The Direct Express Cash Access allows cardholders to get cash from their Direct Express debit card, up to the full available balance on the card, up to $1,000. In this post, we will explain in detail how the Direct Express Cash Access program works and the locations near you.
Many cardholders confuse this feature with a cash advance or the Emergency cash program.
We will explain the difference between the Direct Express Cash Access and the Direct Express Emergency Cash program below.
Before we explain what the Direct Express Cash Access is about, it is important to understand how the Direct Express card works.
The Direct Express card is a debit card you can use to access federal benefits. The card is issued by Comerica Bank on behalf of the United States Treasury Department.
The card is recommended by the Treasury Department as a safe, convenient alternative to paper checks.
When you sign up to receive your federal benefits on the Social Security debit card, you will receive your payment every month, on your payment date without having to worry about cashing your check or having it lost or stolen.
Anyone receiving federal benefit payments, such as Social Security, SSDI, SSI, or Veterans assistance, can enroll.
You can use your Direct Express card to withdraw cash from Automated Teller Machines (ATMs), make purchases at stores that accept Debit MasterCard, and get cashback when you make those purchases
In addition, you can use the card to pay bills online.
Direct Express is a debit card account that receives Federal benefit payments by direct deposit.
Your federal benefit payments are deposited on the due date and the money becomes available right away.
You can access your funds on the card 24 hours a day, seven days a week in the following ways.
With the Direct Express Cash Access program, Direct Express cardholders can get easy access to cash from their account.
You can receive the full available balance on your Direct Express card up to $1,000 at any Walmart location in the United States.
The fee is $1.50 per transaction. No additional Walmart fees apply.
You can get Direct Express Cash Access at any Walmart location in the United States.
You will need to have your Direct Express debit card with you and a government-issued ID in order to be able to get cash from your card account.
As mentioned above, the fee is $1.50 per transaction. No additional Walmart fees apply.
For a Walmart location near you, click here.
There are important differences between the two programs:
Allows you to receive the full available balance on your Direct Express card up to $1,000 at any Walmart location in the United States.
Allows you to obtain up to $1,000 of the funds available on your Direct Express card account without your card in hand.
You may pick up your money at any MoneyGram location in the U.S., U.S. Virgin Islands, or Puerto Rico.
Note that with the Cash Access program, you need to have your debit card with you and a photo ID.
Whereas, with the Emergency Cash program, you don’t need to have your debit card with you.
Also, the fee for the Emergency Cash program is either $8.50 for up to $500 or $12.00 for up to $1,000.
However, the fee for the Cash Access Program is $1.50 per transaction. No additional Walmart fees apply.
Here are the most frequently asked questions related to the Direct Express Cash Access program.
No, the Cash Access program is not a cash advance like you would get from a credit card.
It is an easy way for you to get up to $1,000 from your Direct Express card account with little fees.
In addition, it allows you to get more money than you will get from an ATM, up to $1,000.
You have to have money in your Direct Express account to take out at a Cash Access location.
Direct Express cardless benefit is the same as Direct Express Emergency cash.
It allows you to get up to $1,000 from your Direct Express card account without your card in hand.
You may pick up your money at any MoneyGram location in the U.S., U.S. Virgin Islands, or Puerto Rico.
The Direct Express card is a prepaid card, not a credit card.
Therefore, you will not be able to get cash loans or advance on your government benefits at an ATM.
However, you can use the card to withdraw benefit payments that have already been deposited to your account.
According to Direct Express, you are entitled to one “free” ATM cash withdrawal for each deposit to your account.
For more on Direct Express free ATMs and how to avoid fees, see our post on how to avoid ATM fees on Your Direct Express Card.
We hope this post on Direct Express Cash Access was helpful.
If you have further questions about Direct Express Card, please let us know in the comments section below.
