U.S. Bank ReliaCard

First Impression

Honestly, I was pretty skeptical when I first downloaded the U.S. Bank ReliaCard app. I’d seen it sitting at a 4.4 rating in the App Store for a while, and I figured it was just another banking app that would make me jump through hoops to find my balance. I’m a student, so every dollar counts right now — I’m using this card because my state sends my unemployment benefits through it, and I needed something quick to check if my money actually hit my account on Wednesday morning. I fired it up on my iPhone 15 Pro, and the first thing that hit me was that login screen asking for my card number and PIN. It felt a bit old-school, but once I got in, I could see my balance right there on the home screen. No clutter, no ads begging me to sign up for a credit card. That surprised me. I thought it would be a mess, but it was actually clean and straightforward.

What It Does Well

The best part of this app is how fast I can check my balance. Like, seriously fast. I tap the icon, use Face ID to log in (I hate typing passwords on my phone), and boom — I see exactly how much I have left until my next deposit. That’s a lifesaver when I’m standing in line at the grocery store trying to figure out if I can afford eggs and bread, let me tell you. The transaction history is also pretty clear. I can scroll back and see exactly when my benefits came through and where I spent money. It shows the merchant name, date, and amount, which is all I need. Another thing that works well is locating ATMs. I used it last Thursday when I needed cash for a used textbook I found on Facebook Marketplace. The app pulled up a list of nearby ATMs that don’t charge a fee for my card, and I found one at a 7-Eleven about five minutes away. Saved me a few bucks in fees, which honestly matters to me more than it should. The alerts are also decent — I set up a text notification for when my balance drops below $20, and it actually works. Got a buzz while I was in class, and it kept me from overdrafting.

Where It Falls Short

But it’s not all good. The biggest headache for me has been transferring money. Sometimes I need to move some funds from my ReliaCard to my regular checking account so I can pay rent or a utility bill. The app does have a transfer feature, but it takes forever to process. I tried moving $150 on a Friday afternoon, and it didn’t show up in my bank until the following Tuesday. That’s not helpful when your rent is due Monday. Also, the app can be a little glitchy. A couple times the transaction history just wouldn’t load — it’d spin and spin, and I’d have to close the app and reopen it. One time I even had to restart my phone. On an iPhone 15 Pro, that should not happen. The settings are also kind of buried. I wanted to turn off a notification I didn’t need, and I had to tap through three different menus to find it. Not the end of the world, but annoying when you’re in a hurry.

Is It Worth the Price?

It’s free, so I can’t really complain too much. I mean, come on — free is free. For a student who’s scraping by on unemployment and side gigs, I’m not about to pay for a budgeting app or some fancy finance tool. This app does the basic job of letting me see my money and find an ATM without charging me a subscription fee. Compared to other prepaid card apps I’ve tried, this one feels less scammy and more official, since it’s actually run by U.S. Bank. But is it worth the setup? Eh, barely. If you’re already stuck with a ReliaCard like I am, you kind of have to use it. I wouldn’t go out of my way to download this if you have a choice. But for what it is — a free tool to track government benefits — it gets the job done. Just don’t expect it to be your main banking app or anything fancy.

Developer & Support

Here’s where I got a little frustrated. Last month, my card was declined at a coffee shop on a Tuesday morning, and I had plenty of money on it. I was embarrassed and a little panicked. So I went into the app and tried the “contact customer support” feature. It gave me a phone number to call — not a chat, not an email. Just a phone number. I called, waited on hold for 22 minutes, and finally talked to someone who sounded like they were reading off a script. They told me the decline might be a “merchant issue” and basically said to try again later. When I asked if they could check the transaction log on their end, they just said it takes 24 hours to show up. The whole conversation felt vague and unhelpful. I tried the in-app feedback option too, and I got a generic reply two days later that didn’t even address my question. If you’re someone who needs quick help with your money, don’t count on the support team.

Privacy & Safety

On the privacy side, I feel okay-ish. The app uses Face ID and fingerprint login, which is standard these days. I like that it locks itself if I switch to another app — that’s a nice touch. You can also report a lost or stolen card right from the app, which I hope I never have to use. But I will say, the app asks for a lot of permissions when you first install it. It wanted access to my location, my notifications, and even my camera. I get the location for finding ATMs, but camera? Maybe for scanning a card number? I declined that one. Also, U.S. Bank is a huge bank, so I assume my data isn’t being sold to some random company, but their privacy policy is long and boring to read. I wish there was a simple summary inside the app saying “we don’t share your data” or “we use encryption.” As a student, I’m more worried about my rent than my data, but still — I’d like some peace of mind.