Iowa City VA Health Care System
Make your choice for Travel Reimbursement
Make your choice for Travel Reimbursement
Make your choice today for Beneficiary Travel Reimbursement
The U.S. Department of the Treasury requires all federal benefit payments be made electronically.
Two easy options are offered by the Department of Veterans Affairs and the U.S. Department of the Treasury:
Direct Deposit to a bank or credit union account or The Direct Express® Debit MasterCard® card
Option 1: Direct Deposit
If you have a bank or credit union account, you can sign up for direct deposit. Your benefit payment will be deposited automatically to your checking or savings account.
You will need to have your account information on hand when you sign up.
Electronic Transfer Account
If you’d like direct deposit, but don’t have a bank account or think you may not qualify for one, consider opening an Electronic Transfer Account (ETASM) for direct deposit. This low-cost account was designed by the U.S. Department of the Treasury for people who get federal benefit payments.
Fees and features of an ETASM account include:
Fee charges are no more than $3.00 per month
Federal benefit payments are protected from garnishment
Four free withdrawals and four free balance checks are allowed each month
You may be able to add other income to your account
Option 2: Direct Express® Debit MasterCard® card
If you don’t have a bank account or prefer a prepaid debit card, switch to the Direct Express® card. Your payment will be deposited automatically to your card account.
Most services are free. There is no sign-up fee and no monthly account fee. Other free services include:
Purchases at retail locations
Cash back with purchases
One free ATM cash withdrawal in the U.S. with each federal deposit to your card account
Optional deposit notification and low balance alerts by phone, email or text message
There are fees for a limited number of optional transactions and services. See fee table for details.
The Direct Express® card is
Safe. No risk of lost or stolen checks or cash
Easy. Money is posted on your card account on payment day. No waiting for the mail
Convenient. Make purchases and pay bills anywhere Debit MasterCard® is accepted. Use your card to get cash at retail locations, ATMs, banks and credit unions. No fees for using the card to make purchases
