CARA

The MoneyCard is a guaranteed issue* Visa® debit card that gives you the safest, most convenient, and possibly the most inexpensive way to collect your pay and manage your money.

It’s simple really. You tell those that pay you--- your employer, your pension fund, the government, whomever—to electronically deposit your income to The Card, rather than sending you paper checks. You receive your income faster than if collecting and cashing paper checks. Your money is “on the card” and available for your use first thing, every payday, free, regardless of where you are.

With money on your card, you can use it to buy groceries, at the gas pump, to pay your bills, or to get cash from an ATM, just as examples. You can even pay many of your routine bills over the phone or on line, no more having to prepare and mail a check or money order, no more having to travel to pay your bills, no more standing in line.

First, and most importantly, you need to make sure to arrange for direct deposit of your routine income to The Card. When you first remove your card from the envelope, at the bottom of the page that holds the card, you will find a Direct Deposit Authorization Form.

• Make copies of this form, one for each person or company that pays you, and a copy to keep for your records.
• Sign and give a copy of the form to each employer or person who routinely pays you.

Note that important information is on this form that anyone who electronically pays you will need in order to do that. This important information is: your name and address, the bank name, the bank routing number, your account number and the account type. If your employer wants to use another form for direct deposit, simply provide this important information and sign the form you’re given.

Once you’ve done these things, all pay that comes your way will be on The Card, on time, every time.

Second you need to activate your card. Visit caramoneycard.com or call 1-877-878-0435 to activate your card. On the website look for the button that says “activate my card” and follow the steps. You will need the last 4 digits of your social security number or other personal identification number that you used to subscribe to the MoneyCard. Once you have activated your card, you will be able to access the funds that are loaded and take advantage of all the benefits The Card has to offer.

When you activate your card you will be prompted to choose a PIN, or “personal identification number.” Your PIN is the secret number you will need to access certain services, such as to get money from an ATM. Choose a number that you can easily remember but that others will not know. Do not share your PIN with others. Sharing your PIN authorizes others to access your account.

With The Card you get most of the conveniences and benefits of a bank account but without any of the hassles. In some ways it’s like having a bank account in a card. The Card is governed by the U.S. Federal Reserve, and your money is held in a nationally chartered, FDIC insured bank, so it’s totally safe and secure. But your money is also available to you as you need it, 24/7/365. Get cash from millions of ATMs around the world, or during banking hours from the teller of any Visa member bank. And you can buy things with the card instead of using cash anywhere Visa is accepted, or where ever you see one of the logos that’s on the back of The Card. The Card gives you a safe place to keep your money but without having to qualify for a bank account, and without the hassles, and without the risk of expensive overdrafts. You can even earn rewards by using The Card.

No, The Card works like a credit card except that you’re not borrowing money when you use it. You pre-fund the card with your income, so you use the card in the same convenient ways as you would a credit card, but you do not go into debt in the process. You can use the card to pay for goods and services anywhere Visa is accepted-- face-to-face, over the phone and on the internet. You can even reserve and pay for rental cars and hotel rooms. You get all of the security and spend convenience of a Visa card, but because The Card is not a credit card, you cannot go into debt, there are no interest charges or late fees, you cannot spend more than you can afford.

YES! Before you can use your card it must be loaded. We require that you set up a reoccuring direct deposit from those that pay you--your employer, the government, etc. To obtain a direct deposit form that you can provide to your employer, click here and fill out the form.

NOTE: If you fail to load your card within 90 days of activation, your account will be closed.

Even though not a credit card, The MoneyCard works as both “credit” and “debit,” giving you that much more flexibility and freedom for use. “Credit” means you sign your name to authorize a transaction, such as in a sit-down restaurant. “Debit” means you use your personal identification number, or PIN, such as at an ATM. At many places, like in a grocery store, you’ll have a choice. When you can choose, always remember to choose “credit.” There is never a program fee for “credit” purchases, and you also earn reward points when you choose “credit” and sign for transactions.

Anyone* qualifies for a MoneyCard as long as you meet three simple requirements:

• You MUST have a regular source of income -- a job, a pension, other retirement income, social service or welfare income, disability income, or similar, and,
• You must authorize direct deposit of at least a portion of your regular income onto the card, and
• You must have a valid United States address or be employed by a U. S. company. You may be temporarily living outside of the country and still qualify for The Card.

Yes! You do not have to have good credit to get a MoneyCard. There is no credit check.

Yes! You do not have to qualify for a bank account to get a MoneyCard. There is no banking experience or history record check.

Yes, how much you owe doesn’t matter. For those that owe a lot of money, the MoneyCard is the best way, perhaps the only way, to have all the valuable benefits of a credit card but without having to credit qualify. And, importantly, you do not have the risk of going further into debt. For those that do not owe money, it’s great too because there is no risk of going into debt, hurting your credit, or “getting in over your head.”

Any family member in the United States that has regular income can get his or her own MoneyCard. They simply need to enroll. OR, you can get a Companion Card for anyone you financially support, whether they have independent income or not. You can transfer money from your MoneyCard to a Companion Card whenever you want, free. With a Companion Card, your family member can receive money from you fast and safely, regardless of where they may be, anywhere in the world. The Companion Card is not a Visa card, but can be used at millions of ATMs around the world and for PIN based purchases. For more information and to request one or more Companion Cards, go to caramoneycard.com.

