By Megan Caldwell, government-payment operations coordinator with 9 years of prepaid-card and benefits-disbursement support experience
Last reviewed: July 26, 2026
ReliaCard is a prepaid debit card issued by U.S. Bank for payments sent by participating government agencies. Closing the card account does not automatically change how an agency sends future benefits, and selecting direct deposit with an agency does not necessarily close the existing ReliaCard. This independent guide is not affiliated with U.S. Bank.
Handle the two systems separately. Contact the government agency to change the payment method; contact ReliaCard support to close or service the prepaid-card account.
What is ReliaCard?
ReliaCard is a reloadable prepaid debit card that participating government agencies use to distribute eligible payments. It is not a credit card, although cardholders can generally spend loaded funds, pay bills, shop online, request cash back at participating merchants, and withdraw cash where their program permits.
U.S. Bank manages the card account. The government agency decides whether a payment is due, how much is sent, and which payment choices are offered.
This separation becomes especially important when someone wants to stop using ReliaCard. Closing the U.S. Bank card without updating the agency may leave the agency attempting to send future payments through the old method. Changing to direct deposit through the agency may stop future card loads, but it does not erase the remaining card balance or automatically close the prepaid account.
Two systems. Two requests.
Can you switch from ReliaCard to direct deposit?
Some government programs let recipients choose between ReliaCard and direct deposit to a bank account. Official ReliaCard materials for Maine and Washington unemployment programs state that available payment options may include direct deposit or the prepaid card and instruct recipients to ask their agency about the choices offered.
The agency controls that change.
Do not look for a universal Switch to Direct Deposit button inside the ReliaCard account. The ReliaCard website manages the card, while the state or government program controls future disbursement instructions.
A practical sequence is:
- Sign in to the government agency’s benefits or payment portal.
- Locate the agency’s payment-method setting.
- Review when the new selection becomes effective.
- Confirm whether any already-issued payment will still reach ReliaCard.
- Keep the card active until pending loads and transactions are resolved.
Do the agency change first. Skip closing ReliaCard before confirming where the next approved payment will be sent.
Payment choices vary by program and region. Some agencies may offer direct deposit, prepaid card, paper check, or a smaller set of options.
Does changing payment methods close ReliaCard?
No automatic closure should be assumed.
ReliaCard remains a separate prepaid account serviced by U.S. Bank. Even after an agency begins sending future payments elsewhere, the card can still contain:
- An available balance
- Pending merchant authorizations
- A merchant refund in progress
- Scheduled bill payments
- Savings funds, when that feature is enabled
- Fees or adjustments allowed by the program terms
- Statements needed for later records
Review those items before requesting closure.
A payment-method change tells the agency where to send future funds. Account closure tells U.S. Bank to end the prepaid-card relationship. One action does not reliably complete the other.
Priority one: redirect the payment. Skip destroying the card until the remaining account activity is settled.
How to close a ReliaCard account
U.S. Bank’s dedicated ReliaCard account-deletion page says cardholders must contact a representative to close the financial account. It lists 855-282-6161 and says most accounts can be closed immediately, although completion may take up to 60 days depending on the type of account.
That published range is broader than many users expect.
The closure request is not completed through a generic U.S. Bank credit-card cancellation page, a mobile-app deletion button, or the government agency’s payment portal. Use the ReliaCard-specific support route.
Before calling, review:
- Current available balance
- Pending transactions
- Scheduled Bill Pay instructions
- Merchant refunds
- Savings balance
- Recent government loads
- Statements that may be needed later
Do the account review first. Skip requesting immediate closure while a merchant credit or agency payment is still expected.
U.S. Bank lists ReliaCard support as available 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 855-282-6161. It also lists 918-858-0448 for cardholders outside the United States and accepts relay calls.
What happens to money left on the card?
A remaining balance should be addressed before closure through the options enabled for the specific ReliaCard program.
ReliaCard funds can generally be spent on purchases, used for bills, withdrawn as cash, or accessed through other program-permitted methods.
Possible routes may include:
- Ordinary card purchases
- Bill payments
- ATM withdrawals
- Cash back at participating merchants
- Bank or credit-union teller withdrawals
- Card-to-bank transfer, when enabled
- Transfer from ReliaCard savings back to the card
Not every program provides every option.
Some official program disclosures list a card-to-bank transfer and charge a program-specific fee for it. For example, certain ReliaCard disclosures currently list a $2 transfer fee, but that amount cannot be applied to every card.
Check the actual Fee Schedule. Skip using transfer instructions or prices taken from another state’s card program.
Card-to-bank transfer is not universal
The ReliaCard online and mobile banking agreement says transfers may be available only when the program permits them. It describes possible transfers between eligible prepaid accounts or within a prepaid account and its related savings feature.
That conditional wording matters.
Ordinary U.S. Bank external-transfer instructions are written for eligible consumer bank accounts and should not automatically be applied to ReliaCard. A ReliaCard holder should look for the transfer option inside the dedicated card account and review the disclosure tied to the government program.
