Requirements for Statements of Qualifications

irect Express

Program

Financial Agent Selection Process

equirements Document and Solicitation of Services

ureau of the Fiscal Service

ecember 13, 2023

Direct Express

Program

Financial Agent Selection Process

Requirements Document and Solicitation of Services

Table of Contents

I. OVERVIEW ........................................................................................................................................................... 4

II. TIMELINE FOR SELECTION ..................................................................................................................................... 4

III. PROJECTED VOLUMES .......................................................................................................................................... 5

IV. FINANCIAL AGENT SELECTIONPROCESS................................................................................................................. 6

A. LEGAL AUTHORITY .................................................................................................................................. 6

B. EVALUATION OF PROPOSALS .................................................................................................................. 6

V. APPLICATION SUBMISSION PROCESS .................................................................................................................... 7

A. APPLICATION FORMAT ........................................................................................................................... 7

B. APPLICATION TRANSMITTAL LETTER ....................................................................................................... 8

C. PART I OF APPLICATION .......................................................................................................................... 8

D. PART II OF APPLICATION ......................................................................................................................... 9

1. QUALIFICATIONS ....................................................................................................................... 9

2. PRICING PROPOSAL ................................................................................................................. 10

3. PERSONNEL/INFRASTRUCTURE CAPABILITIES .......................................................................... 11

4. ACCOUNTHOLDER EDUCATION AND OUTREACH SERVICES ....................................................... 12

5. MEDIA AND OTHER INQUIRIES ................................................................................................. 12

6. PROMOTING CONVERSION FROM CHECK TO EFT ..................................................................... 12

7. CARD STOCK ............................................................................................................................ 12

8. PREPAID ACCOUNT FEATUERS ................................................................................................. 12

9. INNOVATION ........................................................................................................................... 14

10. ENROLLMENT AND CARD DISTRIBUTION/MANAGEMENT ........................................................ 14

11. CARD FUNDING ....................................................................................................................... 17

12. SETTLEMENT PROCESSING/RECONCILITATION ......................................................................... 17

13. POST-PAYMENT ACTIVITIES ..................................................................................................... 17

14. GARNISHMENTS ...................................................................................................................... 17

15. SET-OFF ................................................................................................................................... 17

16. ACCOUNTHOLDER CUSTOMER SERVICE ................................................................................... 17

17. FRAUD MONITORING AND INVESTIGATION ............................................................................. 18

18. ACTIVITY REPORTS .................................................................................................................. 19

19. CUSTOMER SERVICE TO GOVERNMENT.................................................................................... 20

20. SERVICE LEVEL REQUIREMENTS ............................................................................................... 20

21. DISASTER RECOVERY/RISK MITIGATION ................................................................................... 20

22. CONTINGENCY PLAN ................................................................................................................ 20

23. TRANSITION PLAN ................................................................................................................... 20

24. OPTIONAL UNSCORED COMPONENTS ...................................................................................... 21

E. DEADLINE ............................................................................................................................................. 21

F. HOW TO SUBMIT APPLICATIONS ........................................................................................................... 21

G. QUESTIONS ........................................................................................................................................... 22

VI. OTHER ............................................................................................................................................................... 22

I. Overview

Pursuant to its authority under 12 U.S.C. §§ 90 and 265, 31 C.F.R. §§ 202 and 208, and other applicable

federal laws, Fiscal Service seeks to designate a qualified financial institution as a Financial Agent (FA)

to provide services necessary to operate the Direct Express debit card program while also introducing

other digital payment solutions beyond a physical card.

Federal law generally requires that all non-tax federal payments be made by electronic funds transfer

(EFT). 31 U.S.C. § 3332(f)(1). The U.S. Department of Treasury (Treasury) is required by statute to

ensure that individuals required to receive federal payments by EFT have access to an account at a

financial institution “at a reasonable cost” and with “the same consumer protections with respect to the

account as other account holders at the same financial institution.” 31 U.S.C. § 3332(i)(2). To meet these

requirements, while also addressing the needs of those federal benefit recipients who do not have bank

accounts, the Bureau of the Fiscal Service (Fiscal Service) offers the Direct Express

prepaid account.

While Fiscal Service sponsors the Direct Express program and specifies the account’s features and fees,

the Financial Agent holds the legal account relationship with the accountholder. Once Fiscal Service

disburses payments to Direct Express accounts, the funds belong to the accountholder and not the

government. The Financial Agent is liable for any unauthorized use of Direct Express accounts that it

cannot recover under Regulation E or the card network rules. As of September 30, 2023, there were

approximately 3.8 million open Direct Express accounts. Fiscal Service seeks a Financial Agent to

administer the Direct Express debit card portfolio while also offering federal payment recipients

alternative/emerging electronic payment solutions.

Fiscal Service recognizes that financial institutions may choose to provide some of the required services

through partnership with other service providers. Fiscal Service strongly encourages interested financial

institutions to engage with small banks and businesses, including minority-owned or women-owned small

banks and businesses, and to describe this proposed engagement in their Financial Agent Selection

Process (FASP) submissions. Interested financial institutions should also consider participation in the

Treasury Bank Mentor-Protégé Program, a Treasury-sponsored program established to cultivate a broader

pool of financial institutions that have the ability, skills, and knowledge to provide services on behalf of

Treasury.

II. Timeline for Selection

iscal Service’s process for selecting an applicant is expected to follow the below timeline (Fiscal Service

may vary the timeline as necessary or appropriate and without advance notice to participants):

Event

Fiscal Service issues announcement seeking applications

Application submissions due to the Fiscal Service (5:00 p.m. ET)

Date

December 13, 2023

February 12, 2024

March 15, 2024

Fiscal Service notifies finalists

For clarity, the proposal must be submitted by the financial institution and the selected financial institution will have the

legal relationship with Fiscal Service and liability and responsibility to Fiscal Service for any services provided by the

financial institution and its contractors.

Mar

ch 19 – April 26, 2024

Finalists invited to make oral presentations if applicable; Fiscal

Service review period

June 21, 2024

Fiscal Service selects Financial Agent(s)

January 3, 2025

New Financial Agency begins Agreement becomes effective with

three-year transition support (if applicable)

III. Projected Volumes

iscal Service cannot guarantee the number of federal benefit recipients that will enroll in the Direct

Express program in the future. In the event an applicant financial institution other than the incumbent is

selected, the incumbent has the right to solicit existing Direct Express accountholders to enroll in an

account offered by the incumbent. It is unknown whether the incumbent would exercise its right to solicit

existing Direct Express accountholders or, if the incumbent exercised this right, how many

accountholders would continue to participate in the Direct Express program. In addition, it is unknown

how many accountholders would elect to open a bank account or prepaid account at another financial

institution for receipt of their federal benefit payments. Moreover, regardless of whether the incumbent or

another financial institution is selected, applicants should understand that existing Direct Express

cardholders may at any time opt to receive their benefit payment by other means. Additionally, while it is

possible that the Direct Express program could be expanded to include additional types of federal

payments, Fiscal Service cannot guarantee that this will occur, nor can it predict the number of

participants.

