How to Close Your Direct Express Card Account

Are you frustrated with Direct Express Customer Service, Dispute Resolution or fraudulent activity and want to know if you can close your direct express account?

The answer is Yes, you can take your money and cancel your card. Read below to learn how.

In this post, we will review the top reasons why cardholders are closing their Direct Express card account.

We will then walk you through the steps you need to take to close your account.

NOTE: If you would like to write a review and rate your experience with Direct Express Customer Service, or explain the reasons why you are closing your account, see the review and ratings form immediately below the end of this article.

This Post will Cover:

• Reasons Why People Close Direct Express Account
• How to Close Your Direct Express Account
• Direct Express FAQs

Reasons Why People Close Direct Express Account

Here are the reasons why some Direct Express customers are closing their accounts and setting up direct deposits instead with banks and credit unions.

Fraud and Unauthorized Transactions

The first reason is the increase in fraudulent activity on Direct Express cards. This may not be a problem specific to direct express debit cards.

However, cardholders are frustrated because of how long the Direct Express dispute resolution process takes and the fact that some people never get their money back.

A review of complaints online with Consumer Affairs, the Better Business Bureau and readers on our own website provides more evidence of this.

Frequency of Fraud

The second reason why some Direct Express cardholders are closing their accounts has to do with the frequency of fraud.

It appears fraudsters have been increasingly targeting Social Security and Disability benefits in general, including Direct Express debit cardholders.

The Social Security Administration and Direct Express have issued several warnings about this.

This article documents how Direct Express is struggling to deal with increased fraud activity.

Some cardholders have reported having to cancel and replace their cards 2-3 times during the last year or two along.

Some had had enough and are instead opting to get their federal benefits using traditional checking or savings to account with a bank or credit union.

Inability to Talk to a Live Person

Perhaps the biggest reason some customers are canceling their direct express card is frustration with Direct Express customer service issues. Here are some of the issues:

• Hard to Reach Customer Service
• Problems Replacing Lost or Stolen Card
• Confusing and Long Dispute Resolution

Did not Request Direct Express Card

We have received lots of complaints from people who claim they were forced to take Direct Express.

This is mainly from people who claim they signed up for Social Security Direct Deposit with their local bank or credit union to receive their Social Security benefits.

However, instead of getting their payments into their bank or credit union account, they were sent benefits via a Direct Express card, which they did not request.

Some of these people end up activating the card and using it. Others simply cancel the card.

Inability to Add Money to Card

One of the frustrating discoveries of cardholders is the inability to add your own money to the card.

Many cardholders discover this once they have signed up for the Direct Express debit card.

Unlike other Prepaid Debit Cards, like Bluebird, you cannot add any other money to the card besides the government benefits you are receiving.

Some cardholders find this limiting since they want to manage all their money on one card, including paychecks, cash deposits, transfers from another account, etc.

How to Close Your Direct Express Account

Here’s how to close your Direct Express Account.

Step 1 – Withdraw your Money

Before you close your Direct Express card account, you will want to spend any money remaining on the card account.

To do that, you can make purchases, withdraw your money at an ATM, get cash-back with purchase at retail stores.

You can also get your money by visiting any bank or credit union that displays the MasterCard acceptance mark and get cash from a teller.

Step 2 – Set up Direct Deposit for Federal Benefits

To ensure that there are no delays with receiving future benefit payments, you will need to separately enroll in direct deposit to avoid any delays with future payments.

You will need to set up a bank account with a bank or credit union in order to set up a direct deposit.

To enroll in direct deposit, contact your local federal benefit agency or visit Godirect.

Step 2 – Close your Direct Deposit Account

You can close your Direct Express card account at any time at no charge by calling the Direct Express card Customer Service Department.

They are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The number to call is 1 (888) 741-1115.

Direct Express FAQs

Here are five (5) of the top questions we get about the everyday use of the Direct Express card:

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