Summer Youth Workers to Be Paid with Visa Payroll Debit Cards
The Washington D.C. Department of Employment Services will be paying young participants in its summer jobs program via JPMorgan-issued Visa payroll debit cards. The agency says it has deployed the payroll card program as a means to provide its young workers with a safe, convenient, and dependable alternative to payroll checks, as well as reduce the costs and time associated with issuing paper payroll checks.
More than 19,000 youth are enrolled in the 2008 Passport-to-Work Summer Youth Program. Through the use of a payroll debit card, participants receive immediate access to their money on pay day. The reloadable card is funded twice a month during the ten-week program. Participants do not have to wait for checks to arrive in the mail or worry about checks being lost or stolen.
A checking account isn't necessary and the card can be used anywhere that Visa® is accepted. Each student will be able access her or his money by using a personal identification number (PIN) to access cash. Round-the-clock bilingual customer service support is also available.
“The debit cards will let them keep more money in their pocket as this payment method helps eliminate check-cashing and bank account fees,” said Dr. Natwar M. Gandhi, Chief Financial Officer for the District of Columbia. "We hope that the real-life experience gained by using payroll debit cards to budget and purchase items will be a practical tool when these students become responsible for their own finances.”
"We've put safeguards in place for the students in case a card is lost, damaged or stolen," said Lasana K. Mack, treasurer and deputy chief financial officer of the District of Columbia government. "We have a toll-free number so a lost card can be immediately invalidated and a replacement card can be delivered within a day."
“Providing youth with enriching, hands-on work and academic experience is key to our nation’s future workforce. JPMorgan is proud to partner with the District of Columbia on its successful summer program,” said Laurie Neill, Managing Director, Public Sector Solutions, JPMorgan.
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