EVERYDAY CASH CARD
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
The following document provides answers to frequently asked questions regarding the
Everyday Cash Card, Sterling’s general purpose reloadable prepaid card. Contact Customer
Care at 800-650-7141 with questions.
Card Basics
Q. How does the Everyday Cash Card work?
A. The Everyday Cash Card is a reloadable card powered by Visa. It can be used to make purchases in stores, online
or by phone, to get cash at ATMs and to pay bills online.
The Everyday Cash Card is a prepaid card, so spending is limited to the amount of money loaded on the card.
Each time the card is used, the purchase amount is automatically deducted from the card balance. It is accepted at
millions of places that accept Visa debit cards. It carries the Visa logo like all of Sterling’s credit or check card
products and is used like a debit card. It can be given it to the cashier at the time of the purchase, or swiped
through the keypad using the Debit option. Enter the PIN to secure and authorize the transaction. Each time the
card is used, the purchase amount is automatically deducted from the card. It is important to know the balance
before shopping, most merchants see the balance available on the card.
Q. Will the Everyday Cash Card help to build a customer’s credit rating?
A. No. The Sterling Bank Everyday Cash Card will not help build a customer’s credit rating because there are no
payments that would be reported to credit agencies.
Q. Can more than the balance on the card be spent?
A. The Everyday Cash Card is a Prepaid Card, and will only allow the amount loaded on the card to be spent.
However, there will be occasions where a negative balance situation may arise. If a merchant authorizes a
transaction for an amount greater than the Everyday Cash Card’s actual available balance, the transaction will
generally be declined. However, in rare circumstances, a merchant may process a transaction without prior
authorization, which would then cause a negative balance situation. The bank does not assess overdraft fees to
prepaid cards, so we generally follow our standard collection process to request the customer load funds to cover
the transaction.
Q. How can a customer get one of these cards?
A. The Everyday Cash Card can be purchased at any Sterling Bank branch. A temporary card will be issued that can
be used right away. A permanent card, personalized with the customer’s name, will be mailed within 7 to 10
business days and will replace the temporary card once it has been activated. Funds will be transferred from the
Temporary card to the Personalized card upon activation.
Q. Are the temporary and permanent cards used the same way?
A. Yes. The only exception is that the temporary card cannot be reloaded and has lower spend limits than the
personalized card. Because the temporary card can only be loaded 1 time, it is not eligible to be set up with Direct
Deposit. We suggest informing a customers to wait until they receive their personalized card in the mail before
setting up their direct deposit.
Q. Is a reloadable prepaid card a credit card?
A. No. The Everyday Cash Card is a prepaid card. Only funds that have been loaded on the card can be spent.
Additional funds can be reloaded for continued use. Each time the card is used, the money spent is deducted from
the card balance.
Q. How is a prepaid GPR card different from a gift card?
A. Gift cards are not reloadable or personalized. A prepaid GPR card must be issued in the name of a customer who
has been positively identified by the bank, and is typically used as an alternative to traditional checking for the
underbanked population.
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EVERYDAY CASH CARD
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q. What are the benefits of the Everyday Cash Card?
A. There are many benefits, including:
• Safer than carrying cash
• Funds are FDIC Insured
• No overdraft fees
• Monitor spending with text or email alerts
•
Shop anywhere Visa debit cards are accepted
•
Reload funds in a variety of ways including at a branch, Sterling ATM, Readylink Retailer location or by Direct
Deposit
Q. Does the Everyday Cash Card need to be activated?
A. The temporary card will be activated by the branch at the time of purchase. The personalized card received in the
mail must be activated by calling the number on the sticker on the front of the card.
After the personalized Everyday Cash Card is activated, the temporary card will be deactivate and should be
disposed of. The funds from the temporary card are automatically transferred to the personalized card and the
temporary card is automatically closed. For security purposes, the temporary card and the personalized card have
different card numbers.
