For all questions related to the Direct Express card, cardholders should call: Customer Service: 1-888-741-1115; Hearing impaired: 1-866-569-0447; International: 1-765-778-6290 (Collect). Customer Service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and handles calls related to: Reporting lost or stolen cards; Balance inquiries; PIN changes; Transaction history requests; Registering a complaint about a card issue; Questions about card usage; Questions about international card usage. If you apply for Social Security benefits on or after May 1, 2011, you must receive your payments electronically. Electronic payments by March 1, 2013. For card enrollment call 1-800-333-1795. The Direct Express card is a debit card used to access Social Security benefits. A bank account is not required. Federal benefit payments are deposited directly into the card account on the regular payment day. Cards can be used to make purchases, pay bills or get cash at thousands of locations. Most transactions are free.

Customers can now lock and unlock their Electronic Benefit Transfer cards between uses, helping ensure that only authorized transactions occur when the card is ready to be used. The new feature is easy to access using the ConnectEBT app available for download on both Android and Apple devices. ConnectEBT is the only officially licensed app to service Virginia Electronic Benefit Transfer customers and is managed by Conduent Inc., a private company that provides a range of services to government agencies. Virginia, along with 20 other states, contracts with Conduent to administer Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and other benefits.