Reloading Your FamZoo Card: A Little Tricky, Very Secure!

I hear it all the time:

“Bill, I like to think I’m intelligent but... for the life of me, I can’t figure out how to reload this darn card!!!”

“Why don’t you just pull money from my debit card?”

Short response: You are intelligent. The setup is a bit tricky. We do it this way for your safety...and ours.

Longer answer...

As bad as I feel hearing about reload setup struggles, here’s a dialog I’d hate to have even more:

“Bill, my kid (or some random fraudster) just drained my main checking account from your darn app!”

Well, you (and I) can rest easy knowing we will never have that more painful conversation.

Why?

It. Isn’t. Possible.

We simply don’t know your bank info. We don’t ask for it. We don’t store it. And as a result, nobody can ever use the FamZoo app to pull funds out of your bank account.

Instead, you always push funds into FamZoo by telling your bank (or digital wallet, or employer, or government agency) where to send the funds.

That’s what the routing and account numbers on each FamZoo card are all about. They make the card look just like a checking account in the cardholder’s name. Send funds to that checking account, and the funds will magically appear on the card — usually after 1 to 3 business days.

Yes, it can be a little tricky to set up. The numbers are long and can be hard to read. Each bank, credit union, digital wallet, and agency has a slightly different user interface for adding a bank account. We supply detailed instructions on our reload help page. But be sure to contact us if you need help. We’re always happy to walk you through it.

Yes, it’s a bit slow. Unlike the transfers between cards in your family, the reload transfers are not immediate — usually 1 to 3 business days. So, you’ll want to get ahead of the game and keep a decent sized pool of funds on your parent card. That way, you always have funds on hand for immediate transfer to the kids. Initiate a new reload when your card starts to get low.

So, our reload isn’t a poster child for immediate gratification, but...

Our reload is the most secure. Period. Full stop. Hands down.

Sometimes, it’s best to err on the side of caution over convenience. We believe the security of your funds is one of those areas.

Not a bad money message to pass along to your kids either. Security first. Convenience second.

Panicked parent pro tip: if you’re in a pinch and really need to reload right away, you can reload in minutes with cash. Find a local participating retailer like a Walmart, Rite Aid, or CVS. See here for details. Or, if you are a Venmo, PayPal, or Apple Pay user, you can reload immediatedly with an instant transfer.