The Sallie Mae Debit Card provides a simple and convenient way to access your refund disbursements.
The Sallie Mae Debit Card is a re-loadable debit card that makes getting refund disbursements from your school easy. Refund disbursements may be automatically loaded onto your card throughout the school year, as determined by your school.
You can use the funds to pay for books, housing, meals, travel, and any other expenses. Simply use your card to make purchases at MasterCard locations, withdraw cash at ATMs, shop online and through mail order, and pay your bills.
You can give your parents and others the ability to load additional funds onto your card by using a credit card.
Your funds are FDIC-insured up to $100,000 and, with the MasterCard Zero Liability policy, your funds are protected from theft or loss in the event that your card is lost or stolen (see the Terms & Conditions for details).
No, your card is not a credit card. It's a debit card. You can only spend the funds that have been placed on the card.
No. Since this is not a line of credit or loan, no credit check is required.
Yes. Any student enrolled at a participating institution may receive a card.
Typically, you will receive your card within 10 business days from the date that your school provides us with the amount of your first refund disbursement.
Your card will come with instructions on how to activate it. You will be provided with an initial PIN that you will be required to change when activating your card.
Call us toll-free at 1-888-553-4108 and follow the prompts to activate your card. Then sign the back. It takes only a few minutes.
No. Upon activation, your card is ready to use.
A PIN is your secret four-digit Personal Identification Number that allows you to get cash from ATMs, make "debit" purchases, and receive "cash back" at select merchants.
Never write your PIN on your card. Keep it separate from your card and never tell anyone your PIN.
You can use the funds to pay for books, housing, meals, travel, and any other expenses that you have.
Your card can be used to make purchases anywhere MasterCard is accepted.
You can also use your card:
- to make PIN-based purchases at any merchant that displays the NYCE or Cirrus brandmarks;
- to make withdrawals and balance inquiries at any ATM that displays the AllpointTM, Presto!, SUMSM, NYCE, or Cirrus brandmarks.
To find a surcharge-free ATM, log on to the web address shown on the back of your card and follow the link to locate the surcharge-free ATMs closest to you.
You may choose either one.
- If you select "credit,” just sign the sales receipt and go.
- If you select "debit,” you will need to enter your PIN after your card has been swiped.
If you select "credit” and sign the sales receipt (instead of using your PIN), you automatically receive the benefits of the MasterCard Zero Liability policy, which protects you against fraud and merchant disputes (and is not offered on transactions made using a PIN). Certain restrictions apply to Zero Liability. See the Terms & Conditions for more information.
Yes, you can make online purchases your card up to the value loaded on the card.
Remember: Always protect yourself and your personal information when buying goods and services online. Shop only with merchants you know and trust. Make sure any Internet purchase activity you engage in is encrypted to protect your information. Look for "secure transaction" symbols.
No, you will not be charged a fee for making a purchase at a participating merchant.
You cannot access more than the balance on your card.
When you present your card as payment, simply inform the cashier of the remaining balance on the card. The remaining purchase amount can then be supplemented with cash or another means of payment.
When your card comes, record your account balance and deduct each purchase and cash withdrawal in your personal register.
You can check your available balance by:
- logging on to the website shown on the back of your card to access your account,
- doing a balance inquiry at an ATM, or
- calling us toll-free at 1-888-553-4108 and following the prompts to get your balance.
Insert your card into the ATM and follow the instructions for entering your PIN. Once your PIN has been entered successfully, you can choose to withdraw funds or perform a balance inquiry.
If you choose to withdraw funds, enter the amount you wish to withdraw. The ATM will present the cash you requested with a receipt and return your card.
Record the amount you have withdrawn in your personal register and subtract the amount from the previous available balance to determine how much money you have left on your card.
Always select "Checking.”
You will not be charged a fee if you use one of the over 32,000 surcharge-free Allpoint ATMs, an ATM bearing the Presto! or SUMSM brandmarks, or an ATM that is owned by Sallie Mae Bank.
Log on to the web address on the back of your card and follow the ATM locator link to find the surcharge-free ATMs closest to you.
Note: At Allpoint ATMs, if the surcharge screen appears during a transaction, enter "YES” to accept the surcharge and proceed with the withdrawal. You will not be charged the surcharge. You can verify this by reviewing the ATM transaction receipt. If you are inadvertently charged a fee by an Allpoint ATM, contact us through our toll-free number to request reimbursement.
If you choose to use a non-participating ATM, the financial institution that owns and operates the ATM may charge you a fee to process your transaction. They must disclose any such fee for each ATM transaction before that transaction is completed. You can decide to accept the fee and continue the transaction or cancel the transaction. The ATM fee imposed by the bank that owns the ATM is different from and in addition to the fee for using a non-participating ATM listed in the Schedule of Fees.
