Frequently Asked Questions

Respect^® is a registered trademark of YWCA Metropolitan Chicago, and was developed as a cause marketing brand to promote women’s empowerment across various consumer products in 2015. The Respect Bank Account and Respect Debit Mastercard^® were launched in 2021.

The YWCA’s mission is to eliminate racism, empower women, and promote peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. But, before there can be peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all, there needs to be one thing: Respect.

The Respect Account is designed to help people become banked, build or repair credit when needed, and empower them by providing important financial services while offering unique benefits to support empowering behaviors.

Not at all – Respect is for people of all gender identities: all who are new to bank accounts, all who want easier fee-free check cashing without having to visit a bank, and all who want rent payments to help build credit.³ Respect is for anyone who may want a convenient way to pay utility and other bills, all who want the convenience of direct deposit, and all who want to support women’s empowerment through their day-to-day purchases.

Respect accountholders benefit from financial education resources on topics such as credit repair, home ownership counseling and financial coaching, as well as reporting of rent payments to credit bureaus. At no additional cost to cardholders, a portion of the interchange fees on eligible Respect Debit Card transactions supports the work of women’s empowerment organizations like YWCA Metropolitan Chicago.

Respect aligns with consumer trends, which overwhelmingly call for brands to engage in social and political issues. Respect can disrupt the rapidly evolving payment technology industry by creating multiple levels of impact and redefining/reinventing “rewards.”

MoCaFi (Mobility Capital Finance Inc.) was founded in 2016 by Wole Coaxum as a digital banking platform with the mission to bridge the economic mobility gap by targeting more than 50 million unbanked and underbanked people in the U.S.. MoCaFi has an agenda: to design and implement the blueprint for an integrative financial ecosystem that will empower black households and businesses in America to move from dependence to independence over the next ten years. MoCaFi has been featured by The New York Times, ABC, CNBC, Barron’s, Fortune, Mastercard Newsroom, Code-M, and Positive Community. Learn more at MoCaFi.com.

Founded in 1876, YWCA Metropolitan Chicago is a social enterprise committed to eliminating racism, empowering women, and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. A leader amongst a national network of more than 200 local YWCAs across the United States, the organization embraces finance as a tool for social change. Impacting tens of thousands of women and families annually through comprehensive human services provided across the region, YWCA Metropolitan Chicago is a leading service provider in the areas of: sexual violence support services, early childhood and child care provider services, youth development and STEM programming, family support services, economic empowerment services, and workplace solutions. Learn more at YWCAChicago.org.

Yes, please! The Respect Bank Account was launched with exactly this sort of use case in mind. The mission of promoting financial empowerment can only be accomplished through partnership, especially with organizations that understand the role that a tool such as the Respect Bank Account and Respect Debit Card can play in helping communities thrive. We have a toolkit available to help partners in promoting Respect to their constituents. If interested in learning more, please reach out to us at respectcard@ywcachicago.org.

Download the Respect Bank Account app from Google Play^® or the App Store.

When you download the app for the first time you will be asked to Sign up.

From there you will follow the onscreen prompts to open a Respect Bank Account.

Once your account has been approved, you will be prompted to have your Respect Debit Card sent to you by mail. In the meantime, you can load funds into your account or arrange for direct deposit, all within the Respect Account app. Once funds are loaded in your account, you can access your card information through the app and begin making online transactions.

Accepted forms of identification are: Drivers License, State Issued ID, Foreign Passport, Consulate ID, Other Government Issued International Documentation, Passport, Visa, Travel Document/Permit.

Yes. The minimum age to apply is 18 and minimum age for a teen account linked to another account is 13.

There are no citizenship requirements in order to apply.

• No credit check or banking history required for approval.
• Get access to direct deposit funds up to two days earlier⁷ than your scheduled pay date.
• No fees to enroll, direct deposit, move money from a linked bank account, load approved checks via photo capture in the app, pay bills, or withdraw cash from Allpoint™ or Wells Fargo ATMs in the US.
• Deposit funds from approved checks or conveniently load cash at major retailers like 7-Eleven, CVS, Family Dollar, Dollar General and Rite Aid.
• Manage recurring expenses and share money with other Respect account holders at no cost.
• Account owners can opt in to have their electronic rental payments reported to Equifax and TransUnion to help build and repair credit.
• Access to financial education, pre-purchase counseling from Certified Housing Counselors, and other support.
• Mobile banking app provides comprehensive retail banking experience from a smartphone.
• Up to 3% cash back at REPRESENT minority-owned small businesses.⁸
• Discounts from national brand partners like Amazon and Universal Studios.
• A portion of the merchant interchange fees will go to YWCA Metropolitan Chicago to support their comprehensive work with women and families – at no expense to the account holder.

Your Respect Debit Card can be used at any of the 55,000 AllPoint® Network ATMs to withdraw cash with no surcharge fee. Look for the AllPoint logo or use the ATM locator inside the MoCaFi app to find one near you. When using an ATM outside of the AllPoint Network, the banks charge a withdrawal fee and MoCaFi automatically charges $1.98 for that usage. Respect Debit cardholders can also withdraw cash at any Wells Fargo ATMs without incurring surcharge fees. Look for ATMs branded with the Wells Fargo logo.

