The Way2Go card in Michigan is a prepaid Mastercard issued by Comerica Bank that the Michigan State Disbursement Unit (MiSDU) uses to deliver child support payments to recipients who haven’t signed up for direct deposit. It works like a standard debit card at stores, gas stations, and online, and it gives you free withdrawals at Comerica and Allpoint ATMs across the state.1Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Electronic Payment FAQs
Who Gets a Way2Go Card
Michigan law requires nearly all child support to be paid out electronically through the MiSDU.2Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 400.236 When your case is approved, MiSDU offers two options: direct deposit into your own checking or savings account, or a Way2Go prepaid card. If you don’t return the direct deposit enrollment form, you’re assigned a Way2Go card by default.3Michigan State Disbursement Unit. Receiving Payment Your first payment comes as a paper check; every payment after that follows whichever electronic method applies to your account.
One point of confusion worth clearing up. The Way2Go card is only for child support. Michigan unemployment benefits are paid on a separate U.S. Bank ReliaCard issued by the Unemployment Insurance Agency.4Labor and Economic Opportunity. UIA Debit Card If you’re looking for unemployment payment information, you’re in the wrong place.
Activating the Card
Your card won’t work until you activate it. The fastest routes are the Go Program website at goprogram.com or Way2Go Cardholder Services at 1-844-649-9843, which is available 24 hours a day at no cost.1Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Electronic Payment FAQs
If you activate online, you’ll register an account using the card number on the front, the CVV on the back, your date of birth, and your participant ID. The site then walks you through a username, password, and security image. Once your profile exists, log back in and open PIN Management under Services to create a four-digit PIN. You’ll use that PIN for ATM withdrawals and debit transactions from then on.
While you’re in the Go Program portal or app, turn on deposit alerts. Getting notified when a payment arrives saves you from guessing about your balance or having a purchase declined at the register.
Spending, ATM Access, and Bank Transfers
After activation, the card works anywhere Mastercard is accepted, including online. Many grocery stores and home improvement stores let you take cash back at checkout, which is often the cheapest way to get cash out of the account.
Free ATM Withdrawals
You can withdraw cash for free at any Comerica Bank or Allpoint ATM. There’s no per-transaction fee from Comerica and no surcharge from the ATM owner at those machines.1Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Electronic Payment FAQs Allpoint runs one of the largest surcharge-free networks in the country, with ATMs inside many CVS, Walgreens, and Target stores. The Go Program app and allpointnetwork.com will show you the closest one.
Using any other ATM triggers a $1.50 out-of-network fee from Comerica, and the ATM owner can add a surcharge on top.5Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Way2Go Card Information Small, frequent withdrawals at out-of-network ATMs are the fastest way to eat into a payment.
Moving Money to Your Bank
You can transfer funds from the Way2Go card straight into a personal checking or savings account for free through the Go Program website, the mobile app, or by calling cardholder services.1Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Electronic Payment FAQs Once MiSDU deposits a payment to the card, funds are typically available within three to five business days.6Michigan State Disbursement Unit. Individual Resources
Fees
The card is cheaper to use than most people expect, but a few charges will catch you if you don’t know they exist. Comerica’s Michigan fee schedule covers the transactions cardholders run into most often:
- In-network ATM withdrawal at Comerica or Allpoint: free, with no monthly cap on the number of free withdrawals.
- Out-of-network ATM withdrawal: $1.50 per transaction, plus any surcharge from the ATM owner.
- Point-of-sale purchases: free anywhere Mastercard is accepted.
- Cash back at a store: free from Comerica, though the merchant may add a small fee of its own.
- International purchases: no additional fee.
- Inactivity fee: $1.50 per month, assessed after 180 consecutive days with no activity following activation.
- Standard card replacement: free, delivered in seven to ten calendar days.
- Expedited card replacement: $15.00, delivered in three to five calendar days.
The inactivity fee is the one that surprises people. Almost anything resets the clock: a balance check at an ATM, a call to customer service, or a single purchase. If you know months will pass between payments, log in to the portal or use the automated phone line occasionally to keep the account active.5Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Way2Go Card Information
Lost, Stolen, or Expired Cards
If your card is lost or stolen, call Way2Go Cardholder Services at 1-844-649-9843 right away.7Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Electronic Disbursement of Support The representative locks the compromised card so no one else can spend on it, and a replacement ships free by standard mail in seven to ten calendar days. Expedited delivery is $15.00 and cuts the wait to three to five days.5Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Way2Go Card Information Any new MiSDU payments route to the replacement automatically.
Check your mailing address in the Go Program before you hang up. If you’ve moved and haven’t updated your profile, the new card will go to the old address.
Way2Go cards also carry an expiration date on the front. A replacement is mailed to the address on file about a month before the card expires, and any remaining balance moves to the new card. If your card has expired and nothing has arrived, call cardholder services to request a replacement and confirm your address.
Disputing Unauthorized Charges
As a prepaid debit card, the Way2Go is covered by federal Regulation E. How much you can lose to fraud depends on how quickly you report it:
- Report within 2 business days: your maximum liability is $50 or the amount of unauthorized transactions before you reported, whichever is less.
- Report after 2 business days but within 60 days: liability can rise to $500.
- Report after 60 days: you can be liable for the full amount of unauthorized transfers that occur after the 60-day window closes.
The two-day clock starts when you learn about the loss or theft, not when the fraud happened. Your own carelessness doesn’t push liability past the Regulation E caps, so even writing your PIN on the card itself doesn’t strip you of those protections.8Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. 1005.6 Liability of Consumer for Unauthorized Transfers
To formally dispute a charge, submit a Request for Investigation Form through the Go Program within 60 days of the transaction. The form asks for the date, merchant name, and amount of each disputed charge, plus any receipts or proof of return you have. The card issuer then has ten business days to investigate and respond. If the investigation runs longer, the issuer must provisionally credit your account within those ten business days and can take up to 45 days total to finish the review.9eCFR. 12 CFR 1005.11 Procedures for Resolving Errors
Switching to Direct Deposit
If you’d rather have child support go straight to your bank, you can switch off the card at any time by contacting MiSDU or submitting a direct deposit enrollment form. You’ll need your bank’s routing number and your account number. Payments generally hit the account within three to five business days after MiSDU receives the money from the paying parent.6Michigan State Disbursement Unit. Individual Resources The timing matches the card, so the real advantage is keeping your money in one account instead of juggling a separate prepaid balance.