To reiterate, Fiscal Service cannot and does not guarantee: (1) the number of federal payees who may

newly enroll in the Direct Express program in the future; (2) in the event of a transition to a different FA,

the number of accountholders who may opt to receive their payments on a product from the incumbent,

another financial institution or by other means; (3) the dollar amount that will be loaded onto Direct Express

prepaid accounts; (4) the number or types of transactions that accountholders will complete; or (5) any

other information about expected accountholders, transactions, or expansions of the program that may

occur in the future.

Although historical performance does not dictate future usage patterns, the following historical program

data may assist applicants in developing proposals.

CY 2021

CY 2022

CY 2023

Payment Volumes

(Deposits)

58,983,463

53,351,693

34,400,139 (through

October)

Largest Single Date of

Payment Volume/Date

(Deposits/Month)

9,411,802/April

6,612,863/April

6,407,209/March

New Enrollment Volumes

578,157

486,711

396,918

(through October)

Call Center Volumes/IVR

374,146,997

271,289,912

213,203,088

(through September)

Call Center Volumes/CSR

6,869,852

9,031,438

6,159,328

(through October)

For a monthly statistical snapshot of overall SSA and SSI payments, including average dollar amounts, please visit

http://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/quickfacts/stat_snapshot/.

For est

imates on the number of future SSA and SSI beneficiaries, actuarial data is available on the SSA

website, http://www.ssa.gov.

IV. Financial Agent Selection Process

Legal Authority.

ursuant to its legal authorities, including 12 U.S.C. §§ 90 and 265, 31 U.S.C. § 3332, 31 C.F.R. Part 202

and 208, Fiscal Service is authorized to designate a Financial Agent for the purpose of disbursing federal

payments electronically to prepaid accounts. Financial Agents have the fiduciary responsibility to act on

behalf of, and in the best interest of the government during the performance of their duties under an

agent-principal relationship with Treasury. To be eligible for designation as a Financial Agent, financial

institutions must meet the requirements set forth in 31 C.F.R. Part 202. Notwithstanding this limitation,

financial institutions may contract with other service providers including non- financial institutions such

as processors or financial technology companies (fintechs) to provide the services solicited in this

document. The application must be submitted by the financial institution who will have the legal

relationship with Fiscal Service and liability and responsibility to Fiscal Service for any services provided

by contractors.

Fiscal Service will accept applications from financial institutions with the demonstrated ability to issue

prepaid accounts with the attributes described herein. Interested financial institutions must submit

applications in accordance with the process described below. Fiscal Service will review the applications

and may select one or more finalist(s) who will be invited to participate further in Fiscal Service’s

selection process, which may include oral presentations and informal discussions. Fiscal Service will

provide finalists with the standard template Financial Agency Agreement that the selected Financial

Agent will be required to sign. It is anticipated that the selected Financial Agent will execute a final

Financial Agency Agreement within four (4) months after the selection is made. Fiscal Service anticipates

that the Financial Agency Agreement will be for a period of no less than five (5) years with the possibility

of two (2) two-year and one (1) one-year optional extension periods for a maximum possible term of ten

(10)

ears.

NOTE: The Federal Acquisition Regulation does not apply to the FASP.

Evaluation of Proposals

he evaluation of proposals will be based on multiple factors, and not solely on cost. As a threshold

matter, all applications must demonstrate an ability to meet or exceed all requirements established in this

solicitation. Applications that meet these requirements will be evaluated taking the following factors into

consideration:

1. Compliance with format and submission requirements.

2. Experience providing prepaid account services and/or government benefit card services.

3. Identification of opportunities to modernize delivery of federal benefit payments and other

types of federal payments, e.g., tax refund payments, disaster relief payments. While

applicants must address physical debit cards, they are encouraged to address other electroni

delivery methods/product offerings beyond a physical card.

4. Benefits to the accountholder population (e.g., low-cost fee structure, wide availability of

automated teller machines, convenient and intuitive website and mobile app capability, in-

branch locations for over- the-counter withdrawals and/or in-person identity verification).

5. Experience providing self-service options and operating customer service call centers 24 hours

a day/7days a week/365 days a year that can handle significant spikes in call volume.

6. Total program costs to the government over the life of the agreement, including, if applicable,

the co

sts of transitioning the program to a new Financial Agent.

7. Ability to provide detailed, accurate, and timely reporting in a variety of formats that are easy

to access and interpret.

8. Ability to agilely innovate and implement solutions that positively impact customer servi

nd program efficiencies.

9. Ability to prevent, detect, manage, and report fraud without unduly interrupting accountholder

access to funds.

10. Ability to comply with Regulation E for dispute resolution and provide summary reports that

demonstrate their compliance.

11. Experience and expertise of Key Personnel team.

12. Partnerships that demonstrate commitment to diversity and inclusion.

13. For non-incumbent applicants, ability to transition the program in an orderly manner that

clearly communicates expectations to accountholders and minimizes disruption to the greatest

extent possible.

Selection will be made based on the Fiscal Service’s determination of the best interests of the

government.

V. Application Submission Process

inancial institutions submitting an application must comply with the following requirements. Fiscal

Service may, at its discretion, waive any of the requirements based on its assessment of what is in the best

interest of the government.

Application Format

An i

nterested financial institution may submit an application in whatever format it deems appropriate,

subject to the following parameters:

The application (excluding the transmittal letter) must be clearly divided into two sections titled

“Part I” and “Part II.” Part I may not be more than five (5) pages and Part II may not be more

than thirty-five (35) pages. A page is 8-1/2" x 11", single-sided, with font size no smaller than

12 point, except charts may include font size no smaller than 10 point. For Part II of the

application, each section should be titled accordingly (i.e., Section 1- Qualifications, Section 2

– Pricing Proposal, etc.).

In addition to the 40 pages allotted to Parts I and II, the application may also contain a table of

contents, pricing proposal charts, and sample reports speaking to the applicant’s depth of

experience providing services outlined in this solicitation.