The Mobility Score measures and rewards positive financial health. We use your activity in the Respect Account app to assess money management, financial literacy, and financial planning activities. As you engage in activities in the app, your score will increase. Your individual Mobility Score unlocks new services and resources in the app. For example, you may unlock access to personal financial coaching, housing counseling, credit score counseling, and more once you attain a certain score.

Use our Bill Pay feature to send check payments to your landlord and opt-in to report those payments to Equifax and TransUnion. Positive rent payment history can help boost your credit score.

In addition to monthly reporting, we can also submit a one-time report of up to 24 months of past rental payment history. If you have proof of consecutive rental payments, we recommend reporting those first by contacting our Rent Payment Team:

Purelife Spence
M-F from 9am to 4pm EST
(646) 853-5820
purelife.spence@mocafi.com

Matias Abrego
M-F from 9am to 4pm EST
(551) 226-1525
matias.abrego@mocafi.com

Once you’ve reported your payment history, then head to the Money tab in the Respect® Bank Account app. Select Pay Bills. Follow the steps to add a Biller. Use the Bill Pay feature to pay your rent each month.

Call the toll-free number on the back of your card. There are also instruction on the card carrier you received with your card.

Your Respect Debit Mastercard^® can be used anywhere Mastercard is accepted, including retail and online merchants.

Setting up direct deposit is easy: Head to the Profile tab. Select Account Info from the list. Make note of your account and routing numbers for setting up your direct deposit.

Check with your employer’s payroll office as you may be able to set up your direct deposit through an online portal. If not: Download a direct deposit form on the MoCaFi website. Provide the form to your employer’s payroll office. In order to complete the direct deposit form, you’ll need to know: your Respect account and ABA routing numbers, your employer’s name and address. You do not need a voided check to set up direct deposit.

There is no charge for weekly or monthly direct deposits.

After your application is confirmed, you will receive your Respect Debit Card via USPS mail. You will also receive a separate letter that will have your account and ABA routing numbers.

Once you activate the card, the routing and account numbers can be found in your Respect Account app if you need it again for quick access: Go to your Profile tab and select Account Info from the list.

Check your Respect Account app to confirm past history or balances. You may also call the 1-800 number that is printed on the back of your card.

You can use the Ingo™ Money integration in the Respect Account app to deposit approved paper checks at no cost.

Head to the Money tab in the Respect Account app. Select Load Check.

Read the Ingo™ Money Service terms and follow the on screen prompts.

You’ll be asked to provide some basic personal information and to Accept/Decline the Privacy Policy.

Next, select Deposit Check Funds and follow the instructions to make a deposit. It may take up to 2 business days for the funds to be available.

It is possible that the bank has placed a restriction or delay in receiving funds on the account for the following reasons:

• A deposit is for an out of state or out of country check.
• There is suspected fraudulent activity associated with the card.

If your account is on hold for more than 2-3 business days, contact the 1-800 number for assistance.

Yes. A cash withdrawal can be completed at any in-network ATM or bank branch teller branch that accepts Mastercard^®. In-network ATMs include Allpoint and Vanilla reloading locations, for example CVS and Walmart.

You can use the VanillaDirect Load™ Cash⁹ integration to add cash to your Respect Bank Account at no cost.

Currently Respect cardholders can deposit cash, at no cost, at any Dollar General or Family Dollar location.

Head to the Money tab in the Respect Account app. Select Load Cash to find a location near you where you can deposit cash.

Once in the store where you plan to make your cash deposit, a cashier will swipe your Respect Debit Card to identify your account, then credit your account with the amount of cash you deposit at the register.

Yes, a unique PIN number is required. You can change the original PIN on the mobile application, if desired.

Yes, and at no charge. You can transfer funds based on phone number and you can link your account with Venmo, PayPal^™ or Cashapp.

After logging in, select the dollar sign icon at the bottom of the screen. Enter the name of the individual to whom you would like to transfer funds, then select the name. Enter the dollar amount to transfer and select ‘Confirm.’

Yes, you can link your other bank account(s) to your Respect Bank Account.

After logging in, select the dollar sign icon at the bottom of the screen and head to the Move Money tab. Select Connect Bank Account on the following screen and follow the prompts to select your bank from the list and enter your credentials to complete the set up.

Yes! You can download a digital version of your Respect Debit Card into your mobile wallet.

Yes, your card expiration date is printed on the card.

You can find your account balance in your Respect Account app.

You are not permitted to overdraw your account. It is expected that you, as the responsible cardholder, will fund the card within 48 hours. If you don’t fund the card, the card will remain with a negative balance and will not be usable. After 60 days, the account will be closed if it is not funded for the overage – and you will remain responsible for the overage.

You can reload the card at Mastercard^® rePower locations and in-network Allpoint ATMs. 

You can deposit a check through the mobile application using the Echeck function.

You can take a picture of any check using the Echeck function on the Respect Account app. It may take up-to 2 days for the funds to be available depending upon the source of the check being out of state.

Yes. Your card remains active until it expires regardless of usage. Your card will not accumulate any unused funds. A $5.95 inactivity fee applies after 12 months. Email and/or text notifications will be sent prior to your account reaching that status.

Yes. You can order a duplicate in the Respect Account app.

Yes. You can apply for an additional card for a family member on the mobile application.

Yes, it is possible that you may be asked for your ID at the discretion of any merchant.