Direct Express® is committed to enhancing cardholder financial capability, including the capability for cardholders to protect themselves from criminals. The program actively engages cardholders through instructive mailings and provides online educational tools through PayPerks, an integrated financial capability program. Direct Express® also has 24/7 customer service available to answer cardholder questions by telephone or email, advising them on security and other issues.

PayPerks and Card Safety

The PayPerks financial capability program is a free service and gives cardholders the tools they need to develop their financial management skills. Training modules such as those in the Privacy: Lock it Down! curriculum, promote preventive card safety measures, encourage cardholders to monitor their accounts and provide easy-to-follow guides for reporting and investigating potential criminal activity.

The modules use real-world questions such as “is this website safe to shop” or “what should I say if someone asks for my card number over the phone.” They cover topics such as the safest card carrying habits, how to recognize potentially unsafe websites, how to protect passwords and much more.   The modules aim to cover all of this in ways that manage cardholder fears of criminal activity, so that they are not afraid to use the card as it is intended.

Smartphone App, Customer Service and Theft or Fraud Reporting

As more cardholders turn to smartphones and apps for daily information, the free Direct Express® Mobile App (DX℠) has become an important account security tool. It allows cardholders to conduct their own real-time monitoring of account activity, allowing the early detection of anomalies that could indicate criminal activity.

Those who do not elect to use the mobile app can obtain balance information, at no cost, through either a toll-free Customer Service number, at USDirectExpress.com, or at any ATM that displays the MasterCard® acceptance mark. This capability can be enhanced by opting for Deposit and Low Balance alerts, which notify cardholders of account activity by phone, email, or text message.

Direct Express® has found that cardholders view speaking to customer service representatives as an important way to obtain basic information about the features and benefits of the Direct Express® card and to learn best practices for using the card.  Customer service also fulfills an important role in cases where a Direct Express® card is reported lost or stolen. Customer service representatives assist cardholders in these cases and ensure a replacement card is provided within 7 to 10 days or even faster if the cardholder opts for an expedited service.

Cardholder Protection

As is true for all credit, debit and prepaid card users around the world, the best way for Direct Express® cardholders to prevent theft is to understand how to protect themselves by carrying and using their card safely.  Direct Express® makes every effort to drive home the importance of physical card security and the very real and all-too-common threat from “insider” theft, which happens when someone known to the cardholder uses the card without the cardholder’s authorization to do so. It is critical that cardholders remain aware of this threat, how to protect against it, and what to do in cases where cards have been used illegally and crime has occurred.

SOURCE: Direct Express