Proposal documents should not be marked as “Proprietary” and Fiscal Service will not honor

any such markings. However, because proposals may be subject to Office of Inspector General

requests, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, congressional inquiries, or other

requests, proposal documents may be labelled as “Program Sensitive” and/or “Confidential

Commercial Information” to emphasize concerns about disclosure. Such markings, while not

determinative, will assist Fiscal Service in determining appropriate responses to such requests

nd inquiries.

The financial institution must not submit any sales brochures, videos, or other marketing

nformation.

Application Transmittal Letter

e application must contain a transmittal letter as described below:

The transmittal letter must be written on the financial institution’s letterhead and signed by an

fficial of the financial institution with legal authority to represent and bind the institution to

the statements made in the application. Electronic signatures are acceptable.

The transmittal letter must include the name, title, mailing address, e-mail address, and

telephone number of the financial institution point of contact to whom Fiscal Service w

ill

dress all communications related to the FASP.

The transmittal letter must affirmatively state that the applicant (1) qualifies as a Financial

gent under 31 C.F.R. Part 202; (2) agrees to the selection approach described in this

solicitation; (3) understands that the selection process is not subject to the Federal Acquisition

Regulation; (4) understands that Fiscal Service makes no guarantees that the financial

institution will be invited to participate further in the selection process; and (5) understands

that Fiscal Service makes no guarantees regarding accountholder or transaction volume under

the Direct Express program.

Part I of the Application.

art I of the application must address the following:

The applicant’s qualification to act as a Financial Agent for the purposes described in this

solicitation pursuant to 12 U.S.C. §§ 90 and 265, and in accordance with the requirements set

forth in 31 CFR Part 202.

The identity of any partners, affiliates, vendors, or protégé banks (collectively “partners”) with

which the financial institution proposes to contract to provide the requested prepaid account

services.

The capacity of the financial institution and its partners to issue Card Network-branded

eloadable debit cards and the maximum number of debit cards it could service.

The ability of the financial institution and its partners to establish prepaid accounts covered by

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) insurance and in compliance with the

requirements of Regulation E (12 CFR 1005).

The ability of the financial institution and its partners to establish and staff a customer service

cal

l center(s) with U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents within the continental United

States providing service 24 hours a day/7 days a week/365 days a year. Applications must

outline the financial institution’s experience in customer service operations including the

number of call centers operated, the type of program supported, user populations, number of

calls/transactions per month handled, customer satisfaction ratings, and the years of

experience.

The demonstrated experience of the financial institution and its proposed partners with issuing

prepaid accounts for recurring payments disbursed by a government or private entity. This

requirement includes providing a clear and concise description of projects and/or programs

cope and duration that illustrate the capabilities of the financial institution and its propose

partners. I

n addition, the description should address the experience the financial institution has

in demonstrating flexibility in making systemic, operational and/or leadership changes due to

changing program dynamics. The applicant should also include supporting documentation

and/or data reflecting their competence to meet customer service expectations for a large

prepaid account program that experiences significant spikes and demands on or around pre-set

payment days. This includes demonstration of ability to provide robust reporting and

performance management (e.g., average call wait times, maximum call wait times, call center

and fraud report volumes, automated solutions, and deposit and transaction processing

statistics).

Part II of the Application.

Part II of the Application must address or include the following:

Qualifications

Security Compliance: The applicant’s ability to comply with all applicable

security requirements of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, as specified in

Treasury security directives. Among other things, Treasury directives require that

employees who are working on this project, including call center employees, must

be U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents. The Financial Agent will not be

operating an information system on behalf of Fiscal Service.

i. The FA is providing a banking service to Fiscal Service and agencies. To

the extent necessary, the FA shall assist and work with Fiscal Service to

comply with (SOC 1 and/or SOC 2) compliance related to security

requirements of external services as part of the continuous monitori

d financial accuracy reporting requirements based on Federal Financial

Management Improvement Act (FFMIA).

ii. The FA shall provide Fiscal Service a yearly Statement on Standard

ttestation Engagements no. 18 (SSAE18) audit report in electroni

ormat. Fiscal Service will treat the SSAE 18 as confidential. If the SSA

18 or

any related documentation is subject of a Freedom of Informati

Act request, Fiscal Service will give the FA the opportunity to indicate

what information constitutes trade secrets or commercial or financial tha

s confidential, the release of which could harm the FA. Fiscal Servi

ll assert the exemption under FOIA that allows for protection of tha

nformation, as well as any other FOIA exemption that might apply a

promptly notify and cooperate with FA so that FA may contest the

disclosure of the proprietary information

iii. T

he FA shall participate in government audits and provide

information/data as necessary to fulfill the nature of the audit, and as

authorized and/or not prohibited by law.

iv. A general description of the Applicant’s emergency and disaster recovery

and contingency plans in the event of primary systems failure or other

similar event, including call center locations, to be transferred to an

alternative system and/or facility

b. Ref

erences: The contact information of a reference for each of the prepai

account projects for governmental or private entities described in Part I of the

pplication.

c. Ke

y Personnel: Names, titles, business addresses, and experience of proposed

key project personnel, including key personnel of any partners.

d. P

rogram Management: How the applicant will manage the program. The

applicant must submit a staffing chart describing how they will manage the

program with a breakout of functions.

Pricing Proposal

Cardholder Fees: In 2010, Fiscal Service published a notice of proposed

rulemaking (NPRM) requesting public comment on the fees, features and

consumer protections associated with the Direct Express card considering the

statutory requirements of 31 U.S.C. 3332. 75 FR 34394. Following consideration

of the comments, Fiscal Service published a rulemaking that finalized the fees and

features of the Direct Express card and set forth Fiscal Service’s analysis that the

low fees and nationwide availability of the Direct Express card satisfy the statutory

requirement of 31 U.S.C. 3332. 75 FR 80315. Accordingly, applicants must

submit a pricing proposal that maintains or is lower than the existing cardholder

fee schedule (see Appendix D), for instance where an applicant proposes reduction

or elimination of one or more of the existing fees. In direct support of this, it is

also expected that cardholders will have access to a nationwide surcharge-free

ATM network or other widely available no-cost means to access funds that either

meets or exceeds current availability.

Compensation:

i. Applicants may use any methodology for calculating required

compensation. Proposed compensation may include per-card enrollment

fees and monthly account maintenance fees. Applicants should provide a

transparent and clear explanation of the rationale for any operational cost

compensation proposal. Similarly, if it is determined that no

compensation is needed, applicants should also provide a transparent and

clear explanation of the rationale supporting that decision.

ii. Applicants should include any anticipated costs associated with the

potential introduction of other digital payment solutions beyond a

physical card or other cost drivers that could increase or decrease the

government’s costs.