Do feature verification first. Skip entering a generic U.S. Bank routing number or following instructions designed for a conventional checking account.
When no transfer option appears, use another permitted balance-access method or ask ReliaCard support what the specific program allows.
ReliaCard savings must be handled separately
Some ReliaCard accounts include a savings feature. U.S. Bank says money in ReliaCard savings cannot be withdrawn directly at an ATM or used at the point of sale. The cardholder must first transfer the money from savings to the card through the website, mobile app, or Cardholder Services.
This matters before closure.
A card balance can appear low while additional money remains in savings. Closing the account without reviewing both balances may complicate access to the remaining funds.
Use the documented records:
Statements & docs
U.S. Bank says ReliaCard savings terms can be viewed through that menu on the website or mobile app.
Move the savings balance first when appropriate. Skip relying only on the spendable balance shown beside the physical card.
What happens when government benefits stop?
The end of benefit eligibility does not necessarily make the existing ReliaCard balance disappear.
The government agency may stop sending new loads, while money already credited remains in the prepaid account until it is spent, withdrawn, transferred through an enabled feature, or otherwise handled under the Cardholder Agreement.
Review the account instead of assuming closure.
Look for:
- A final agency payment
- Adjustments or reversals
- Pending merchant transactions
- Recurring bills still using the card
- Merchant refunds
- Any savings balance
- Program fees or inactivity provisions
The Fee Schedule controls whether the particular program has an inactivity charge or another account-maintenance term. ReliaCard programs are not uniform.
Do the final-load check first. Skip canceling the card immediately after the agency marks a claim closed, especially when one last payment may still be processing.
Download statements before closing
U.S. Bank says official ReliaCard statements are available through the cardholder website and can include the available balance, credits, purchases, withdrawals, fees, holds, releases, and savings information. Statements viewed through the mobile app are not considered official statements.
Save the records you may need.
Official statements can help with:
- Benefit-payment reconciliation
- Tax preparation
- Housing or court documentation
- A merchant refund
- A transaction dispute
- Proof of the final card balance
- Reviewing activity after benefits stop
Once access changes during closure, retrieving old records may require contacting support. U.S. Bank says account closure may take up to 60 days in some cases, but that is not a reason to delay downloading necessary documents.
Use the website statements first. Skip relying on mobile screenshots for formal records.
Cancel Bill Pay and recurring merchants
ReliaCard closure can affect two different kinds of recurring payments.
Bill Pay instructions: Payments scheduled from inside the ReliaCard account.
Stored card payments: Merchants directly charging the ReliaCard number, such as utilities, subscriptions, insurance, or phone service.
Cancel or update both.
A government-agency payment change does not notify those merchants. A card closure can cause future charges to fail, potentially leading to late fees or service interruptions under the merchant’s terms.
Review at least one full billing cycle when possible.
Do merchant updates first. Skip assuming the replacement bank account or debit card will be discovered automatically by every biller.
Pending Bill Pay instructions also deserve attention before closure because a scheduled payment may already be processing even when it has not reached the payee.
Account deletion is not app deletion
Removing the ReliaCard app from a phone does not close the financial account.
The official mobile app provides access to the ReliaCard balance and card-management tools, but financial-account closure requires contact with a representative through the dedicated U.S. Bank process.
Likewise:
- Deleting a saved username does not close the card.
- Cutting up the plastic does not close the account.
- Changing the agency payment method does not close the account.
- Letting the card expire does not prove the account is closed.
Request confirmation through ReliaCard support.
Short step. Necessary step.
Protect the account during the transition
The ReliaCard website warns that legitimate companies, including U.S. Bank, do not request passwords, PINs, Social Security numbers, or account numbers through unsolicited email, calls, or text messages. It directs cardholders to call the number on the back of the card when such a request appears.
Payment-method changes can attract convincing scam messages.
A message may claim that direct deposit failed, the remaining balance is frozen, or the card must be “verified” before closure. Do not use its embedded login link or support number.
Open the government agency portal and ReliaCard website independently. Use the official contact information.
Do security first. Skip sharing an authentication code with anyone claiming to move the remaining balance.
Frequently asked questions
Can I change ReliaCard to direct deposit?
Possibly. Contact the government agency because payment choices vary by program.
Does selecting direct deposit close ReliaCard?
No automatic closure should be assumed.
How do I close my ReliaCard account?
Call ReliaCard support at 855-282-6161. U.S. Bank says most accounts can be closed immediately, though some closures may take up to 60 days.
What should I do with the remaining balance?
Use a spending, cash-access, savings-transfer, or card-to-bank option permitted by the specific program before closure.
Can every ReliaCard transfer money to a bank?
No. Availability and fees depend on the government program and card disclosure.
Will money disappear when benefits stop?
Previously loaded funds do not automatically vanish solely because new government payments stop. Review the balance and Cardholder Agreement before closing.
Should I download statements before closing?
Yes. Official website statements may be useful after account access changes.
Does deleting the ReliaCard app close the account?
No. Financial-account closure requires contacting ReliaCard support.
