Social Security Is Making a Change to Debit Card Used by Millions

A major change to Social Security is coming for recipients who get their benefits sent to a debit card.

Most of the 70.6 million Americans who get Social Security and Supplemental Security Income benefits – more than 99% – get their payments electronically, via direct deposit to their checking accounts and to Direct Express prepaid debit cards. Those who get paper payments should know the Social Security Administration plans to fully transition to electronic payments for all beneficiaries by the end of the year.

Recipients who use the Direct Express debit cards have a change coming, too. The Treasury Department is changing the bank that handles recipient debit cards – Fifth Third Bank is replacing Comerica Bank as the financial agent for the Direct Express card program, the SSA said in a May 18 notice.

New Direct Express card enrollees are already getting Fifth Third Bank cards, the SSA says. The transition of current beneficiaries with existing Direct Express cards from Comerica to Fifth Third Bank will begin later this year or early next year, according to the agency. The change will affect about 3.6 million cardholders, according to The Motley Fool.

When Will Social Security Send New Direct Express Cards?

The Treasury Department will begin sending current Direct Express cardholders a new Fifth Third Bank card to replace their current Comerica card later this year. When the current card expires, beneficiaries will get a new Fifth Third Bank-issued card, the agency says.

Cardholders will be notified before their new card arrives. Meanwhile, your current card will remain fully functional, the agency says. New cards will work just the same as current cards have, with benefits arriving on the same schedule, Direct Express says.

However, recipients may want to take some action before their new card comes. “If you’ve moved recently, make sure the Social Security Administration has your updated contact information so it knows where to send your new debit card,” suggests Motley Fool contributing retirement analyst Kailey Hagen.

Beneficiaries should keep all their contact information up to date to ensure they get all communications, the SSA says.

Mike Snider is a national trending news reporter for USA TODAY. You can follow him on Threads, Bluesky, X and email him at mikegsnider & @mikegsnider.bsky.social & @mikesnider & [email protected].