Transition Cost: Applicants other than the incumbent must include in their

pricing proposal any compensation required from the government associated with

the applicant’s role in transitioning existing Direct Express accounts from the

incumbent to the applicant. See Subsection 23 below for more information

regarding transition. Should the incumbent financial agent apply, it must describe

the compensation required from the government to implement the changes

outlined in this solicitation versus the requirements in the current FAA.

The information below is provided for consideration in your pricing proposal:

Call V

olumes Broken Down by Peak and Non-Peak Days, October 2022 to September 2023

Peak Days (First 10 Days of Month

Around Key Payment Dates)

Non-Peak Days

Oct 2022

241,312

482,984

Nov 2022

275,632

430,352

Dec 2022

329,142

441,593

Jan 2023

150,946

400,226

Feb 2023

199,699

350,287

Mar 2023

260,162

388,979

Apr 2023

179,634

479,096

May 2023

237,766

460,408

June 2023

242,131

418,934

July 2023

217,267

375,915

Aug 2023

222,385

384,727

Sept 2023

224,489

358,853

i. Account Balance Drawdown: Direct Express prepaid account financial

transactions are not evenly distributed throughout the month. Financia

ransactions typically peak on payment days at the beginning of the

month and are often compressed to certain time periods on individual

payment days. For instance, SSI payments generally post on the 1

of the

month, while SSA payments post on the 3

of the month. There are times

owever, where due to a payment date falling on a weekend or holiday

SSI

and SSA payments will post on the same date. Accordingly,

historical usage patterns have shown that during the first three days o

each m

onth, the applicant should anticipate a significant amount of

balance drawdown. Historical data has shown that within 24 hours of

payment, more than half of SSI funds and over a quarter of SSA funds

are expended. Additionally, the applicant should also assume that

accountholders may leverage other applications (e.g., Venmo, MetaPay

lle, Cash App, PayPal) as another mechanism for drawing down a

balance.

ii. No Credit Check; Accountholder Retention: Potential accountholders

will not be subject to any credit screening requirements.

iii. Relationship with Accountholder: Once the funds are disbursed to an

account, they belong to the accountholder and the applicant is responsible

for future liabilities.

Personnel/Infrastructure Capabilities A description of the personnel and infrastructure

capabilities of the applicant to provide the required prepaid account services, including the

ecurity and privacy protection features. The applicant should take into consideration, as note

arlier in this document, that both customer service call volumes and Direct Express account

financial transactions are not evenly distributed throughout the month. Financial transaction

ypically peak on payment days at the beginning of the month and are often compressed t

certain time periods on individual payment days. Additionally, while SSI payments generally

post on the 1

of the month and SSA payments post on the 3

of the month, there are times

here due to a payment date falling on a weekend or holiday, SSI and SSA payments will post

on the same date. The applicant must demonstrate how, under these circumstances, extreme

peaks of payment processing, financial transactions, and customer service requests are handled

without disruption to accountholders.

Accountholder Education and Outreach Services: The applicant must implement a robust

financial education program designed to increase accountholder awareness of the features and

benefits of the Direct Express

prepaid account and related digital payment solutions. The

applicant should provide a description of the type of education and outreach services the

applicant could support as part of their plan (e.g., web-based training, mobile education

application, check stuffers, brochures, posters, advertising, customer surveys, social media, and

online accountholder and financial education programs.) Applicants should take into

consideration that some materials may require customization due to the unique needs of the

cardholder population (e.g., those with representative payees, institutional payees, payees

impacted by homelessness, etc.). Marketing to Direct Express

accountholders for purposes not

related to Direct Express

is prohibited.

Media and Other Inquiries: A description of the applicant’s capacity to handle media and other

high-profile inquiries (e.g., FOIAs and Congressional inquiries) regarding the Direct Express

program including a description of the resources available to handle such inquiries routinely

and those requiring escalation.

Promoting Conversion from Check to EFT: Fiscal Service may identify opportunities to

increase EFT payments for federal payment recipients and would expect the financial agent to

support Fiscal Service on these efforts, if applicable. For instance, on an as requested basis

(potentially quarterly), the applicant may work closely with Fiscal Service partners on outreach

to promote EFT through mailings. Applicants should address in their response to this

solicitation, any ideas they have to further support Fiscal Service’s efforts to convert check

payments to EFT.

Card Stock: A description of how the applicant will obtain and provide necessary card stock,

including how the applicant will maintain enough card stock and other necessary materials for

program operations.

Prepaid Account Features: A description of account features for the product(s) offered to meet

the stated objectives, including whether the following features will be available:

Individually owned accounts or, if not, describe the account structure and how

changes to the account structure impact the pricing proposal.

FDIC insurance for accountholder funds

Must meet or exceed Regulation E protections for accountholders (describe

protections that will be available)

The applicant must adhere to the existing Direct Express

account color scheme,

trademark/logo, etc.

Whether the accounts will bear interest to the accountholder’s benefit

A unique routing number(s) designated specifically to accounts under the

program; unique Bank Identification Number (BIN)

Capability for personal identification number (PIN)-based or signature-based or

other transactions at Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) or Point of Sale (POS)

devices, including ability to get cash-back at POS. Applicants should address

capacity for the product to be used worldwide.

Accountholder ability to withdraw funds at a bank or credit union branch or other

ability to withdraw some or all account funds including but not limited to options

such as obtaining cash or transferring to a Digital Wallet.

Accountholder ability to leverage other applications (e.g., Venmo, MetaPay,

Zelle, CashApp, PayPal) as means of drawing down their account balance with

balanced fraud controls/protections.

Reloadability for purposes of receiving recurring federal benefits (accountholder

will not be able to load personal funds to the prepaid account). Presently, federal

benefit payments disbursed by Fiscal Service are the only source of funding for

Direct Express

accounts. However, under certain circumstances Fiscal Service

will direct the Financial Agent to accept non-federal payments or non-Treasury

disbursed payments. This includes:

i. State-Disbursed Supplemental SSI Payments. Some states supplement

the federal SSI benefit with an additional payment. On certain occasions,

a state may begin issuing the state’s share of SSI payments directly rather

than via SSA. State supplemental SSI payments must be allowed to post

to Direct Express

accounts in addition to the federal SSI payment. Close

coordination is required between the applicant, Fiscal Service, SSA, and

the state involved. For additional background information on state issued

supplemental SSI payments, please visit, https://www.ssa.gov/ssi/text-

benefits-ussi.htm.

ii. Federal Non-Treasury Disbursed Payments. The applicant must

accommodate and explain how it will process payments from benefit

agencies that do not disburse payments through Fiscal Service, otherwise

known as Non-Treasury Disbursed Payments. Specifically, the applicant

must describe how payment processing will be configured to accept ACH

payments from a non-Treasury source.

iii. Fiscal Service may consider allowing other payments disbursed by Fiscal

Service to payees (such as tax refund payments) to be loaded onto the

Direct Express

account. Applicants should describe their capability to

accept non-benefit payments onto the account.