Q. Does the customer get to choose their own PIN?
A. Customers will create a PIN for the temporary card at the time of purchase and create a PIN for the personalized
card once they receive it in the mail and call the activation phone number on the front of the card.
Q. How can a customer change the PIN for a card?
A. The PIN can be changed by logging into the Everyday Cash Card website at www.bankwithsterling.com/Customer
Shortcut: Personalized Prepaid Card Login, and selecting the Change PIN feature, or by visiting a branch location.
Q. How many Everyday Cash Cards can a customer own?
A. Customers may own more than one Everyday Cash Card; however, the number of cards issued may be limited at
Sterling’s discretion.
Q. Can the Everyday Cash Card be purchased in someone else’s name?
A. No. The Everyday Cash Card is similar to opening a traditional checking account. Sterling must positively identify
the customer prior to issuing the card.
Q. Can customers under 18 years of age get an Everyday Cash Card?
A. Yes. Minors may purchase an Everyday Cash Card if they meet standard identification requirements.
Q. Can customers sign up for direct deposit of payroll, tax refund or government benefit checks to an
Everyday Cash Card?
A. Yes. Direct Deposit can be set up after the personalized card is received in the mail and activated. Direct Deposit
enrollment information is provided on the card carrier that comes with the Personalized card in the mail. The direct
deposit account number is not the same as the card number embossed on the Everyday Cash Card. Branch staff
or Customer Care can locate the correct Direct Deposit account number on the Card Information drop down menu
at the top of a cardholder’s record in CMSe. Customers may contact Customer Care at 800-650-7141 with
questions.
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EVERYDAY CASH CARD
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q. What information is needed to begin direct deposit of payroll checks to an Everyday Cash Card?
A. The employer will need the Sterling Bank routing number, 325171740, and the direct deposit account number tied
to the card. Both numbers are located on the Card Information screen within the Everyday Cash Card website, or
at the bottom of the card carrier the personalized card was mailed in. Contact our Customer Care at 800-650-7141
for assistance.
Q Where can a customer find the balance remaining on their Everyday Cash Card?
A. A remaining card balance can be verified by visiting the Everyday Cash Card Website at
www.bankwithsterling.com, or by calling Customer Care at 800-650-7141.
Q. What are the various ways an Everyday Cash Card can be reloaded?
A. An Everyday Cash Card or a Student Everyday Cash Card can be reloaded in the following ways:
•
•
•
•
•
With Cash at a Sterling Branch
With Cash at a Sterling ATM
With Cash at any retailer that accepts Visa ReadyLink prepaid card loads
ACH Direct Deposit
Card-to-Card Transfer via the Prepaid Website
Making Purchases
Q. Can a customer make a purchase that costs more than the balance on his or her card?
A. Yes. To make a purchase greater than the balance on the card, customers need to use a second form of payment,
cash, check or credit card, to cover the difference. The cashier will need to know in advance how much to deduct
from the Everyday Cash Card and how much is to be paid with a second form of payment.
Q. What should a customer do if the card is declined?
A. The merchant will tell the customer if a transaction is declined. Customers should verify that there are sufficient
funds on the card by visiting the Everyday Cash Card website or by calling Customer Care. If the card should not
have been declined, they should call Customer Care to determine why it was declined.
Q. Can purchases made with the Everyday Cash Card be cancelled?
A. If the merchant cancels a transaction at the customer’s request, the authorization hold will be removed from the
card in five to seven days.
Q. Can an item that was purchased with the card be returned?
A. Yes, if the merchant’s return policy allows it. The merchant will credit the amount of the purchase back to the card.
The merchandise value will be credited back to the card within three to seven days.
Q. Can the card be used at gas stations?
A. Yes. We recommend taking the card to the station attendant and stating exactly how much gas is to be purchased
instead of swiping the card at the pump. This will prevent a hold from being placed on the available funds for more
than the amount of gas actually purchased. The bank will hold a minimum of $75 if the card is authorized at the
pump.
