Congratulations on choosing the Ecount Visa® Pay Cardto receive your pay! Here is some helpful information to get you started.

Setting Up & Managing Your Pay Card

Setting up the Ecount Visa® Pay Cardis easy. Here is a list of steps you should follow:

  1. Activate your card immediately. Your card will not work at merchants or ATMs until you activate it.To activate your card, call1-800-225-1115.
  1. Set your PIN (Personal Identification Number).This occurs during the activation process, and will allow you to access cash at ATMs and authorize Pre-Checks. If you can not call from your home phone then you will be prompted to speak to an agent who will then verify and activate your Visa Pay Card.
  1. Sign the back of the card andread the Terms Conditions provided in the Welcome Kit.
  1. Go online and register the account.This is the best way to check your balance, transaction history, and payment details. Go to

Common Questions on Setting Up and Managing Paycards

Your Welcome Kit will be shipped directly to your Snelling Office, prior to your first payday.

If it is payday and you have not yet received yourEcount Visa® Pay Card, please contactyour Snelling office. You will be issued a Snelling Administrative Pre-Check.

There are three basic ways to use your Ecount Visa® Pay Card(1) any merchant that accepts Visa debit cards. This includes catalog orders, phone orders and internet purchases, however you can not request cashback; (2) you can withdraw cash at any ATM that bears the Visa® logo. (3)cash advance at banks with the Visa® logo

Purchases at a merchant

  1. Confirm your available balance is greater than your purchase amount.
  2. Present your card to the merchant, and they’ll swipe your card. Or swipe the card yourself if you’re at a self checkout.
  3. If you’re askedto choose “Credit or Debit,” you must select “Credit” (even though you have a debit card). This means you will sign for your purchase (instead of using a PIN).
  4. Sign the merchant’s receipt. That’s it!

Cash withdraw at an ATM

  1. Confirmyour available balance is greater than cash requested plus the fees to be charged.
  2. Insert your card into the ATM, and enter your PIN when prompted.
  3. Select “Withdraw from Credit” (even though you have a debit card)
  4. Enter the amount that you’d like to withdraw.

Cash Advance

Banks with the Visa® logo will allow you (free of charge) to do acash advance transaction

up to the balance on your card not to exceed $10,000.00 daily. Just present your card and a valid picture id at the bank and request a “cashadvance.” This would be an alternative to using the ATM or Pre-Check to access cash.

In all cases, the cardholder’s balance will instantly be updated.

The following usage fees apply:

ATM Withdrawal - $1.50, International (ATM outside the continental US) Withdrawal –$3.50,

Pre-check Processing – 1 free per pay period, $2.00 each afterward,

Card Replacement – $6.95, Monthly Paper Statement $1.50,

IVR customer service –is FREE, Live Customer Service $2.00

The following services are free: ATM Balance Inquiries, Online Account Services, PIN Changes, Account Closures, Point of Sale Signature Purchases, IVR automated response system, and Email Customer Service.

Toll-free number 1-800-422-1992 or - 365 days a year via email; Bilingual help is available 24 hours a day. A $2.00 fee applies to Live Customer Service. Using the IVR automated response system is FREE.

Tips and Things to Remember When Using your Card

  • Managing cash withdrawals: For your security and protection, there are limits on the amount of cash you can withdraw from an ATM on a daily basis. You may withdraw up to $2500 a day from the ATM and spend up to $3500 a day at any merchant that accepts Visa debit cards worldwide. If your daily cash requirements are greater than these limits, contact our Customer Service Team for adjustments at 800-422-1992.
  • Checking your balance: You can check your balance 3 ways:

(1) Go to and log in to your account;

(2) Go to the nearest ATM and select “Balance Inquiry”

(Note: Some ATMs do not support balance inquiry requests.); and

(3) Call Customer Service, 800-422-1992enter your account number, verify your account

information, you will then have immediate access to get your account balance and the

last five transactionsfrom the automated response system.

