CARA

The CARA MoneyCard is a new Visa debit card you can use to access your benefits. And you don't need a bank account.

With the CARA MoneyCard program, your federal benefit payment can be directly deposited onto your card. Your monthly benefits will be available on your payment day – on time, every time. You can use the card to make purchases, pay bills or get cash at thousands of locations. And most transactions are low cost or free.

The CARA MoneyCard is both safer and more convenient than paper checks. Anyone receiving Social Security or Supplemental Security Income payments can enroll. No more waiting for the mail or worrying about lost or stolen checks.

NO sign-up fees, NO monthly fees and NO overdraft fees!

• Safety. There is no risk of lost or stolen checks. When reported promptly, your money is protected, even if your card is lost or stolen.
• Ease. Your money is automatically posted to your card account on your payment day each month. You won't have to wait for the mail to arrive.
• Convenience. Make purchases anywhere Visa® is accepted. Use your card to get cash at retail locations, banks and ATMs throughout the country.

The CARA MoneyCard is simple and easy to use. You can use it to:

• Make purchases. Present your card when paying at any location that accepts Visa® debit cards. The money is automatically deducted from your account.
• Get cash. Get cash at ATMs or from bank or credit union tellers. Or, get cash back with purchases at many retail locations.

The CARA MoneyCard offers a number of benefits that make it safer and more secure than checks:

• Your account is protected by your Personal Identification Number (PIN);
• Your card account has federal consumer protection and your funds are FDIC-insured; and
• If your card is lost or stolen, it will be replaced.

It's Easy!

Find and click the "Enroll Now!" tab/button above and fill out the associated form.

To enroll your federal benefit payment you must have the following six pieces of information for each payment you wish to enroll. You will need to complete a separate enrollment for each payment you are signing up.

• Benefit recipient's Social Security Number.
• Claim number Or the 12-digit check number of your last federal benefit check.
• Spelling of names and address information as they appear on the federal benefit check
• Payment amount of the benefit recipient's last federal benefit checks.
• CARA MoneyCard or Bank routing number.
• CARA MoneyCard or Bank account number.

You can sign up for Direct Deposit by:

• Online: Go to www.socialsecurity.gov for information on obtaining a password and starting or changing Direct Deposit online (Social Security benefits only), or
• Phone: Call Social Security toll-free at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778), or
• The cashier will load your Card and your cash will be available on your card instantly!
• In Person/Mail: Fill out a Direct Deposit Sign Up Form and taking or mailing it to your Social Security Office. The form is available here in PDF format for downloading and completion. To read and print the form, you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader software installed on your computer.

Note: You will need your CARA MoneyCard routing and account numbers to set-up direct deposit. You can find your CARA routing and account numbers on the Direct Deposit Authorization Form found at the bottom of the card carrier that accompanies each CARA or click here to obtain one.