Q. Can the Card be used at restaurants, car rental businesses and hotels?
A. Yes. Some restaurants, hotels and car rental businesses might factor in an automatic tip, or other expenses above
the purchase amount, after authorizing card purchases. If the bill plus the estimated tip or other expenses exceeds
the amount on the prepaid card, the card may be declined or go into a negative balance. The bank will hold an
additional 20% above the ticket amount to account for a tip.
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EVERYDAY CASH CARD
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q. Can the card be used to pay bills?
A. Yes. The card can be used to pay bills in person, over the phone or online with the merchant or service provider.
The card may also be used to set up recurring bill payments using the card number. Bill payments online are
through the biller’s website, not through the Everyday Cash Card website.
Q. Can the card be used at ATMs?
A. Yes. Select the option to withdraw cash from checking (or prepaid card if it provides that option). The card will be
recognized similarly to a traditional check card attached to a checking account.
Cash can be withdrawn at any Sterling Bank ATM at no cost. A per transaction fee will be charged for withdrawing
funds from a non-Sterling ATM in addition to any surcharge fees charged by the ATM owner. These fees will vary
by location and provider. Refer to the Everyday Cash Card Fee Schedule for detailed fee information.
Q. Can the card be used for cash advances?
A. Yes. Cash advances are available at any Sterling Bank branch or other participating financial institution. A $5 fee
will be posted automatically to the card, so the banker will need to subtract that fee from the requested cash
advance amount prior to processing.
Q. Can a customer get cash back when using the Everyday Cash Card?
A. Yes. Request cash back at any participating merchant using a PIN transaction and selecting Debit at the register.
Q. Does the Everyday Cash Card expire?
A. The Everyday Cash Card will have an expiration date and can be used until date if the customer continues to
reload the card with additional funds. A new card will be reissued prior to the expiration date on the card.
Q. What happens if the Everyday Cash Card isn’t reloaded or used for an extended period of time?
A. A monthly maintenance fee will continue to be charged to the card until the balance draws down to zero. The card
will then close automatically after two months at a zero balance.
Q. Can the Everyday Cash Card be used outside of the United States?
A. Yes. The card can be used internationally, wherever Visa debit cards are accepted. Purchases not in U.S. dollars
will be converted to U.S. currency using the exchange rate from the network that processes the transaction or the
government mandated rate in effect for the date that the network processes the transaction. Please review the
Everyday Cash Card Fee Schedule for international transaction fees that may apply.
Fees and Transfers
Q. What are the fees associated with the Everyday Cash Card?
A. Current fees are available in the Everyday Cash Card Fee Schedule.
Q. Is there a fee to receive a paper statement?
A. Paper statements are not offered for the Everyday Cash Card. Statements can be viewed electronically by logging
into the Everyday Cash Card website at www.bankwithsterling.com.
Q. Is it possible to incur overdraft fees on the Everyday Cash Card?
A. No Overdraft fees will be applied even in negative balance situations.
Q. Can the Everyday Cash Card have a negative balance?
A. A negative balance may occur if the final purchase amount the merchant submits is greater than the amount
originally authorized or if the merchant process a transaction without prior authorization. A customer should
immediately add more money to the card to bring the balance above zero. There are no overdraft fees.
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EVERYDAY CASH CARD
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q. Can funds be transferred between the Everyday Cash Card and a Sterling Bank deposit account online or
by phone?
A. Funds can be transferred to the Everyday Cash Card from a Sterling deposit account at a local branch. At this time
funds transfer functionality is not offered to the Everyday Cash Card through the online website.
Q. Can funds be transferred from one Everyday Cash Card to another?
A. Yes. Customers can log into the Everyday Cash Card website at www.bankwithsterling.com and transfer funds to
another Everyday Cash Card.
Q. If I would like to remove funds from my Everyday Cash Card but not close it, how is that transaction
processed?
