Electronic Payment of Child Support - FAQ's

1      Will everyone be included?

2.     What does electronic payment of child support mean?

3.     Are there any exceptions to receiving child support electronically?

4.      How does a person make the choice?

5.      What is the ReliaCard® Visa®?

6 .    Is it a credit card?

7.     How does the ReliaCard work?

8 .    Is a PIN (Personal Identification Number) needed to use the card?

9.     When getting cash, does the cardholder have to go to a US Bank ATM or US Bank branch?

10.   How does the State deposit money into the card?

11.     Does the person receiving support get a new card every time a payment is due to them?

12.    What does the person do after receiving the card?

13.    Does the person have to have an existing account with US Bank or any other bank in order to receive a card?

14.    How does someone qualify for the card?

15.     Who can the cardholder contact if they have questions about their card?

16.     How do cardholders check their available balance?

17.    What happens if the card is lost or stolen?

18.    Can a cardholder add funds to his or her card in addition to what the State puts into it?

19.    Can a cardholder request a second card for another person such as a family member?

20.     Can the card be used by someone other than the person whose name is on it?

21.    What happens if a cardholder no longer receives payments from the State, or has switched to direct deposit and now has support deposited into their personal bank account?

22.     Are there any fees associated with the card?

23.      Can the ReliaCard be overdrawn?

24.     Does the cardholder receive a monthly paper statement in the mail?

25.     When the card is sent in the mail, what does the envelope look like?

26.     What information or instructions come with the card?

27.     What services does the US Bank 24-hour customer service provide and are there any fees for the service?

28.     Can the cardholder view their account on-line?

29.     Can the State view or track individual cardholder transaction activity?

1.  Will everyone be included?

Yes. State law requires that, except in very limited circumstances, all child support must be distributed electronically. This provides child support recipients with a safe, convenient and secure method to receive their payments, and the State with a more efficient way to disburse funds.

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2.  What does electronic payment of child support mean?

Electronic payment of child support means that support payments will no longer be sent by check to customers, unless they are exempt under the law. Instead, customers will receive their payments either through direct deposit to their personal bank account, or through a US Bank ReliaCard Visa debit card. The customer can choose which option he or she wants.

3.  Are there any exceptions to receiving child support electronically?

Yes. The law allows some individuals to continue to receive support payments by check. These include individuals with a mental disability, physical disability, or language or literacy barrier that results in a hardship for those individuals in accessing electronic payments; and individuals with both home and work addresses that are more than 30 miles from an automated teller machine (ATM) or their financial institution.

Customers can request an exemption by calling toll-free, 1-877-4-MI-Debit (1-877-464-3324). All other individuals must choose between direction deposit to their personal bank account or a ReliaCard Visa debit card.

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4.  How does a person make the choice?

New customers receive their 1^st support check with a request to make a choice between direct deposit to their personal bank account or the ReliaCard Visa debit card for future payments. Included with the check is a direct deposit request form  which the customer must complete and return if they want direct deposit to their personal bank account. If they do not return the direct deposit form, they will automatically receive a US Bank ReliaCard Visa debit card. Customers can call 1-877-464-3324 if they have questions about the direct deposit form or would like one sent to them.

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5.  What is the ReliaCard Visa?

The ReliaCard Visa is a debit card issued by US Bank. Child support payments are electronically deposited to this card by the State when they are due and received from the person that owes the child support.

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6.  Is it a credit card?

No. Unlike a credit card, cardholders can only use the funds that have been deposited by the State. Customers cannot deposit additional funds to the card. There are no credit checks or approvals required to get a ReliaCard Visa debit card.

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7.  How does the ReliaCard work?

The ReliaCard can be used:

• To make purchases everywhere Visa debit cards are accepted (over 20 million merchants nationwide), including places like grocery stores, gas stations, and restaurants;
• To receive cash back with a purchase from Interlink merchants;
• To pay bills, and for online, phone and mail orders;
• To get cash from any bank teller that accepts Visa; and
• To get cash from ATM machines (fees apply).

 The amount of purchases or cash withdrawals are automatically deducted from the available funds on the card.

8.  Is a PIN (Personal Identification Number) needed to use the card?

Yes and no. The card can be used to make signature-based purchases without a PIN. However, a PIN must be used for cash withdrawals at ATMs (there is a fee for ATM transactions). The cardholder chooses his or her own PIN by calling US Bank customer service after they receive their card. For security reasons, it is important that the cardholder pick a PIN that only they would know and not share the PIN or the card with anyone.

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9.  When getting cash, does the cardholder have to go to a US Bank ATM or US Bank branch?

No. Cash can be obtained without any fees over the counter at any bank or credit union that accepts Visa. The cardholder can also get cash back without any fees on purchases made at 1.2 million Interlink merchants throughout the United States (29,000 in Michigan) such as grocery and discount stores. Note: To identify an Interlink merchant, customers can match the Interlink logo on the back of the card to the logo displayed on the merchant's door or at their check out counter.

US Bank is now offering surcharge free access at MoneyPass ATMs. Withdrawals made at MoneyPass ATMs will no longer be subject to a surcharge by the ATM owner. However, please note a $0.99 access fee will continue to be charged for all ATM withdrawals. Visit www.moneypass.com to find a MoneyPass ATM near you. Cash can also be obtained at non-MoneyPass branded ATMs throughout the world, but these transactions may include a surcharge fee.

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10.  How does the State deposit money onto the card?

Anytime that a payment is due and received from the person that owes the support, the State electronically deposits funds to the ReliaCard Visa debit card, just like they would electronically deposit funds into a personal bank account if the person receiving the support chooses direct deposit.

