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Office of Recovery Services

Electronic Funds Transfer for All Child Support Payments

Recently, the Utah State Legislature passed a new law:  Utah Code Annotated 62A-11-704.  This law requires the Office of Recovery Services (ORS) to send child support payments through electronic funds transfer beginning May 5, 2008. 

THIS MEANS THAT ORS WILL NO LONGER SEND PAPER CHECKS.

ORS offers two ways for parents to receive electronic support payments: Direct Deposit or the Utah EPPICard™.

Direct Deposit

Utah EPPICard™ MasterCard®
  • Payments are deposited in the parent’s bank account.
  • Payments are deposited into a separate account used for support payments.
  • Access these funds the same ways any other money in the bank account is accessed.
  • Access these funds by using EPPICard to make purchases or to withdraw cash anywhere that MasterCard® is accepted.
  • A record of deposits will appear on the bank statement.
  • Balance and account information is available 24 hours a day, everyday.
  • No additional fees.
  • There is a transaction fee of $0.85 for each cash withdrawal from an ATM to withdraw money and a $0.50 fee for a balance inquiry.  No fees for getting money from a teller at a bank that displays the MasterCard® logo.  No fees for making purchases at any merchant that accepts MasterCard®. 

 

  • For more information about EPPICard, click here.

 

Most parents will find that electronic payments are much more convenient than paper checks, and there is much less risk of electronic funds being lost or stolen. 

ORS is contacting parents receiving payments to allow them to choose Direct Deposit or EPPICard for future payments, but parents do not need to wait for ORS to contact them.  The selection form can be completed and sent in at any time.  Click here for the “Electronic Payment Enrollment Form.”

Payment processing within ORS will not be disrupted or delayed because of this change.  Payments will continue to be sent by check for a limited time while electronic payment accounts are set up.  Due to the volume of electronic payment accounts being set up at one time, paper checks may temporarily continue to be sent beyond the May 5, 2008 date.   

If you select EPPICard as your preferred method for electronic payments, you will not be able to access any payments added to your electronic account until you receive and activate your EPPICard.  This may take 7-10 days from the date your EPPICard account is established by ORS.   

Eventually, ORS will need to stop all paper checks to be in compliance with the law; therefore, after all parents have been given an opportunity to select an electronic payment method, if some parents fail to respond, ORS will select a method for them.