People who get Social Security, SSI and other federal benefits on a Direct Express prepaid card are in the middle of a bank change. Treasury is moving the program from Comerica Bank to Fifth Third Bank, and cardholders can keep using the Comerica card until the Fifth Third card arrives.
No cutoff date for the old card has been published. That gap is where scammers tend to work, so the plain facts matter.
Who picked Fifth Third, and when?
The Social Security Administration said in a May 18, 2026 notice that Treasury’s Bureau of the Fiscal Service “has selected Fifth Third Bank as the new financial agent for the Direct Express program.” New enrollments with Fifth Third were set to begin in May 2026.
The Direct Express site now carries the announcement too. It says the program is “pleased to announce our new partnership with Fifth Third Bank, N.A.,” and that Fifth Third “will now replace Comerica Bank as the financial agent for the Direct Express card.”
What should current cardholders do with the Comerica card?
The Direct Express site tells cardholders: “If you already have a card from Comerica, you can keep using it until you receive your new Fifth Third card.” It adds that existing Comerica cardholders should keep using their current app until further notice.
For someone whose monthly benefit lands on this card, that means nothing has to be done today to keep the deposit coming. The card in the wallet works, the app on the phone works, and the replacement is expected to come on its own.
SSA’s notice says account transfers for existing cardholders start “later this year or early next year,” and that beneficiaries will receive advance notice of the transition of their accounts. It tells cardholders to keep their contact information current so they receive every communication.
What changed this year: Social Security and Medicare change every year, and nobody sends you a memo. The Retirement Money Brief breaks down what changed and what to do.
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Which phone numbers are real?
Treasury’s own Direct Express page, last updated September 1, 2026, lists 24-hour customer service at 1-888-741-1115 for cards that start with 5332 and 1-833-347-9777 for cards that start with 5141. The page also lists an enrollment center at 800-333-1795, open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern, Monday through Friday.
The Direct Express site says a new card is activated, a transaction is disputed or a lost card is reported by calling the number on the back of the card. So the card itself is the best place to find the right number, not a text, email or social media message.
How do scammers use a card change?
A bank switch gives a scammer a believable story: your card is being replaced, so confirm your details. The Direct Express site says the program “will never ask for your card number, password, PIN, or security code,” and advises contacting Direct Express directly if a message asks for that information.
A message that threatens to cancel the card unless a PIN is read out does not match what the program says it does. Neither Treasury nor SSA has published a date when the old card stops working or when new cards will be mailed in the pages that announce the change.
What if a deposit does not arrive during the switch?
Treasury says a lost or stolen card is replaced by Direct Express customer service, and SSA says it will keep helping with benefit payment questions. A deposit that fails to show on the usual day is the situation worth planning for, because a household on a fixed income may have rent and groceries due that week.
The open question for cardholders is simple: when will the Fifth Third card arrive, and what will the notice look like? Treasury’s page and the Direct Express site are where the answer will be posted first.
Switching from the Comerica card to Fifth Third?
The costly mistake during a card change is a deposit that goes missing on the day the bills are due, with no plan for the first day. A household that waits a week to act on a late payment can fall behind on rent and food while the problem gets sorted out.
The Social Security Check Protection Kit includes a first-24-hours plan for a late or missing payment, and it comes with the 2026 payment calendar so a cardholder knows which day the deposit should land.
Get the first-24-hours checklist for a missed Direct Express deposit →
More Financial Reading
- 21 Ways to Stretch a $2,087 Social Security Check
- 15 Places to Find Your Share of the $4.25 Billion States Give Back
- 15 Ways Retirees Are Tapping a Record $14.9 Trillion in Home Equity
This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.
