Tennessee Way2Go Card: Activation, Fee-Free Use, and Taxes

The Tennessee Way2Go Card is a prepaid Mastercard, issued by Comerica Bank, that the state uses to pay unemployment benefits and child support. It replaced paper checks for both programs and gives you faster access to your money, with most everyday transactions free of charge. How you receive the card and when your first payment lands on it depend on which benefit you’re collecting.

How You Get the Card

If you filed for unemployment through Jobs4TN.gov, the card is mailed to you within seven to ten business days after your claim is filed. There’s no separate application. If you’d rather have payments go straight to a checking or savings account, you can choose direct deposit inside your Unemployment Claimant e-Services account and enter your bank information there.¹

Child support works differently. Your first payment arrives as a paper check in the mail. After that first payment goes out, the Department of Human Services mails the Way2Go Card, and every payment after activation loads onto it. Child support recipients who want direct deposit instead complete the Direct Deposit Enrollment Form and fax it in with a wet-ink signature; electronic signatures are not accepted.²

Watch the mail carefully. The card arrives in a plain white windowed envelope labeled as the Go Program, and it looks enough like junk mail that people throw it out. If more than two weeks have passed since you filed and nothing has arrived, call 1-855-462-5888.

Activating Your Card

You can activate through the Way2Go mobile app, at GoProgram.com, or by phone at 1-855-462-5888.³ You’ll need four things:

The full card number from the front of the card.
The last four digits of your Social Security Number.
Your date of birth in MMDDYYYY format (March 1, 1960 is entered as 03011960).
A four-digit PIN of your choosing, entered twice.

Any funds the state has already deposited are available as soon as activation finishes. Skip the obvious PINs. Your birth year, 1234, and repeated digits are the first combinations someone tries with a stolen card.⁴

Using the Card Without Paying Fees

Most routine use of the card costs nothing. All point-of-sale purchases in the U.S. are free, whether you sign or use your PIN. Cash withdrawals at any MoneyPass ATM are free (the locator is at moneypass.com/atm-locator.html), and so are teller cash withdrawals at any Mastercard member bank or credit union. Bill pay through GoProgram.com and phone transfers to your own bank account are also free.⁵

The fees start when you step outside that network:

Out-of-network ATM withdrawals: $0.35 each, with two free every calendar month. The ATM operator may add its own surcharge.
ATM balance inquiries: $0.50 at any ATM, in-network or out.
Customer service calls: $0.25 each after the first four per month.
International transactions: 3% of the transaction amount.
Card replacement: $5.00 standard (seven to ten calendar days), plus $10.00 for expedited delivery in three to five calendar days.

The free monthly allowances don’t roll over; if you don’t use them by the end of the month, they’re gone. The daily ATM withdrawal limit is $500 no matter which network you use.⁵

To keep costs at zero, use MoneyPass ATMs for cash and check your balance in the app or at GoProgram.com. An ATM balance check is $0.50; the app is free.

Moving Money to Your Bank

If you’d rather not carry a balance on the card, call the automated phone system and transfer funds to any U.S. bank account in your name at no cost.⁵ Transfers typically post in one to two business days, so plan ahead if a specific bill is due.

Lost, Stolen, or Wrong Charges

If your card is missing or you see a charge you didn’t make, call 1-855-462-5888 immediately to freeze the account. A replacement is $5.00, deducted from your balance, and it ships to the address the state agency has on file. Update your mailing address with the agency before requesting a replacement if you’ve moved.⁵

For unauthorized transactions, federal law caps your liability based on how quickly you report:

Report within two business days of discovering the loss: maximum liability is $50.
Report after two business days but within 60 days: maximum liability is $500.
Report after 60 days: you can be liable for the full amount of unauthorized transfers occurring after the 60-day window.

The 60-day clock runs from when the periodic statement showing the unauthorized transfer is sent to you.⁶ Check the account regularly in the app and call the same day if something looks wrong.

Merchant disputes are a separate process: wrong amount, goods not received, a refund that never posted. You have 60 days from the transaction date to file a written dispute using the Go Program’s form, and you need supporting documents such as receipts, proof of return, or a cancellation confirmation. Without documentation, the dispute may not be processed. If you returned merchandise, give the merchant 30 days to post the credit before filing.⁷

What You Owe in Taxes

The disbursement method doesn’t change the tax rules, but the benefit does.

Unemployment benefits are taxable income. The Tennessee Department of Labor reports what it paid you during the year on Form 1099-G, which you can view under “View Letters” in your Unemployment Claimant e-Services account on Jobs4TN.gov. You don’t mail the 1099-G with your federal return, but you do have to report the income.⁸

Child support goes the other way. It is not taxable income for the parent receiving it and not deductible for the parent paying it, whether it arrives on the card, by direct deposit, or as a paper check.⁹

1
Tennessee Department of Labor & Workforce Development. Way2Go MasterCard
2
Tennessee Department of Human Services. Receiving Child Support
3
Go Program. Tennessee Way2Go Card User Guide
4
Go Program. Your New Debit MasterCard Way2Go Card
5
Tennessee Department of Human Services. List of All Fees for Tennessee Way2Go Card Prepaid Card
6
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Regulation E 1005.6 Liability of Consumer for Unauthorized Transfers
7
Go Program. Dispute Resolution Department Request for Investigation Form
8
Tennessee Department of Labor & Workforce Development. 1099-G Tax Information
9
Internal Revenue Service. Tax Information for Non-Custodial Parents