Accountholder’s ability to use the prepaid account product to pay rent and other

bills or to transfer money; including any existing experience with utility or

mortgage/rental assistance programs administered by Housing and Urban

Development (HUD) or another agency if applicable.

Accountholder’s name embossed on physical card.

Account-related security features.

Mobile application that will potentially handle account management functions,

such as the ability to check balances, lock/unlock account, change address, order

replacement cards, and track transactions.

Website that will potentially handle account management functions, such as the

ability to check balances, lock/unlock account, change address, order replacement

cards, and track transactions.

Europay, Mastercard and Visa (EMV)/PIN and chip capabilities for all cards.

Any other features that improve the customer experience and/or improve program

efficiencies.

Access to funds through digital wallets and other non-traditional accounts, such as

subscription services

Innovation: Applicants should describe their experience in innovation and provide specific

examples in connection with prepaid account programs or otherwise. The applicant should also

describe how they would use innovation to advance electronic payment capabilities and

improve customer service and the overall customer experience.

10.

Enrollment and Card Distribution/Management: A description of the proposed process for

issuing cards and managing issued cards. The description should address the following:

Enrollments:

i. “New enrollments” refers to the process that takes place when a federal

benefit payment recipient first elects to receive their payments via Direct

Express (see subsection b below). Currently benefit paying agencies and

the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas (FRB-Dallas) (Treasury’s fiscal

agent), receive all new enrollments either directly from the new

cardholder or through paying agencies. New enrollments are currently

processed following one of two processes:

• SSA uses a prenote, in the form of an ACH Corporate

Trade Exchange (CTX) file and addenda to provide the

Financial Agent with the information to set up card

accounts, process card production, and mail cards to

beneficiaries. Applicants will be expected to be able to

receive, process, reconcile and acknowledge such pre-

notes; or;

• FRB-Dallas uses a web-based portal to provide this

enrollment information to the Financial Agent. The

Financial Agent then, through an Automated

Enrollment Entry (ENR), provides to the federal

payment agency routing and account information for

assignment to the accountholder. Applicants will be

expected to be able to receive, process, reconcile and

acknowledge such ENRs.

ii. The applicant will be responsible for re-issuing cards in situations such

as the following:

• A card has been lost or stolen.

• The cardholder has experienced fraud on his/her

account and needs a new card issued.

• Expired cards.

Applicants must describe how they will perform identity validation in such

circumstances keeping in mind that some Direct Express

accountholders may not

appear in commercially available databases.

iii. Enrollments must allow, for single and/or representative payee

beneficiaries, multiple benefits onto a single debit card, as well as

payments for multiple beneficiaries onto a single debit card. More

information on SSA’s Representative Payee program is available at:

https://www.ssa.gov/payee/index.htm

iv. Applicant may be expected to develop, in conjunction and coordination

with the FRB-Dallas, a web-based portal utilized for sharing and

processing enrollment information between the two entities. This portal

will allow FRB-Dallas call center agents to enter enrollment data into the

applicant’s system, so that a debit card may be initiated in real time.

v. Applicant may also interact with FRB-Dallas for the following:

• Development of a solution to distribute a potentially

high volume of unsolicited prepaid debit cards that

individuals can call to activate.

• Customer service issues. To resolve complex customer

issues, the applicant will need to provide escalation

options.

• The applicant may have further interaction with FRB-

Dallas and the federal paying agencies as new agencies

become eligible for Treasury disbursements and

programs are added to further promote the growth of

electronic funds transfers of federal payments.

• Telephone cooperation that will include providing toll-

free numbers for proper call routing of maintenance,

lost/stolen, and enrollment status customer inquiries.

• Applicant resources may need to be provided to work in

conjunction with FRB-Dallas resources on specific

projects.

vi. Alternatively, applicants may propose to receive new enrollments directly

from customers or agencies without the involvement of FRB-Dallas.

Applicants proposing to receive new enrollments directly should detail

their plan for how they would receive and process new enrollments

including how they would validate the identity of enrollees and should

submit a pricing proposal.

Procedures for mailing cards to accountholders.

How cards will be reissued when an existing card expires.

How the applicant will define and handle “inactive” cards, for example, cards

where there have been no deposits and/or withdrawals for a period of time,

including how the applicant will handle the accounts of certain SSI payment

recipients who may move in and out of the SSI program.

Any alternatives to physical plastic cards (such as access to funds through virtual

acco

unts, digital wallets and/or card-less access to or use of benefits) that meet

the requirements herein including requirements related to security, privacy

protection, and fraud prevention.

Identity authentication (“customer identification procedures” or “CIP” and

“K

now Your Customer” or “KYC”) procedures and compliance with the Patrio

Act

, Office of Foreign Asset Control and applicable Treasury regulations.

General description of cardholder materials to be provided to cardholders with

each debit card (subject to government approval), including materials that explain

to cardholders how to activate and use the card.

Cardholder activation and deactivation procedures, including how PINs are

assigned and circumstances under which deactivation occurs.

Payments to unpinned, inactive accounts. There will be circumstances where

payments are made to card accounts that are never activated by the recipients.

Applicants must address how they would identify these cases and return funds to

the government in an automated way that meets both the requirements of Fiscal

Service and paying agencies.

The applicant must discuss how they can facilitate timely enrollments and proper

timing of the issuance of their card to the recipient to prevent confusion and/or

non-receipt of the subsequent payment. A Direct Express card is mailed to

ecipient after the paying agency receives and confirms a prenote transaction in

order to prevent erroneous enrollments and to ensure that the recipient receives

the card shortly before receipt of their next payment. It is imperative that the

ecipient does not receive the card too early, and therefore it is not funded on their

subsequent payment, nor can the card be issued after funds were added to th

car

d, and therefore the recipient misses their payment.

Procedures and timeframes for re-issuing lost/stolen/destroyed cards:

i. Applicant will replace lost/stolen cards reported by cardholders in c

ases

where the cardholder has a zero balance and the fee for the replacement

card cannot be collected until the cardholder's next payment is received

(note: this applies to cases where the cardholder, per the fee structure, i

equired to pay for a replacement card).

ii. Applicant will return payments inaccessible due to a destroyed card

through the ACH network.

