Treasury’s Bureau of the Fiscal Service has selected Fifth Third Bank as the new financial agent for the Direct Express debit card, replacing Comerica Bank, Social Security said in a May 18, 2026 notice. For people who already have a card, the instruction is to keep using the Comerica-issued one until it expires. Their accounts have not moved yet, and the agency says they will get advance notice before they do.
The question for anyone paid on Direct Express is what changes first and what stays the same. According to Social Security, new card enrollments with Fifth Third began in May 2026, while the move of existing accounts “will begin later this year or early next year.” In the meantime, the agency’s guidance is to keep contact information up to date so every notice about the switch actually arrives.
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Which card should stay in the wallet during the switch?
The Comerica card. Social Security’s notice, signed by Chief Communications Officer Nick Perrine, says beneficiaries “should continue to use their Comerica-issued cards following transition until the card expires.”
The Direct Express website frames the same point around the arrival of a replacement: “If you already have a card from Comerica, you can keep using it until you receive your new Fifth Third card.” Its frequently asked questions page says the Comerica card “will remain fully functional” in the meantime and tells cardholders to keep it.
When do existing accounts move to Fifth Third?
No date has been published. The May notice put the start of the account transition at later this year or early next year, and it listed no deactivation date for Comerica cards. The Direct Express site gives no transition dates for existing cardholders either.
The FAQ says cardholders “will be notified before your new Fifth Third card arrives.” It does not say whether the new card will carry a different number, so that is a question to put to Direct Express when the notice comes.
Does the app or the online login change?
Not for Comerica cardholders yet. The Direct Express site says people with a Comerica-issued card should keep using their current app until further notice, and it points them to the legacy app that stays available during the transition. The newer mobile app works only with newly issued Fifth Third Bank cards.
Online, cardholders can keep logging in to the same account until the new card arrives. The FAQ says to select the first six numbers of the card to reach the right login portal. The new card is issued by Fifth Third Bank, National Association, Member FDIC, and the site says benefits load automatically to the account on each payment day.
Who answers questions when a payment looks wrong?
It depends on what the question is about. Social Security says it will keep helping with benefit payment inquiries, such as whether a payment was sent. Questions about the card itself go to Direct Express through its contact page at usdirectexpress.com/contact, and the site says customer service is available around the clock.
Payment days do not change with the bank. The agency’s 2026 payment schedule sets most deposits on the second, third or fourth Wednesday of the month by birth date, with Supplemental Security Income on the 1st and the 3rd for people who got benefits before May 1997 or receive both. A payment that does not appear on its day is worth a call to 1-800-772-1213 only after three extra mailing days for anything sent by mail, the schedule says.
People who would rather not hold a card can look at Social Security’s direct deposit page, which lists the routes for changing how a payment is received: online, through a bank, by appointment or by phone at the same number.
Will the next payment land on a card that still works?
A bank change adds a stretch where notices, new cards and old cards all exist at once, and a missed notice can leave someone staring at a balance that did not load on payday. Anyone paid on Direct Express has no fallback unless the date and the first steps are already written down.
The card switch is Treasury’s decision, but the payment day is the reader’s to track. “The Social Security Check Protection Kit” is a 75-page guide that includes the 2026 payment calendar and a first-24-hours plan for a late or missing payment. Part 4 covers late, short or wrong payments.
Get the 2026 payment calendar and the late-payment plan in the Check Protection Kit →
This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.
David M. Keller is a finance writer based in Columbus, Ohio, covering personal finance and consumer-focused economic topics. He earned his degree in journalism from Ohio University and began his career reporting on local business and economic trends for a regional media outlet. Since then, he has contributed to a variety of online publications, focusing on clear, practical coverage of topics such as cost of living, debt, and everyday financial decision-making.
