bill Payment Agreement and verified your email, you will be ready to pay bills using your Card
Please note that only Personalized Cards are eligible to enroll in the Online Bill Pay Service.
Is there a fee?
You will not be charged any fees for the use of the bill payment service.
Who can I pay?
You can pay anyone in the United States that you would normally pay by check or automatic debit. Thousands of billers who accept electronic payments are supported, including many utility companies, cell phone providers, and others. You can view a complete list of billers when you add your first payee. If your biller accepts electronic payments, your payment can often be made as early as the next business day as long as you submit your payment request prior to 1:00 pm ET.
You can also send paper checks to companies or individuals. This might include rent checks to your landlord, the payment to your paper deliverer, or a gift for grandma. Paper checks are sent via US mail so delivery timeframes vary, but are usually within 5 business days. Please plan your payments accordingly. You may not send payments to any recipient outside of the United States.
Is there a minimum or maximum amount I can pay someone?
There is no minimum amount that can be paid, but there is a $7,500 maximum limit on each individual bill payment. Your bill payments will also count against the daily $10,000 spend limit on the Card.
When will my payees receive their money?
Each time you submit a bill payment, you will be able to see both the debit date the date the funds will be removed from your Card balance and the payment date the earliest day that the biller may receive the bill payment.
If your payee is included in our list of thousands of billers who accept electronic payments, your payments may arrive as early as the next business day, as long as you submit your request for payment before 1:00 pm ET. If you submit your request for payment after 1:00 pm ET, your electronic payment will be received by the biller on the second business day after your scheduled payment.
You also have the ability to schedule any payment to arrive on any future business day, up to a year in advance. Our payment calendar allows you to view the date your money will leave your Card, as well as the earliest date your money may be received by your payee.
What happens if there is not enough money to cover a payment?
If you schedule a payment prior to 1:00 pm ET today with a debit date of today, we will attempt to process the payment immediately, or on the next business day if today is not a business day. If there are not enough funds to cover the payment, you will see a message that the payment was declined.
If a payment fails due to insufficient funds, you can load money onto your Card and resubmit the payment with the same debit date if the additional funds are loaded prior to 1:00 pm ET. If your additional funds are loaded after 1:00 pm ET, you will need to resubmit your payment with a debit date of the following business day.
If you have scheduled a payment for a future date, we will attempt to authorize the payment on that future date. If there are not enough funds to cover the payment by 1:00 pm ET on that date, then the bill payment will fail and we will send you a failure notification by e-mail. You should check your e-mail to ensure that your scheduled future payments are made.
It is your responsibility to make sure there are sufficient funds on your Card before 1:00 pm ET on the date the payment is scheduled for debit from your Card.
You must provide a valid e-mail address when you enroll for Online Bill Pay. E-mail is the only means by which we communicate payment failure notifications.
If your payment is declined due to insufficient funds, then you will need to resubmit the payment request once you have loaded sufficient funds onto the Card.
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