A. This type of transaction is considered a cash advance and will be processed by the Teller as such. Cash
Advances on the Everyday Cash Card will be subject to a $5 fee, so the Teller will need to ensure funds are
available for the system to automatically assess that fee after the transaction.
Q. How do I close my Everyday Cash Card?
A. Tellers at the Sterling branches will perform a Remove Funds transaction, which is subject to a $7.50 fee. They
will need to ensure funds are left in the account to cover that fee which is automatically assessed after the
remainder of the balance is removed. The Teller will then status the card as Closed and provide the remaining
balance in cash to the cardholder.
Loading Funds
Q. How can a customer add money to the Everyday Cash Card
A. The temporary card is limited to one initial funds loaded when the account is opened. Funds can be added to the
personalized card once it is received in the mail and activated, an unlimited number of times using one of following
methods:
• Set up direct deposit of payroll, tax return or government benefit checks
• Request to load funds at any Sterling Bank branch
• Transfer money to another via the Everyday Cash Card website at www.bankwithsterling.com
• Any Visa ReadyLink retailer and all Sterling Bank ATMs that have Deposit Automation Capability
Q. Are funds loaded instantly available?
A. Refer to the Everyday Cash Card Terms and Conditions for Funds Availability details.
Q. Can funds be transferred from a deposit account at another financial institution to a Sterling Everyday
Cash Card?
A. That service is not offered at this time. Funds can only be transferred from a Sterling Bank deposit account at a
Sterling Branch.
Q. Can someone who is not a customer of the bank, come into a Sterling Branch and load funds to someone
else’s Everyday Cash Card?
A. Yes. Similar to our requirement for checking or savings accounts, anyone can deposit funds onto an existing
Everyday Cash Card as long as they have the cardholder’s name and card number available for the CSR to look
up the account. The CSR should not provide a receipt with card balance information in situations like this.
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EVERYDAY CASH CARD
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Funds Limits
Q. Are there limits on the amount of money that can be loaded onto a card?
A. Up to $5,000 per day or $20,000 per month can be loaded onto an Everyday Cash Card with a maximum balance
limit of $10,000 at any given time.
Q. What is the maximum balance that can be on a card?
A. The maximum balance on a temporary card is $1,000. The maximum balance on a permanent card is $10,000.
Q. Is there a limit to the number of ATM withdrawals a customer can make?
A. Up to five withdrawals can be made per day for up to $500 at ATMs using a personalized card.
Q. Are there limits on the number or amount of point-of-sale (POS) transactions that can be made?
A. Up to $3,000 per day in PIN POS purchases and $3,000 per day in Signature POS purchases.
Q. Are there limits on the number or amount of cash advance transactions that can be made?
A. Up to five withdrawals can be made per day for a total of $500 using the personalized card.
Q. Are there limits on the number or amount of transfers that can be made from one Everyday Cash Card to
another?
A. Up to five transfers can be made per day for a total of $2,500 using a personalized card.
Q. Are there limits on the number or amount of transfers from a Sterling deposit account to an Everyday
Cash Card?
A. Up to five transfers can be made per day for a total of $2,500 using a personalized card.
Q. Is there a fee to get cash back at a store or does it just run as a purchase?
A. There is no fee for cash back at a store or ATM withdrawal at a Sterling ATM, similar to a debit card.
Management
Q. How does a customer login to the Everyday Cash Card website?
A. Complete the following steps to log into the website:
1. Go to www.bankwithsterling.com.
2. Select the Temporary or Personalized Prepaid Card Login from the Customer Shortcut drop-down menu.
3. Enter the card number and PIN. The Enhanced Authentication Login options will display or the customer will
be logged into the Everyday Cash Card website.
Q. How can card activity and balance be viewed?
A. After logging into the Everyday Cash Card website, click the Card Activity link. A summary of pending and
completed transactions will display.
