Direct Express Reviews

They are holding my money. Disability. They said fraud. I called and questioned a purchase but it was fine. Used my card until they decided to hold the money. I had to get new ID. Mine was two weeks expired. That wasn’t enough. I’m on hold for hours sometimes. I’m literally hungry, I’m hungry. I have medication to get. and alone. Whatever happened to a security question. The worst service. I got new identification and they said I need additional. I didn’t claim fraud. That’s the issue. How are they allowed to get away with this?

Every negative review you read about Direct Express is true, nothing but a frustrating experience dealing with customer service. If a unauthorized charge is made on your card you can just kiss the money goodbye because they offer no help. They transfer you to someone who can help but they never answer, I've waited up to 90 minutes. They sent me a new card that's impossible to activate, it says invalid card but they tell me it's my fault. I seriously would consider a different option besides Direct Express. Like I said every negative review is like it is - HORRIBLE.

I am the representative payee for my son’s small disability payment each month. In the last 4 months D.E. has locked the card for purchases. They thought? we’re questionable (they weren’t). I have been trying to get thru on their one and only phone number since 19th of Aug. I have wasted over 3 hrs on hold. I am way beyond frustrated with these **! My son cannot pay his rent or buy groceries. I’d love to know the address of their call center! No customer service of any kind whatsoever! I’d give these jerks a minus 10 if possible!

I've had problems with the Direct Express company from the start. Today, with the Labor Day weekend starting, I have been frozen away from being able to use my card!!!! Absolutely furious now that I have been on HOLD FOR 78 MINUTES! Customer service is --- not answering.

I'm getting me a real bank account. I should be able to check my available balance any time I choose to. However I can't do that will lead me into getting a real bank account. I don't have time for they shit. My next payment will be with a real bank account. Be blessed

It's time for a massive lawsuit against this company! They have stolen my money, allowed others to steal from me, denied me access to my card for fraudulent charges on a brand new card that hadn't even been activated, they treated me horrible every time I contacted the fraud department and customer service, and so much more.

I receive my monthly disability on their debit card. My monthly payment was deposited and as always, went to pay my bills online and the card would not allow anything to go through. I contacted the bank and was advised that my card had been compromised 3 weeks prior and I was never notified of this or that they had sent a replacement card. Did receive the replacement card either. After speaking with them the card was supposed to have been closed and another card expedited to me. A few days later I log in to check my balance and they allowed an online money transfer company to process a transaction and take all my money. Apparently I sent money to someone in India with a card that the bank was supposed to have closed. It was their mistake and their fault that I have no money but yet I am still made to go through the dispute process to try and get my money back! Seriously!

Well if you have to use this, quickly get a bank account and stop using such a unreliable source for such an important release of your money. What customer service? I was on the phone for more than an hour. Never speaking to anyone. I suggest that the powers that be cancel using or even being affiliated with anything as unreliable when people have very little choice but to use this method.

I have called Direct Express yesterday which was 8/18/25. I was on hold for 6 hours and never got anyone then today 8/19/25 have been on hold for 4 hours and still no one to help me and I’m only calling to activate a card. This is aggravating and complete nonsense. They aren't that busy to be having someone on hold this long. Social security isn’t even this bad. I’m not happy today or yesterday from this hold back of my day wasted.

Horrible service, even after you give them the right info, you still get sent to fraud and wait for dubious amount of days before getting your card or even getting it set up, which shouldn't be hard at all.

I have had a Direct Express account for over ten years. I just had the chip on my card fail and it wasn’t the first time. It had been failing for a while, but I had been avoiding replacing the card because Direct Express is so bad. I spent an hour and a half on hold my first call. I ordered a replacement card and paid $13.50 to have it delivered. Otherwise it would have taken two weeks. I was told that I would get a text with the tracking information, I didn’t. So I called up two days later to get the tracking information and after another hour and a half on hold I was told that I had to provide a photo of my id to them to get info. I sent them the ID and the UPS guy showed up a couple minutes later with my new card.

Direct Express has been very difficult to get a hold of a live person. They say 24/7 service, but I've been on hold for 2 hours! Their app is way too simple, with no way to look over your account activity or status of claims. No Chat, no contact by email. Just one phone number. If you want to complain, call the same phone number! My account was fraudulently charged, I filed a claim, and have been locked out of my account for 2 weeks now, with no access to my disability, can't even buy food. Waiting on hold now, so far 58 minutes. Do yourself a favor, DON'T USE THIS BANK!

The customer service is horrible...the lady I talk to was extremely rude... not only she tried to argue with me because I told her she was rude...she showed no compassion and no enjoyment of her job. Y'all should talk to your employees...

The most horrible customer service ever encountered by any I've ever known. Will not help at all. Will change their policies. They will actually lie to you as well. Not to be trusted. And does not try in no way to resolve your problem. And extremely rude and very mean.

I am so dissatisfied with an issue I have with fraud on my card. I call 1-888-741-1115 be on hold 30-45 minutes, then transferred where my call is never answered. For this to be a state benefits card I can't believe I can't get help. I'm on hold now!!!, called all day yesterday and all day today and still no satisfaction!!. I will be going back to direct deposit with my bank. Wish I never got this card, it's trash.

They need to close down this card company. They are scammy, rude and unprofessional. They canceled my card without informing me. Send me another card w/o informing me, then I didn’t receive the other card so I have them issue me out another card. I was calling. I couldn’t get through. They never even stated what the so called fraud. I was waiting for a new card that was never issued so I had to call again to be issued another card. Now I’m waiting almost an hour to speak to someone to activate because the prompts wouldn’t let me, I’m done with them. Direct deposit it is.

