DHS: Benefits & Features

Benefits of the Illinois Debit MasterCard®

Payments Available Quickly - no waiting for a check in the mail. Your payments are posted directly to your debit card.
Get Cash Faster - No trip to the currency exchange to cash your check. Get cash at ATMs, at bank teller windows, or at your favorite merchant location displaying the MasterCard Acceptance Mark.
Shop with it - Use your Illinois Debit MasterCard® at merchant locations worldwide, wherever the MasterCard® Acceptance Mark is displayed. You may also ask for "cash back" with your purchase. There are no charges for point-of-sale transactions using your signature or PIN.
Notification of Payments - Sign up to receive phone or email notifications when payments are loaded to your account.
Customer Service - Free unlimited access. Once the card has been activated, you may access information about your account from Customer Service.
Receive Monthly Statements - A monthly paper statement will itemize and track payments for services you perform and your purchases or withdrawals.
Secure - You must authorize DHS to deposit your payments to your Illinois Debit MasterCard® account. Your account is protected by YOUR secret code (PIN) and is FDIC insured.

Access Account Information - Available via our Customer Service help line.
Automated Deposit Notification - Select this feature from the web or toll free number to activate, and receive notification by phone, text or email.
Low Balance Alert - Select this feature from the toll free number and have the system send you an alert by phone, text, or email when your balance falls below this level.
Monthly Paper Statements - Your monthly statement is mailed to the personal address of your Illinois Debit MasterCard account.