No. ATM transactions are limited to balance inquiries and withdrawals only.
No. You should never let another person use your card. Keep your card and its account number under your control at all times. Do not tell anyone your PIN or write your PIN on the back of your card.
Yes. You can visit any bank displaying the MasterCard brandmark and request a teller-assisted cash withdrawal. The amount of the withdrawal will be limited to the available balance on your card and will be subject to a daily limit.
You can remove funds from your card by asking for "cash back” when making a "debit” PIN-based purchase at select merchants.
You can transfer funds, free of charge, from your card to an external deposit account. Access your account online and follow the link "Card to Account Transfer” to move funds from your card to your checking or savings account.
You can use the card in a "split tender” purchase. This means you use the remaining value on your card in a restaurant or at a MasterCard merchant location, supplemented with cash or another means of payment for the remaining amount due. Simply tell the merchant that you would like to use the remaining value from your card and present another form of payment (cash, credit card, etc.) for the remaining balance. (Some merchants may not allow cardholders to conduct split tender transactions.)
You can also visit any bank displaying the MasterCard brandmark and request a teller-assisted cash withdrawal of the remaining value on your card.
You can contact us and request that the remaining funds be sent to you by check.
Note that you will be charged a fee by Sallie Mae Bank for completing a teller-assisted cash withdrawal or if you request disbursement of your remaining Card funds via check. See the Schedule of Fees for more information.
Yes. See the Terms & Conditions to learn more about the number of transactions permitted per day as well as the dollar limits for those transactions.
Yes. Monthly statements will be made available to you online free of charge. Just log on to the web address displayed on the back of your card. You may print statements from your web browser.
If you request them, we can mail you hardcopy statements for a fee. See the Schedule of Fees for more information.
Refund disbursements may be automatically loaded onto your card throughout the school year, as determined by your school.
You can also give your parents and others the ability to load additional funds onto your card by using a credit card.
Please note that the contributing party may be charged a convenience fee by the credit card merchant that will be disclosed at the time of authorization. Visit the web address shown on the back of your card for more information on how to register for this feature.
Yes. You can use your card to make purchases, perform ATM transactions, and request cash advances from banks in many other countries. Simply look for the MasterCard or Cirrus brandmark.
You may be charged higher fees when using your card to make transactions in another country, including a currency conversion fee that is determined by MasterCard. See the Schedule of Fees for more information.
Yes. All funds on your card are insured by the FDIC up to $100,000.
No. Your account does not earn interest.
Yes. your card is valid for two years from its issue date. The expiration date is shown on the front of your card.
No. Your balance will not expire if you don’t use the funds on your card.
You may be charged an inactivity fee if your card remains inactive for a specified period, however. See the Schedule of Fees for more information
Since the amount of your refund disbursement is determined by your school, you should contact them immediately if you believe there is an error. At your school’s request, we will promptly make any necessary adjustments to your account balance.
To notify us of an address change, call the Sallie Mae Debit Card Center toll-free at 1-888-553-4108.
For all other changes (e.g., name, school information, etc.), please call the Sallie Mae Payment Advisor Center toll-free at 1-800-239-4211.
Call us toll-free at 1-888-553-4108, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Follow the prompts to speak with a customer service representative.
Yes. If your card is lost or stolen, call us immediately at 1-888-553-4108.
There will be a fee to replace your card. You are protected by the MasterCard Zero Liability policy if you notify us immediately, meaning that your funds are protected if your card is lost or stolen. Certain restrictions apply to Zero Liability. See the Terms & Conditions for more information.
Yes. You are not permitted to use your card for gambling, either online or in person.
"Pay-at-the-pump” gasoline purchases are restricted on the card. When purchasing gasoline, present your card to the station attendant to complete your purchase.
Strong Authentication (SA) is an additional level of security added on to the sign on or log in process for banking or financial Web application used by consumers.
A Web application can provide SA in several ways. In general, SA requires a banking or financial Web application to provide one or more of the following security options:
- Require a personal user ID and password setup by the consumer
- Challenge questions to verify that the consumer is who they say they are
- Picture and personal phrase for website authentication
- PC registration
SA provides additional security for your non-public personal information such as your full name, address, telephone number, and Social Security number. SA also helps to protect your financial information.
Bank account numbers, card numbers, account balances, and money transfer transactions are more frequently exposed to fraudulent activities such as "phishing” and "pharming” when only a single level of security is provided. The additional level of security given by enrolling in SA helps to keep your personal and financial information secure by enabling you to establish your own security parameters.