Fund transfers from card to card are instantaneous.

Yes, you can transfer funds to any account if you have the account number and the receiving bank routing number. You can also transfer funds from a bank account to the card if your bank account relationship provides that ability.

The money should be in the receiving account 24-48 hours after you authorize the transfer.

If you forget your PIN call customer service at 1-877-878-0435. If you simply want to change your PIN, you may do so by visiting the website, caramoneycard.com, or by calling customer service.

If you want to change your PIN, visit the website, caramoneycard.com, or you may call customer service at 1-877-878-0435.

Absolutely. Your money is secure in a nationally chartered, FDIC insured bank, governed by the U. S. Federal Reserve, and protected by Visa’s Zero Liability Policy.

Report the lost/stolen card immediately to CARA Customer Service at 1-877-878-0435. Your funds will be protected, and a new card will be issued promptly.

No. Once you have a card and have enrolled into direct deposit your pay will continue to be deposited to this card each and every payday.

You can only spend up to the amount of money that is on your card. You cannot spend more than your available balance.

Yes. You can load funds to your card at any Visa ReadyLink Load Station location. Find a load station near you by clicking on the locator tab on the website, caramoneycard.com. There is no program fee to load your card, but the load station may charge a fee.

If you work for more than one employer, or if you’re paid as a 1099 contract person by someone, you can have all your pay deposited to your card. You just need to provide each employer with your account information. You can make copies of the Direct Deposit Authorization Form that came with your card, one for each employer, or go to the website caramoneycard.com, look for “Download a Direct Deposit Authorization Form” and follow the instructions. This form includes all the information your employer needs to put your pay onto your card. Sign the form and a copy to each employer.

If you change employers, tell your new employer you want your pay direct deposited. You will need to provide the employer with your account information. Go to the website caramoneycard.com, look for “Download a Direct Deposit Authorization Form” and follow the instructions. This form includes all the information your employer needs to put your pay onto your card. Sign the form and give it to your new employer.

You can view your available balance and transaction history online at caramoneycard.com by clicking on the “Account Log-In” tab. You can also check your balance at over 32 million ATM’s worldwide and by calling CARA Customer Service at 1-877-878-0435.

You can pay personal bills if a company accepts Visa as a payment form. You can simply call or go online to the vendor’s website and follow instructions to pay your bill using your card information, or you may take your card with you to the vendor and pay in person. The vendor may charge you a fee for this form of payment, but there is no cost associated with the MoneyCard. You can also use the card to purchase a money order for bill payment at any U. S. Post Office and many other locations.

Choose “credit” and sign for your transactions and you earn points that can be redeemed for products, services and even gift cards at great stores. As MoneyCard cardholder, you are automatically enrolled in the Points 2U Rewards Program free of charge. Within 30 days of receiving your MoneyCard, you will receive information regarding the Rewards Program via the mail, or you can find additional information on the website, caramoneycard.com.

You can use The Card anywhere Visa is accepted, including on line or over the phone, or any retailer that displays any of the logos on the back of your card.

Yes, at any ATM where you see one of the above logos. IMPORTANT: When you choose an Allpoint ATM there will never be an ATM surcharge!

$1,000.

Refer to the fee schedule that is located on the back of your card carrier for all applicable fees.

There are several ways to load money onto your card:

• Direct Deposit: You should have any routine income you receive, whether from a job or other source, direct deposited to the card by whomever pays you. See instructions above, “What do I do when I get my card?”
• Visa® Ready Link Station: Wherever you see the ReadyLink logo that’s on the back of your card, you can load your card. Visit caramoneycard.com for locations.
• Pay Pal: You may load your card via PayPal if you’re a member of PayPal. You will need the information on your Direct Deposit Authorization Form.
• ACH: You, anyone, any company with ACH transfer capability with your bank can fund your card. You will need the information on your Direct Deposit Authorization Form.

Yes! You will need the bank information (name, routing number, account number, account type) shown on your Direct Deposit Form which came with your card. If you need a copy of this form, go to caramoneycard.com or call the number on the back of your card.

$9,999.99.

Visit caramoneycard.com and log into your account, or call the number on the back of your card and follow the instructions, or visit any ATM that displays one of the logos shown on the back of your card.

Visit caramoneycard.com and log into your account. You may also hear transaction information by calling the number on the back of your card.

Listen to the menu recordings and follow the prompts. There may be a fee charged for opting out to talk with a live customer service representative.

Yes. You can pay personal bills if a company accepts Visa as a payment form. You can simply call or go online to the vendor’s website and follow instructions to pay your bill using your card information, or you may take your card with you to the vendor and pay in person. The vendor may charge you a fee for this form of payment, but there is no cost associated with the MoneyCard.

Yes, you may pay at the gas pump if you have sufficient funds on your card. The available balance in your account that is verified by the gas pump will vary station-to-station. You can also go into the gas station and tell the attendant how much gas you want to pump. That way only the value of what you actually want to pump will be verified.

The Card program has been designed to help you to not overspend, but it is possible. If you do you will not be charged an overdraft fee. If a negative balance does occur it will simply be recovered when your card is next loaded.