Innovative solutions and/or techniques for reducing the high volumes of lost and

stolen cards through cardholder education or otherwise.

Innovative solutions to allow cash and virtual card access in situations where a

ecipient’s card is lost or stolen and not available for use. The applicant shoul

xplain how they would balance access to this virtual solution with the need to

mitigate the risks of fraud and/or misuse.

If not already described a description of the applicant's security and privacy

protection procedures.

11.

Card Funding: A description of the applicant's proposed card funding (initial load and recurring

load) procedures via the ACH network.

12.

Settlement Processing/Reconciliation: The applicant must make funds available to settle to

accountholder accounts at precisely 12am CT on the payment date as a significant number of

accountholders begin withdrawing funds and engaging in POS transactions at that exact

moment (note that this is an exception outlined in 31 CFR Part 210, which is earlier than ACH

Rules requirements).

13.

Post-Payment Activities: The applicant shall provide a general description of its ability to meet

the obligations outlined in 31 CFR Part 210, addressing such post-payment activities as: ACH

non-receipts, ACH Returns, ACH reclamations, and Automated Enrollments (ENR), including

both their current and future-state processes. The applicant should speak to how they will

address the potential liability and workload arising from post-payment activities as part of their

pricing proposal. Additionally, applicants should address their ability to communicate with

Fiscal Service and paying agencies via secured means to resolve exception items, including

recovery of erroneous payments, non-receipt claims, and reclamations.

Below are volumes of non-receipt and reclamations activity for the program from 2021 to 2023:

Direct Express Non-Receipt Volumes

2021 – 31,733

2022 – 23,435

2023 YTD-25,591

Direct Express Reclamation Volume:

2021 – 33,019

2022 – 30,291

2023 YTD – 23,313

Please see Appendix A to learn more about federal government post-payment activities. In addition, the

regulatory requirements for processing federal government ACH payments can be found in 31 CFR Part

210 at: https://www.fiscal.treasury.gov/ach/ and further explained in the Green Book.

14.

Garnishments: Applicants must comply with 31 CFR Part 212.

15.

Set-Off: A description of how the applicant's policies with respect to internal set-off for

payment of accountholder fees, overdrafts, or other amounts owed by the accountholder to the

applicant would apply to the proposed prepaid account product. Set-offs for amounts owed by

the accountholder to the applicant for activity unrelated to the prepaid account product are

prohibited.

16.

Accountholder Customer Service: A description of how the applicant will meet Customer

Service needs considering the needs of Direct Express

accountholders, including the need for

customer service to be available at the time of payment to the Direct Express

prepaid account.

The description of the applicant's proposed accountholder customer services should include:

Communication channels: Including Interactive Voice Response (IVR), Customer

Service Representative (CSR), mobile application, text/email, online, or other

innovative methods for communicating with accountholders and the types of

transacting that can be done in each (e.g., balance, fraud disputes, secure online

chat, etc.)

Toll-free customer service availability 24 hours a day/7 days a week/365 days a

year

Type of accountholder services that will be available, including services related to

lost/stolen cards, fraudulent or other unauthorized transactions, defective cards,

obtaining balance and transaction information (including the availability of paper

statements on request), and account usage questions.

Pulse surveys following customer service interactions.

Call back capabilities features to shorten wait times and improve the customer

experience.

Processes and authentication required to permit authorized third-party

representatives to initiate a fraud dispute on behalf of an accountholder (and any

other suggested capability).

Availability of surcharge-free ATM network or other ways accountholders may

obtain cash nationwide and worldwide, and how the availability of a surcharge-

free network and/or surcharge refunds to accountholders or other means of

obtaining cash without fees impacts the applicant's proposed pricing structure.

Access to customer service and new technologies to handle and process customer

service needs of accountholders with disabilities, and availability of customer

service in languages other than English.

How the applicant will respond to accountholder disputes and agency claims of

incorrect payments in compliance with applicable laws and network operating

rules.

Training and competency requirements for customer service personnel

A unique portal for paying agencies to utilize in the event they have specific

issues or questions related to a recipient that has contacted them directly. This

channel will be used to resolve issues such as the need for card replacements,

authentication issues, and assist with cards suspended due to fraud or other

causes.

Quality control procedures the applicant uses to monitor and confirm that

customer service and Regulation E requirements are being met.

Availability of unique services that assist accountholders who have difficulty

authenticating themselves over the phone to receive customer support. Under

these circumstances, the financial agent would be expected to provide an in-

person alternative for accountholders to authenticate themselves, absent a secure

remote and/or automated option.

Ability to respond to Congressional inquiries within 24 hours of receipt.

17.

Fraud Monitoring and Investigation: A detailed description of how the applicant will

accomplish the following:

Prevent, detect, and handle fraud, including how the applicant monitors account

activity for fraud; how the applicant will balance the needs of the elderly and

disabled for lifeline payment access with the use of fraud detection and reduction.

How the applicant will respond to accounts that have been compromised and/or

erroneous enrollments; how the applicant uses fraud rules to mitigate known fraud

schemes currently in existence.

Security features designed to prevent fraud and other fraud mitigation tools

currently employed by the applicant.

How incidents are investigated when the applicant believes fraud has occurred in

connection with an account.

How quickly accountholders who are the victims of fraud can be made whole.

Applicants must also include general information regarding incidents of fraud with

respect to its other prepaid account programs and how those incidents are handled.

18.

Activity Reports: A description of how the applicant will make reports available for Fiscal

Service access or download on a secure website (including formats supported), how report

information can be distilled (e.g., payment date, payment types, etc.) and other applicable

categories, as well as a description and samples of the types of reports that will be made

accessible to the Fiscal Service including recurring reports related to:

Customer service call center activity to include, but not limited to, average and

maximum call wait times broken down by month/week/day/series of days (peek

versus non-peak) (including for transferred calls), abandon rates, call volumes,

and call breakdown categories.

Real-time customer feedback that can be made available to Fiscal Service on a

timely basis (such as pulse survey with accountholders)

Aggregate funding activity

Aggregate average daily balances

Applicant’s revenue fees by category and/or transaction type, including

transaction fees (by transaction type), interchange fees, float earnings, issuer

reimbursements, and other revenue or earnings.

Aggregate fraud activity

Aggregate dispute activity

Aggregate transaction activity

Disbursement status activity, including, but not limited to, the status of ACH file

processing and posting to accounts, transaction processing rates (accepted versus

declined), call center staffing levels, and spend totals during peak disbursement

periods.