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11.  Does the person receiving the support payment get a new card every time a payment is made? No. All future child support payments will be automatically deposited onto the first card received. If the card is ever lost or stolen, a new one can be requested from US Bank. Any new payments will automatically go to the new card along with any remaining available balances from the old card.

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12.  What does a person do after receiving the card?

After a person receives the card in the mail, he or she must call US Bank customer service to activate the card. Although the State can deposit funds on to the card immediately, the card cannot be used until it has been activated. The cardholder also chooses his or her PIN (Personal Identification Number) when they activate the card. The number to call to activate the card is sent with the card.

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13.  Does the person have to already have an account with US Bank or any other Bank in order to receive the card?

No.

14.  How does a person qualify for the card?

No qualification or approval is needed. State law requires that child support must be sent electronically to the person receiving the support. So unless the person receiving support requests direct deposit to his or her personal bank account, he or she will receive the ReliaCard Visa debit card automatically.

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15.  Who can the cardholder contact if they have questions about their card?

For questions regarding support payments, such as most recent support amounts deposited, the cardholder should go to MiCase, which allows access to child support case information on-line. The cardholder can also contact the 24-hour case information access line. For all other questions about the card, US Bank customer service is available 24/7, every day of the year toll-free. This number is listed on the back of his or her card.

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16.  How do cardholders check their available balance?

Cardholders can obtain their current available balance in three ways:

• View their account on-line free of charge at:  www.reliacard.com;
• Call the toll-free customer service number on the back of their card; or.
• Perform a balance inquiry at an ATM (no fees are charged by US Bank nor most ATM owner/operators). If an ATM owner/operator does charge a fee for a balance inquiry, the customer will be informed so they can make a decision if they would like to proceed with the inquiry.

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17.  What happens if the card is lost or stolen?

Cardholders must call the toll-free customer service number 866-276-5114, also listed on their monthly statement, to report a lost or stolen card (the number is also listed on the card carrier meant to be retained for customer records, and the back of the card). A new card will be issued and any remaining balance will be transferred to the new card. The cardholder will not be responsible for any fraudulent activity that occurs on his or her card provided they reported the card missing in a timely manner, and have not shared his or her card or PIN number with anyone.

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18,  Can a cardholder add funds to his or her card in addition to what the State puts in?

No. Only the State can deposit funds to the card.

19.  Can a cardholder request a second card for another individual such as a family member?

No. Only the person to whom the State is making payments will receive a card.

20.  Can the card be used by someone other than the person whose name is on it?

No. For security reasons, cardholders should never share their PIN or allow anyone else to use their card.

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21.  What happens if a cardholder no longer receives payments from the State or has switched to direct deposit and now has support deposited into a personal bank account?

The cardholder can continue to use his or her card until any remaining balance has been used.

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22.  Are there any fees associated with this card?

Yes. There are standard fees with the ReliaCard Visa debit card; but a cardholder can access their money without fees by:

• Making purchases everywhere Visa debit cards are accepted (over 20 million merchants nationwide), including places like grocery stores, gas stations, and restaurants;
• Getting cash with purchase from Interlink merchant;
• Paying bills, and using for online, phone and mail order purchases; and,
• Receiving cash from any bank teller that accepts Visa.

Note: To identify an Interlink merchant, customers can match the Interlink logo on the back of the card to the logo displayed on the merchant's door or at their check out counter.

All fee amounts are described in detail in the information sent with the card.

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23.  Can the ReliaCard be overdrawn?

Yes, and there is an over limit fee. Normally the cardholder can only use up to the amount of funds available to them, but in some cases, such as pay-at-the-pump gas dispensers or restaurants in which a tip is added to the bill, the card can become overdrawn. If the card is overdrawn, the cardholder is subject to an over limit fee of $20.00. It is therefore important for cardholders to track their balances carefully in order to avoid an over limit fee.

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24.  Does the cardholder receive a monthly paper statement in the mail?

Yes. Cardholders with activity on their accounts during the month will receive a monthly paper statement. This means that if there has been no deposits or transaction activity on the cardholder's account during a month, the cardholder will not be mailed a statement for that month. The cardholder can also view their current transaction history and past statements online at www.reliacard.com.

25.  When the card is sent in the mail, what does the envelope look like?

For security reasons, the cards are mailed in plain white envelopes with an address window, which allows the name and address of the person receiving the card to show through.

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26.  What information or instructions on activation come with the card?

The card comes with the following:

• Instructions on how to activate the card;
• Card member agreement disclosing fees and all other terms and conditions of use;
• Welcome brochure that gives information on where and how the card can be used;
• US Bank privacy pledge; and
• Visa Purchase Security guide to benefits.

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27.  What services does the US Bank 24-hour customer service provide and are there any fees for the service?

The following can be done through the 24-hour account information voice response system (VRS) free of charge:

• Card activation;
• Choose/Change PIN (Personal Identification Number);
• Balance inquiries; and
• Review recent transaction history, including deposits.

Customer service representatives provide the following services:

• Receive reports of cards lost/stolen/not received;
• Issue new cards;
• Resolve disputed transactions;
• Update account information (address, phone number, etc.); and
  (Please note that you must also update your address with the Friend of the Court office.)
• Transfer money from the card to checking/savings account.

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28.  Can the cardholder view their account on-line?

Yes, at www.reliacard.com. The following functions can be performed on-line:

• PIN changes;
• Balance inquiries;
• View current month's transactions; and
• View previous statements for last 12 months.

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29.  Can the State view or track individual cardholder transaction activity?

No. For privacy reasons, US Bank does not share card account numbers or transaction details with the State. However, to make sure amounts deposited to the card are correct, the State does have access to the amount and date of deposits the State made to individual cards.

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