  • Using your card at restaurants: Be aware that restaurants may temporarily "authorize" your card for 20% more than the purchase amount. They do this to cover a possible gratuity that you might leave the waiter. Make sure you have enough funds in your account to cover the extra temporarily authorized amount.
  • "Splitting" payments: If your purchase amount is more than the amount available on your debit card, you can usually supplement with another form of payment (cash, check, or other card). Here’s what to do: (1) Make sure the merchant allows split payments; (2) Use your Pay Card as one of the forms of payment (specifically tell the cashier the exact amount to deduct from your debit card); and (3) Use a supplemental form of payment to cover the remaining purchase amount.
  • Spending up to your limit: Remember, your card does not offer you a line of credit. You can only spend up to your available balance.

Writing a Pre-Check to Access Pay

With your Welcome Kit you will also receive a supply of Pre-Checks. You may use one free pre-check each pay period for any amount up to but not exceeding your account balance, additional use $2 each per pay period. The Pre-Checks will be replenished based on your usage, pre-checks will be mailed to your homeaddress on file. (Verify your address on file with Ecount)

Using a Pre-Check is easy. Here is a quick diagram outlining the basic steps, followed by detailed step-by-step instructions:

Step-by-Step Instructions for writing a Pre-Check

  1. Get the individual Pre-Check you will use.
  2. You should have received Pre-Checks with the Pay Card Welcome Kit, or received a booklet of replacement Pre-Checks.
  1. Have the following ready to authorize your Pre-Check:
  2. Check account # (last 14 digits on bottom of Pre-Check starting with 357 & ends at ) 
  3. Your PIN to access your account. (This was established when you activated your Paycard.)
  4. Amount of Pre-Check (which must be less than your balance). 
  5. A pen to write your Authorization Code (), amount () and date () on the Pre-Check.
  1. Call toll-free to 800-225-5845, and then follow the prompts (outlined below):
  2. Press 1 for “Writing a Pre-Check”, and enter the check account # () when prompted.
  3. Enter your PIN when prompted. If correct, your available balance will be provided. If not, try again and call Customer Service if the problem persists.
  4. Enter the amount you wish to write the Pre-Check for when prompted. 
  5. An Authorization Code will be provided if the available balance is sufficient.
  6. The Paycard balance will be reduced by the amount authorized to the check.
  7. Write the Authorization Code in the boxes provided on the Pre-Check near the top of the Pre-Check, to the left of the Ecount logo (), as well as the amount and date ()
  1. Give the Pre-Check to the depositing or cashing institution.
  2. The check casher will call to confirm the amount of the Pre-Check.
  3. The funds “set aside” for the Pre-Check will be held until the Pre-Check is cashed by the merchant. That’s it!

As with any paycheck, certain establishments will have different check cashing policies that may or may not permit the cashing of payroll checks or Pre-Checks. You should check with each specific location to determine their check cashing criteria.

Here are some tips to help you with any issues you may encounter while cashing your Pre-Check:

Remember, you can always access your funds from your Pay Card by using it free of charge anywhere Visa debit cards are accepted. You can also use your Pay Card to withdraw cash at an ATM (where some fees will apply).

You may deposit or cash your Pre-Check into your personal bank account. If you don’t have a personal bank, please go to a Check Cashing Agency in your area.

Since the concept of a Pre-Check is new to some check cashing establishments, it may be necessary to communicate the following information the first time you attempt to cash the check:

  • Let them know it is an official payroll check.
  • Since most stores use automated check cashing systems, request they try to validate the check using their system instead of just performing the visual review they often do.
  • Encourage the teller to call the number on the check to confirm the check will not bounce and the funds are good.
  • If you are at a store in the area of your place of employment, you can also have them confirm your employment and the validity of the check by calling your Snelling Office.

If you have already written and authorized your Pre-Check and want to use your card instead, just call the Customer Service number on the back of your card, and they will help you reverse the authorization on the check.

Important Contact Information

Topic / Web/Email Address / Phone
Snelling Field Employee Paycard Help / / 800-422-1992
General Customer Service
($2 fee live) / (no charge) / 800-422-1992
Writing or Assigning a Pre-Check / N/A / 800-225-5845

If you lose your card, immediately call 800-422-1992(a delay in notification could result in a liability). A replacement card will be mailed to your homeaddress on file (Verify your address when reporting lost card). Until you receive the replacement card, youmay use Pre-Checks to access your cash.

Snelling Employee Pay Card Instructions 1 of 5

Rev. 12.12.2007