Aggregate Reg E compliance activity, including the percentage of disputes

resolved within Regulation E timeframes and requirements, on a monthly and

quarterly basis.

Ad hoc reports and data requests, including reports and data requested by the

Fiscal Service and other program stakeholders (e.g., SSA, VA, etc.), which must

be made available to Fiscal Service in a timely manner.

The applicant will be required to provide data on customer experience on a

regular basis to Fiscal Service and other program stakeholders (e.g., SSA, VA,

etc.). This data, coming from a variety of sources (e.g., annual satisfaction

surveys, pulse surveys, etc.) will measure overall satisfaction, ease of use, and

effectiveness of the Direct Express service. Analysis of this data will also inform

recommendations to divert customers to self-service options.

The applicant must also agree to participate in SSA’s Access to Financial Institutions (AFI) process used

to verify financial information for SSI recipients and comply with all the reporting requirements within

that program. For more information please visit SSA.gov.

19.

Customer Service to Government: A description of the customer service, tools, and support

that will be available to the Fiscal Service and federal program agencies whose beneficiaries

are participating in the Direct Express program, including but not limited to project

management controls, assistance with applicant's system (if necessary), Fiscal Service’s ability

to pull data and reports at any time from a secure website, and a description of the type of

support the applicant would be able to provide to a federal agency investigating an

accountholder's benefits eligibility status, enrollment status, and current account status (for

example, account balance information), and/or post-payment status.

20.

Service Level Requirements: See Appendix C.

21.

Recovery/Risk Mitigation: A general description of the applicant's emergency and disaster

recovery plans.

22.

Contingency Plans: A general description of the applicant's contingency plans in the event of

systems failure or other similar event, including call center locations.

23.

Transition Plan: Applicants other than the incumbent may have an additional five (5) pages to

submit a plan for transitioning existing Direct Express

accounts from the incumbent to the

applicant within three (3) years of designation. Applicants must be mindful that often payments

received via the Direct Express

prepaid account are lifeline payments, and disruptions that may

delay receipt of such payments are not acceptable. As such, transition plans must account for

and minimize, to the greatest extent possible, any interruption to the program and to

accountholders and must include contingency planning to address any operational challenges

that can occur during transition. The plan should describe the transition approach, how the

applicant would manage and measure the effectiveness of the transition, customer journey

mapping, along with a list of the key transition team’s roles and responsibilities. Plans must

also include an initial milestone schedule, as well as an estimated timeline for completing the

transition and a risk mitigation plan outlining how any transition-related issues would be

addressed and/or escalated. In addition to partnering with Fiscal Service on transition, it is also

important to note that there are several deep-rooted customer service and technical processes in

place with SSA that include but are not limited to inquiry resolution, enrollment, and issue

escalation. Transition plans should also address approaches that will be employed when

working with a large, complex program stakeholder like SSA, whose payees represent the

majority of Direct Express accountholders.

Fiscal Service requests that non-incumbent applicants propose a plan to transition existing

Direct Express accounts from the incumbent to the applicant utilizing the Bank Merger Act

provisions in section 18(c) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (FDIA) at 12 U.S.C. 1828(c).

Given that utilizing the Bank Merger Act provisions in 12 U.S.C. 1828(c)(2) to transition

Direct Express accounts would require the applicant to seek and receive the prior written

approval of its regulator before any transition of accounts could occur, the applicant must

address whether it would be willing to engage its regulator, as appropriate. The applicant

should also highlight any challenges that utilizing the Bank Merger Act provisions may present

and how those challenges could be mitigated. Applicants should also address alternative

transition plans that do not leverage the Bank Merger Act process.

Generally, the incumbent Financial Agent will be required to send a letter to existing Direct

Expr

ess accountholders informing them of the transition of the program to a new financial

agent and notifying accountholders of the option to continue to receive their benefit payments

via the Direct Express card with the new financial agent. To the extent the applicant does not

acquire Direct Express accounts under a Bank Merger Act process, Fiscal Service anticipates

that the applicant will undertake a logistically complex transition process that will include,

without limitation, the following steps/assumptions:

a. Accountholders who elect to continue with the Direct Express program or who

are unresponsive to the incumbent’s correspondence regarding the transition will

be sent a new card.

b. Accountholders who receive a new card will need to activate those cards.

c. The new Financial Agent will be responsible for verifying the identity of the

accountholder and will be liable for any fraudulent activations unless Fiscal

Service and the Financial Agent determine to process enrollments through Fiscal

Service’s fiscal agent, the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.

d. Identity verification may be difficult due to the limited availability of

information regarding existing accountholders in public databases; multiple

communications to accountholders may be required.

e. A high volume of telephone inquiries should be expected.

f. Information about existing accountholders that will be made available to a new

Financial Agent will include the accountholder’s name (and, if applicable, the

name of the representative payee), the accountholder’s social security number

(and, if applicable, the social security number of the representative payee), the

most recent payment amount, and the most recent payment date.

g. The new Financial Agent would be responsible for coordinating with the paying Federal

agencies to securely transmit payment information, including new account and routing

numbers, to the paying agencies for new card enrollments.

24.

OPTIONAL UNSCORED COMPONENTS:

Applicants may use an additional one (1) page outside the 40-page limit to

describe how they would address the potential for accountholders to add personal

funds to Direct Express accounts and identify any operational, legal, or regulatory

impediments to implementing such a feature.

Applicants may use an additional one (1) page outside the 40-page limit to

describe potential approaches to promoting non-Treasury sponsored bank products

and services to Direct Express prepaid account recipients. For example, the

applicant may offer an affordable and sustainable account that is transparent, easy-

to-understand, backed by established consumer protections, and insured by the

FDIC. Core features may include but are not limited to minimal opening deposits,

minimal or waivable monthly maintenance fees, no non-sufficient funds fees, and

no account closures during periods of dormancy, inactivity or low balance.

E. Deadline: Applications are due on February 12, 2024. Fiscal Service will send a confirmation of

receipt by e-mail. The Fiscal Service may, in its discretion, accept applications and related materials

received after the deadline.

F. How to Submit Applications: Completed transmittal letters and Applications must be sent in

pdf format by electronic mail to Ms. Blaire Hamilton at [email protected]

Questions: Any questions regarding the Application submission process must be submitted to

Fiscal Service via e-mail at Direct.ExpressFASP24@fiscal.treasury.gov. Fiscal Service will answer all

questions as soon as possible and post questions and answers on

https://www.fiscal.treasury.gov/directexpress/.

