Mississippi Debit MasterCard (ePayment/Way2GoCard)

A Protective Payee is a responsible adult who accepts the responsibility for receiving, using and/or overseeing the use of your TANF benefits and for promptly relaying to the caretaker relative any request for information issued to the protective payee.

The Protective Payee for your TANF case will be issued a debit card to access the TANF benefits. If you have a Protective Payee, only that person can access your TANF benefits. Benefits used or misused by a Protective Payee will not be replaced. Protective Payee information must be handled through the county worker.

Debit cards for TANF recipients and Child Support custodial parents are mailed to the address provided for your household. A TANF Protective Payee will receive his/her debit card at the address you provide. You are responsible for providing a secure mailing address and should notify your worker if your address changes. TANF benefits or child support payments used from the debit card sent to the address you provide will not be replaced.

Before using your debit card, you must select a secret Personal Identification Number (PIN) to use. You may get cash at an ATM that displays MasterCard® or Cirrus® or a teller in a bank location that displays the MasterCard®. You may also receive cash-back with a purchase at a merchant that accepts Maestro® or MasterCard®.

A PIN is a 4-digit “secret” code to be used with the debit card. Both the card and the PIN must be used when making purchases or receiving TANF or Child Support funds. The PIN is very important and should be memorized or kept in a safe place. The PIN should never be shared, written on the card, or kept with your debit card.

If you are in the store and enter the wrong PIN, you will have three more chances that day to enter the right PIN. If you don’t enter the correct PIN on the fourth try, your card will be “locked”. To “unlock” your card, you may call Customer Service. The number is 1-855-709-1079. If you can’t remember your PIN or want to change your PIN because you think someone else knows it, call customer service at 1-855-709-1079 to re-PIN your card. You should always know your PIN before you go to the store.

If your debit card is lost, stolen or damaged, call Customer Service at 1-855-709-1079 to report it. It will be deactivated and a new card requested. No one will be able to use your card once you report it is missing. A new card will be mailed to you and should arrive in 9-10 days. It is necessary to select a new PIN for your replacement card. A $5.00 card replacement fee will be deducted from your account balance. Your account balance must be at least $5.00 before a replacement card will be issued.

Your debit card may be dirty or damaged. Call Customer Service and explain that your card will not work. If the card is not working properly, a new one will be mailed.

Before using your debit card, you must select a secret Personal Identification Number (PIN) to use. You may get cash at an ATM that displays MasterCard® or Cirrus® or a teller in a bank location that displays the MasterCard®. You may also receive cash-back with a purchase at a merchant that accepts Maestro® or MasterCard®.

Purchase
No fee

Cash-back or Bank Teller Window
No fee

ATM Cash Withdrawal
$1.75 each time

ATM Balance Inquiry
$0.75 each time

Card Replacement
$5

Expedited Card Delivery
$15

ATM Denial for Insufficient Funds
$0.50 after the 3rd request (each call, each calendar month).

Monthly Account Access by:

Calling Customer Service
$0.50 after the fifth call (each call, each calendar month).

ATM Surcharges – Some bank ATMs will apply a fee called a surcharge to use their ATM. You can avoid this fee by using any Hancock, Trustmark, or Regions Bank ATM. Always read the ATM messages carefully. You can cancel if you wish to avoid the fee or press enter and pay the fee.

Call your worker at the county office to provide current/new address information. You can find county office contact information here.

Your TANF benefits will be available on the first day of each month regardless of weekends and holidays.

Twenty-four hours after the payment has been received. Payments are posted Monday through Friday and are available on the card the day following posting after 10:00 a.m.

Yes. Debit cards expire every three years. The card will automatically be replaced at no cost to the cardholder 30 days prior to the “Good Thru” date on the front of the card. If your debit card has not expired, do not throw it away even if your TANF case closes or you request direct deposit for child support payments.  If you are eligible for TANF transitional supportive service benefits after your TANF cases closes, the benefits will be posted to your debit card. You can also use the same card if you reapply, and the case is approved. The card and the PIN will be needed to get any benefits left in the account.

The TANF benefits stay in your debit card account until you use them. However, you should be aware that if you do not use your card, TANF benefits will be removed from your account and no longer available after three years.

Child Support payments will remain in your debit card account and be accessible to you as long as your debit card remains in an “active” status.  A debit card that has been activated will become “inactive” when the cardholder has not had any card swipe debit transaction activity for five years.

There are three easy ways to check your account balance:

  • Keep your receipts each time you swipe your card. They show your balance.
  • Register and check your balance and transaction history on the website at www.eppicard.com.
  • Call Customer Service at 1-855-709-1079
What transactions are prohibited?

ATM transactions at liquor stores, gambling establishments, and strip clubs are prohibited by Federal law.

Beginning July 1, 2019 ATM transactions at the following locations are prohibited by State law:

  • Liquor Stores
  • Strip Clubs
  • Tattoo and Body Piercing Parlors
  • Spas
  • Lingerie Shops
  • Vapor Cigarette Stores
  • Bail Bond Companies
  • Movie Theaters
  • Theme Parks
  • Businesses or Retail Establishments where minors under 18 are not permitted
  • Gambling Establishments
  • Jewelry stores
  • Tobacco Paraphernalia Stores
  • Nail Salons
  • Massage Parlors
  • Psychic or Fortune Telling Businesses
  • Dog or Horse Racing Facilities
  • Cruise Ships
  • Video Arcade
  • Sexually Oriented Businesses

In addition, beginning July 1, 2019 State law prohibits purchasing the following items:

  • Alcohol
  • Liquor or imitation Liquor
  • Bail
  • Lottery TIckets
  • Tobacco Products
  • Travel Services Provided by a Travel Agent
  • Professional or Collegiate Sporting Event tickets
  • Cigarettes
  • Sexually Oriented Adult Materials
  • Gambling Activities
  • Tattoos
  • Concert Tickets
  • Money Transmission to Locations Abroad
  • Tickets for Other Entertainment Events Intended for the General Public