Top Questions to Green Dot: Is it Safe?

If you are looking for money management and payment solution other than traditional banking, you may be considering GreenDot.com. Customers like their competitive interest rates and cash-back earnings.

However, when deciding whether to buy their products and services, you need to beware of the Green Dot complaints on various review websites. The most common one is being put on hold when you call Green Dot customer service phone number to seek assistance.

Here are answers to the top consumer questions about GreenDot.com to help you make an informed decision.

• How to contact customer service?
• Is Green Dot safe?
• How to cancel Green Dot card?
• How to close an account?
• How to add another card to the account?

1. How to Contact Green Dot Customer Service

There are various ways to contact Green Dot customer service, including via phone, live chat, mail, and social media pages.

Their contact us page provides the following phone number: (866)-795-7597. The Green Dot phone number is open between 5 am and 9 pm PST throughout the week.

You could also get assistance through the Green Dot customer service live chat. The live chat is easily accessible through the Green Dot customer service chat icon located at the bottom right of the screen. If you have a Green Dot card or bank account, you are advised to login into the app or website for more efficient support.

For mail correspondence, use the following address:

Green Dot Corporation
P.O BOX 5100,
Pasadena
CA 91117

Green Dot customer support is highly responsive on social platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Often, customers post their complaints or questions about Green Dot bank as a comment on the most recent post. On Twitter, customers also post tweets on the company’s feed.

You could also send a direct message to initiate a Green Dot customer service chat. However, some Green Dot reviews on Twitter indicate that customers did not get a response to their direct message.

2. Is Green Dot Safe?

Before signing up for an account or a card, you need to do your due diligence to establish: is Green Dot safe?

According to their About Us page, Green Dot Corporation is a financial technology and registered bank holding company on a mission to provide best-in-class money management and payment solutions for customers. They provide a wide range of Green Dot cards, including prepaid, checking, debit, credit, and payroll cards. The bank also offers money processing services, cash deposits, tax refunds, and disbursements. All their services and products enable faster, more efficient, and intuitive money management and electronic payments.

Contrary to advertised promises, customers report numerous Green Dot complaints across different platforms. On PissedConsumer, Green Dot has a 1.4-star rating, with most customers alerting issues with:

Poor customer service

Generally, customers have an easy time contacting Green Dot customer support. However, they do not always get the assistance they are seeking.

For instance, in Green Dot review, the customer had been contacting the bank for two weeks to follow up on stolen money from their account. Although the Green Dot phone number went through, the customer service representative told her that the refunds were still pending. This went on for more than a month, she was put on hold, and then eventually the representative hung up.

Failure to Deliver Cards

Several reviews indicate that consumers did not receive their Green Dot cards, although the company says that the cards had been sent out.

Stolen Money

Several reviewers complained about missing money from their accounts and unauthorized charges.

Frozen Account

In other instances, consumer accounts were frozen without any explanation. They were locked out of the accounts and could not access their money.

Declined Purchases

There have been incidents where customers could not make purchases as payments were declined with no clear reason.

Holding Stimulus Money

Many Green Dot reviews indicate that while the IRS confirmed that they had sent the money to the customer’s account, in some cases, the money was put on hold or did not reflect on the customer’s card.

In addition, as part of doing your due diligence to establish “is Green Dot safe?” check your state’s attorney general’s website for any consumer warnings on scams. For instance, the Michigan Attorney General's website has a consumer alert on common Green Dot MoneyPak scams. The NYPD also provides a detailed crime prevention alert regarding Green Dot Moneypak card scams.

3. How to Cancel Green Dot Card?

Green Dot complaints indicate several cancellation issues. While some customers cannot cancel their cards, others were able to cancel but continued to be charged a monthly fee for their Green Dot card even after canceling. We looked at the Green Dot cancellation policy for clarity on how to cancel your card.

Although there is no explicit Green Dot cancellation policy, it is implied in the cardholder agreement. According to the cardholder agreement, customers have 30 days to return their cards after purchase.

If you do not agree to the terms of use or change your mind, do not use the card once it is delivered. Contact Green Dot customer service immediately to initiate the return. You can either reach out via Green Dot customer service live chat or call the phone number provided on the back of your card.

If you are eligible to cancel the Green Dot card, the company will refund your purchase fees, any monthly charges deducted, and any remaining amount on the card. However, if you use or another person uses the card, it is concluded that you agree to the terms of the agreement, and you cannot cancel your card. Notably, the company reserves the right to cancel your Green Dot card with or without cause or prior notice.

4. How to Close Green Dot Account?

The Green Dot cancellation policy for accounts is implied in response to an FAQ on the company’s help center. According to the FAQ, you can cancel Green Dot bank account without any prior notice to the company.

You can either contact Green Dot customer support to do it for you or do it yourself through the app or website.

Ways to Close Your Account

By contacting customer service:

• Call Green Dot customer service phone number; or
• log in to your account and initiate a conversation on the Green Dot customer service live chat.

On the Green Dot app:

• Log in to your account on the app;
• go to settings;
• select “Manage Card”;
• then tap on “Close your account”.

On Greendot.com website:

• Go to Greendot.com on your web browser;
• log in to your account;
• select “security”;
• select “close your account”.

There should be no money in your account for you to be able to close it. Therefore, for all methods, you will be provided with 3 options if there is money in your Green Dot account:

1. Spend all the money in your account to a $0 balance. You can purchase in-store or online or withdraw the money from an ATM until your balance reaches zero.
2. Pick up cash at a Walmart near you. Note that a retail fee of $2.50-$5.00 applies and will be deducted from your cash balance. This option only works if your account balance is at least $22.50.
3. Get a refund check. You will be refunded the remaining amount in the form of a check to the address you provided when signing up. You should receive the check within 14 days of closing your account.

Once your account is closed, you can still view your transaction history and account statements on Greendot.com. However, you will not be able to make any transactions or access the account on the app.

5. How to Add Another Card to Green Dot Account?

The company does not provide steps to follow to add another card to your Green Dot bank account on their help center. Therefore, the best option would be to contact customer service either via the Green Dot service live chat or on their phone number.

While millions of people across the U.S find the Green Dot cards and accounts useful, there are numerous issues that consumers encounter with the company. The top complaints are about poor customer service, fraud, stolen funds, and unauthorized transactions, making customers wonder, “Is Green Dot safe?”>

What has been your experience with Green Dot Corporation? You are welcome to leave a review and share it with other consumers.

*The company ratings on the PissedConsumer website are calculated using a mathematical algorithm that evaluates the information in the company’s profile. The algorithm parameters are: users’ rating, the number of resolved issues, the number of company responses and more. The PissedConsumer algorithm is also subject to change in the future.