Unless a financial institution is notified in writing that the deadline for submission has been extended, the

financial institution must submit its application by the deadline regardless of any outstanding questions it

may have.

VII O

ther

The financial agent solicitation may be amended and redistributed, or cancelled in its entirety, at the sole discretion

of the Fiscal Service.

Appe

ndix A

ACH Reclamations:

ACH reclamations differ from commercial reclamations with regards to scope, liability, and process.

Specifically, the applicant is liable for all post-death benefit payments, unless they meet the

requirements to limit liability. Guidance on ACH reclamations is located at:

https://fiscal.treasury.gov/reference-guidance/green-book/chapter-5.html

ACH No

n-Receipts:

ACH non-receipts occur when a recipient claims non-receipt of a payment to the paying agency. The

Bureau of the Fiscal Service investigates these claims cooperatively with the Receiving Depository

Financial Institution (RDFI) and provides status back to the paying agency. The mechanism of

communication for the research is through phone call, email and/or the Federal Reserve Bank

Exception Resolution Service (ERS). Guidance on ACH non-receipts is located at:

https://fiscal.treasury.gov/reference-guidance/green-book/chapter-3.html

ACH R

eturns:

All ACH payments must be returned in accordance with NACHA Operating Rules when one or more

conditions is met (i.e., account closed, recipient deceased, etc.). If a federal government payment

cannot be posted according to the ACH entry, it is to be promptly returned and not held in suspense.

Guidance on ACH Returns is located at: https://fiscal.treasury.gov/reference-guidance/green-

book/chapter-4.html

Appendix B

The selected applicant may be required to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with

the Social Security Administration (SSA), under which the Financial Agent and SSA will determine

how to exchange information regarding Direct Express

accounts of Title II and Title XVI

beneficiaries, recipients and representative payees who manage those accounts on their behalf in

order to provide better customer service for Direct Express accountholders

Appendix C

The table below illustrates the desired Direct Express

service levels that the Fiscal Service will

monitor monthly.

Performance Item

Requirement

Account Set Up within ENR review period

●

98% within 2 business days

●

Remaining 2% within 4 business days

Card Issuance

●

98% within 3 business days

●

Remaining 2% within 5 business days

Payments

●

100% by the opening of business on the payment

date specified by the paying agency

IVR

●

99% of calls accepted on 1

ring

Customer Service Representative (CSR)

Response Time

●

80% of calls within 30 seconds

●

92% of calls within 90 seconds

•

95% of calls within 180 seconds

•

No call wait times that exceed 1 hour without

offering callback services. (Call back timeframes

will be finalized during FAA negotiations)

Call Center Abandonment Rate

●

No more than 5% of calls abandoned

CSR Call Quality

●

90% of CSR calls meet call quality standards set

forth in FAA

Customer Satisfaction Survey

●

80% accountholders satisfied

Fee Accuracy

●

99% accurately assessed

Chargeback and Dispute Processing

●

100% acknowledged within 10 calendar days

●

100% complete within 45 calendar days for

new acct, POS, foreign

●

100% complete within 60 calendar days

Mailing of Paper Statements

●

95% by the end of 3rd business day

●

Remaining 5% by end of 4th bus day

ENR Transmission

●

99.9% verified deliverables were

transmitted 1 business day later

Web Administrative App

●

99% uptime

System Availability for Transaction

Processing

●

100% uptime

Accountholder Access to Web Site

●

99% uptime

Accountholder Access to Customer Support

●

99% uptime

Accountholder Access to Mobile App

 99% uptime

Batch File Submission

●

99% uptime

Report Availability and Response to Fiscal

Service Requests

●

99% in timely and accurate manner

●

99% of Fiscal

Service data requests are completed

on a timely basis

Incident Reporting

●

Reported within 24 hours of occurrence

●

Reported within 1 hour if accountholder

access or

use of funds is impacted

Appendix D

Standard Free Services

Currently Available

Service

Fee

Purchases at U.S. merchant locations

FREE

Cash-back with purchase

FREE

Cash from bank tellers

FREE

Customer Service calls

FREE

Web account access

FREE

Deposit notification

FREE

Low balance notification

FREE

Card replacement-One free per year

FREE

ATM balance inquiry

FREE

ATM denial of service

FREE

ATM cash withdrawal in the U.S. including the District of

Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and US Virgin Islands.

Surcharge by ATM owner may apply.

One free withdrawal with each

deposit to Direct Express

Card

Account.*

* For each federal government deposit to your Card Account, the fee is waived for one ATM cash

withdrawal in the U.S. The fee waiver earned for that deposit expires on the last day of the following

month in which the deposit was credited to the Card Account

Other Services

Currently Available

Optional Service

Fee

ATM cash withdrawals after free transactions are used in U.S. including

the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands.

Surcharge by ATM owner may apply.

$0.90 each withdrawal

(after free transactions are

used)

Monthly paper statement mailed to you

$0.75 each month

Funds transfer to a personal U.S. bank account

$1.50 each time

Card replacement after one free each year

$4.00 after one (1) free each

year

Overnight delivery of replacement card

$13.50 each time

ATM cash withdrawal outside of U.S. Surcharge by ATM owner may

apply.

$3.00 plus 3% of amount

withdrawn

Purchase at Merchant Locations outside of U.S.

3% of purchase amount

Appendix E

ypes of Federal Payments Eligible for Direct Express

Federal Agency

Payment Type

• Coast Guard

• U.S. Coast Guard

• Defense Finance and Accounting

• DFAS Annuitant Pay

• DFAS Retired Military Pay

• DFAS Former Spouse Pay

• Department of Labor

• Black Lung

• Federal Employee Workers Comp

• Long Shore and Harbor Workers Comp

• Energy

• Office of Personnel Management

• Civil Service Retirement/Annuity

• Civil Service Survivor/Annuity

• Railroad Retirement Board

• Railroad Retirement Annuity

• Railroad Retirement Unemployment/Sickness

• Social Security Administration

• Social Security Retirement, Survivors, and

Disability Insurance

• Supplemental Security Income

• U.S. Department of the Treasury

• DC Pension

• Veterans Affairs

• Veterans Compensation and Pension

• Veterans Education MGIB

• Veterans Education/Selected Reserve

• Veterans Vocational Rehab and Employee

• Chapter 33 – VA EDU Post 911 – Post 911 GI Bill

• Chapter 35 – VA DEP EDU ASST – Dependents

Education Assistance Program

• Chapter 1607 – VA EDUCTN REAP – Reserve

Education Assistance

• Veterans Health Administration

• Compensated Work Therapy

• Veterans Medical Research