H&R Block Prepaid Debit Cards

If I could select 0 stars, I would; they don't deserve any. Do not trust this company ever again. H&R Block and the Emerald department are horrible; they don't know what they are doing and give wrong information about the advance loan. I was given incorrect information about the payments for the loan and was charged a $30 late fee, even though my payments were made on time. I spoke with a Supervisor who apologized for the rep giving me the wrong information and said he would waive the $30 fee and told me not to worry about it anymore and that it is taken care of (which I recorded the conversation as well). Then, a week or two later, I receive an email informing me I have a $30 late fee that was supposed to be waived. I call and talk to another rep who says they will look into it and escalate it to the back office and that they will call me. I never received a call or email. I look at my account and the fee is still there. I call again, and now they say my case is closed and that I was denied the fee waiver after the Supervisor said he waived it and not to worry. I have been a loyal customer of H&R Block for over 20 years, and now you have lost another customer. I will have my attorney listen to the recording and see what he says.

Money disappears, text notifications for spending money only last for a few messages, then none. I DO NOT SUGGEST USING THE EMERALD CARD FOR ANYONE! I don't know if tax preparers have access to all this information, but it's a cause for concern. I have done my taxes through H&R Block and Jackson Hewitt, but I just do not have anything to say except that we pay too much. Anyone who has paid this much ($430 for tax preparation) shouldn't have the right to debit card information. It should be new and in an envelope. Plus, one should get a new one each year.

I completed the Emerald Card Advance Loan while filing my taxes this year. Funds were loaded as expected and the app shows everything is in order. I have my card from last year, which shows active, and I updated my PIN.

I attempted to make a small purchase which was declined. When I called the customer service line, I was told the account was closed. The representative asked for my birthday, full spelling of my name, date of birth, the last four digits of the card number, and my full Social Security number. I was put on hold and then disconnected. There was no return call.

After waiting a few minutes, I called again. It was the same discussion; this time, they asked to verify my full address. I was placed on hold and then told I needed to verify a series of three questions. At this point, it was clear something was not right here. The questions are the same as when you pull your credit report. In the last four years, which city have you lived in... A, B, C, or D... I asked why they are asking further questions when I have identified myself in 12 different ways and have the physical card. He stumbled to find words and I interrupted to go l let him know I was reporting both calls. I've seen reviews on other sites now that money has vanished from emerald cards shortly after the customer called customer service for assistance and there is nothing that can be done since these are virtual assistants hired overseas.
Someone needs to look into this company immediately! I checked the website and the back of the card to confirm the phone number i was calling was correct but I still feel very uneasy about the information I just provided and now I'm worried sick about both my refund and my credit.

The Emerald Card is the worst card that I have. I got one four years ago, and it wouldn't allow me to transfer my taxes to my bank account. So, if I wanted money from it, like to pay rent, I had to go to an ATM and make four different withdrawals, paying the $3.00 fee each time. I had to get the Emerald Card loan this year, and thankfully, it has a transfer option. So, I linked my account, transferred funds, and it displayed a negative $500 on my Emerald Card. When I woke up today, my bank account also showed negative $500. I called customer service, and they said transfers are not allowed at this time, even though there is a transfer button on the app. This card is very frustrating. I will never put money on it again. I wish I could give this a negative review.

Just so you know, if you ever need to file a dispute with these cards, they will drag it on for weeks before they actually return your money to your account. They also have the worst customer service and representatives I have ever encountered in my entire life. Half of them do not even speak clear English. They play games; they hang up on you. So for your information, if you ever need to pursue a dispute, expect it to be prolonged for three or four weeks whether it's $300 or $1000. It's going to be a long time before they settle it and refund your money, so be prepared.