A card balance can be checked using one of the following methods:
• Call the Customer Care line at 800-650-7141 and selecting the Prepaid Card option
• Log into our Everyday Cash Card website at www.bankwithsterling.com
• Set up email or text alerts through our Everyday Cash Card website
• Text BAL to 42265 for a balance inquiry
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EVERYDAY CASH CARD
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q. Can alerts be set up for card activity?
A. Yes. Email and text alerts notify customers when important card activities occur. These can be set up by logging
into the Everyday Cash Card website at www.bankwithsterling.com. The types of alerts that are available are:
• Funds Added
• Funds Removed
• Low Balance
• Signature Transaction
• Weekly Balance
• Zero / Negative Balance
• Card Status Change
• Address Change
• Suspected Fraud
• Declined Transactions
• Card Not Present Transaction
• International Transaction
• Out-of-State Transaction
• Pay at the Pump Transaction
Text message carrier rates apply. Customers can text the following inquiries to 42265 and get a text message
back:
•
•
•
BAL – Balance Inquiry
HELP – Customer Service
STOP – Cancel
Q. Can a customer set up automatic withdrawal, for example to an insurance company, using the direct
deposit ACH instructions for the Everyday Cash Card?
A. Customers are not able to initiate and ACH Debit to the Everyday Cash Card. The ACH Direct Deposit # is only for
Direct Deposit initiation. If they wish to pay their monthly insurance bill, they would provide their ECC card number
and expiration date and hopefully their insurance company provides the service to charge a card for the monthly
insurance bill.
Q. Is there a fee to close the card? I see a fee to close with a cashier’s check, what about cash?
A. Branches would perform a “Remove Funds” transaction to close the card and there is a $7.50 fee to close the card
whether cash or cashier’s check is provided. Branches will need to make sure to subtract $7.50 from the
remaining balance so the system can assess the fee for the transaction.
Security
Q. Can a customer allow someone else to use their card?
A. For security reasons, the card should not be shared with others. Sharing the PIN or writing it on the back of the
card is not recommended.
Q. What if a card gets lost or stolen?
A. Contact Customer Care line at 800-650-7141 right away and select the Prepaid Card option.
Q. Are the funds loaded to this card FDIC insured?
A. Everyday Cash Cards are FDIC insured up to the maximum allowed by law. Learn more about FDIC coverage at
https://www.bankwithsterling.com/PrivacyandSecurity/MemberFDIC.aspx.
Q. Who does a customer contact if there are unauthorized transactions on their card?
A. Customer should call Customer Care at 800-650-7141 and select the Prepaid Card option to get assistance with
prepaid card disputes.
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EVERYDAY CASH CARD
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q. Are there consumer protections associated with the use of this card?
A. Yes. The Everyday Cash Card is protected under the Electronic Funds Transfer Act, which provides protection to
individual consumers engaging in electronic fund transactions. Additionally, it is protected by the Visa Zero Liability
for unauthorized/fraudulent transactions. Please refer to the Everyday Cash Card Terms and Conditions for details.
Student Basics
Q. How is the Student Everyday Cash Card different from the Everyday Cash Card?
A. Student Everyday Cash Cards are owned by the parent, with an additional card issued in the name of the student.
This program is designed to help parents teach children ages 13 and older financial management skills. It also
makes it easy for parents to deposit funds for the child to use, such as when a child is away at college.
Q. What is a Student Everyday Cash Card Sponsor?
A. A card sponsor is the person, parent or legal guardian, who sets up a Student Everyday Cash Card for a child.
This sponsor loads money on the card and has the ability to monitor transaction volumes, etc.
Q. Will both the Sponsor’s and Child’s personalized cards the same card number?
A. Yes. When one of the cards is activated and a PIN selected, the other card will also be activated and will use the
same PIN.
Q. Does the Sponsor receive a temporary card when a Student Everyday Cash Card account is opened?
A. No. The Student Everyday Cash Card account only issues personalized cards in the sponsor and child’s names.
These will be mailed to the sponsor address within 5 to 7 business days.
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