This is the worst company I ever used in life. My monthly benefits are posted on my card and these idiotic people have been delaying the process at all costs to issue a card to my address. Due to being hospitalized I had to verify my identity and I’ve done so with government documents since July 29, 2025 and they have not been of no help. My next step is to sue this company. And for my next steps I removed my benefits from their company. I will never in life use this scamming ** company again.

This is actually the first review I've ever written but something needs to be said.. I have had this account since 2017 but after today as soon as my money is fixed on my card I will switch banks, I have never in my life dealt with such ignorant customer service representatives as I did today. Not one but two, I called 18 times before I got through, sat on hold for 35 minutes just to be completely treated like s**t and actually hung up on, like it actually felt like I was being punked because it was so unbelievable how these 2 women acted and spoke to me.

Since last week, I have called Direct Express 4 or 5 times, NEVER getting anyone on the phone. I have waited up to well over an hour each time. I received my replacement Direct Express card this morning with a letter from Direct Express. They state, they tried to call me on 7/28, obviously never updating my phone no. when I surprisingly got someone on the phone a couple weeks ago. Now, they have a "temporary restriction" on my new Direct Express card claiming Fraud. False. Now, I cannot access my new Direct Express card, or more importantly, my SSD benefits. I am FURIOUS. As I read the other horror stories from customers on here, I do believe all of it. I had an old neighbor tell me once, "Direct Express does take your money". As soon as you get your money on Direct Express, get it off of that card ASAP! My God!

This is the WORSE company. The representatives feel entitled and are a complete joke. They say they are doing their job when they can’t even get it right 3 times a row! Avoid this company as much as you can.

If there was negative stars that is what they deserve. Direct Express "customer service" representatives are some of the rudest that I have ever dealt with. (And based upon a pending class action lawsuit, many others have had the same experience.) I have had 5 calls with them and only one representative was cordial. Keeping in mind that the vast majority of their cardholders are elderly or disabled, they are very impatient and possess not one shred of empathy. I am strongly recommending that the person that I am a caregiver for change their deposit to a different agency.

Terrible, can’t even check your card balance at certain times of the day. their app and telephone won’t let you. Just a total waste using this card service like it’s really pisses me off every month smh

I had fraud on my account at Direct Express. I called them immediately and filed a dispute of the charges 3 days later. I shut the card down and paid$13 for an expedited new card. Once you file you dispute, you have a limited time frame to send them information regarding the fraud. They are to send you a dispute form that, in my opinion, needs to be sent faster than the 8 days it took to get it because there is a time line in order to get provisional credit. Because I didn't trust them to send the dispute form in a more timely manner, I was told to write down all information about the disputed charges and fax it to direct express. I wrote the letter and faxed it. I also called to check if they received it because I don't trust them. We'll, I found out they didn't receive it so they say. I don't believe them because there's no reason they wouldn't.

I had Direct Express years ago and I've never had, I never had a problem. It was just customer service, they never been good anyway. But as far as the card goes and my money going on my card, I've never had a problem with my money depositing at midnight, which it normally does, like say you get paid on the 3rd and it's on a Sunday, you get paid on the 1st and it goes on at midnight. I've never had any problem with this card.

To whom it may concern, I have been waiting 6 weeks from delivery to active my replacement card. I have been hold waiting for 5 days for 2 hours or more. My bills are due. 5 day notice and my storage unit lock is about to be cut off. I am so disappointed in direct express. It's no reason for this mishap.

This is my first time calling and I've been on hold for over a hour. When trying to set up my card it told me I had to call customer service and I'm still on hold. All I'm trying to do is set up my pin. To use the card. I have never waited this long for the bank to answer the phone.

I hated this company from day 1. They refuse to process my ACH transfer even though I did it over the phone, sent in the documents, and then had to resend the documents with a bank letter. I was told it would take 30 days to process. 3 months later still not processed. I sent in an inquiry asking for a status update. 1 week later still no response. They do everything they can to try to get you to pay their transfer fees every time you use it. I called customer service, they said it's on file but they won't accept it a few months ago. I took the extra steps, and still nothing. I am being forced to use this company without choice for disability.

Customer service wait times are ridiculous. They aren't properly trained so good chance they will hang up on you or just ask you to verify your identity so they don't have to do any work. Getting money taken off the card and then unable to get anyone to answer you or return the money happened to me and seems to happen to a lot of people. Worst bank and customer service of my life including calling DHS.

After waiting 45 minutes for someone to answer, "Diamond" answered talking what she wanted like a robot. I provided all the information. They denied our bank transfer to keep our money, after we completed all paperwork and waited a month without communications from them. This person refused to listen or transfer to a supervisor, and she HANG UP ON ME!! I am seeking options and reporting the event, STAY AWAY FROM DIRECT EXPRESS. It is not Direct or Express. YOU CAN GET YOUR MONEY DEPOSITED DIRECTLY IN YOUR BANK ACCOUNT FASTER!!! OPEN A CHECKING WITH $25.00, no more fees from this disrespectful people.

Terrible customer service after waiting an hour and a half only to be put on hold again. They can't find over a thousand dollars after receiving all paperwork and e-mail responses. They then sent a new card to Texas instead of where I live. Then sent a new card to me, which of course was an additional fee, the new card is locked out. They have lost a customer as soon as I can contact the VA to change my method of payment. I wish I could rate Direct Express less than one star.