Accounts and Reports

The Department of Administration has partnered with Skylight Financial, Inc. (associated with U.S. Bank) to offer the Skylight paycard to employees. The Skylight paycard is an FDIC insured ATM/debit based bank account where pay and other deposits can be made. The paycard is primarily targeted to the 'unbanked' or those employees who do not have a checking or savings account. Everyone is approved to participate, and no credit check is required.

Highlights of the Program

Skylight paycard Instant Issue Card Packs and marketing materials will be distributed to each agency by Skylight using a list provided by the Division of Accounts and Reports. Each pack includes the actual Skylight card that the participating employee will use to access their account. Employees who would like to participate in the program will sign-up at their agency's personnel office. An agency personnel staff member and the employee will access an on-line enrollment page on the Skylight web site ( https://www.skylight.net/secure/onlinesignup/os_login.asp) and enter the card information, personal information, PIN information, etc. When saved, the account will be registered with Skylight, the employee will have an account number and PIN, and a voided check will be printed. The voided check will be used by the agency to sign the employee up for direct deposit in SHARP (or Regent payroll system). An authorization form (included in the pack) must be signed by the employee and then mailed by the agency to Skylight Financial, Inc. The paycard will be activated with the first direct deposit.

The employee will be charged a one-time fee of $3.50 to open the account, which will be deducted upon receipt of the first deposit. There are no monthly fees. ATM and other fees will be charged and a list of those charges is provided to the employees and agencies along with other paycard informational materials. The employee will have several different ways of accessing the money in their account: ATM withdrawals, point-of-sale transactions at merchants who accept PIN-based debit cards, and using preauthorized checks provided by Skylight. Skylight will provide the employee with one free SkylightCheck per pay deposit. SkylightChecks can be cashed at any U.S. Bank branch free of charge. All accounts are individual FDIC insured bank accounts and can be used for credit references and other electronic deposits or preauthorized bill payments. Skylight will mail each participant a monthly statement that will include all activity on the account. The Skylight card is portable; so if the employee leaves state employment, they can continue to use their card with a different employer. The State has no liability or costs associated with this program. Skylight will handle all questions about deposits, withdrawals, account functionality, and access to the account (i.e., lost PIN number, lost card, etc.). The Skylight Customer Care telephone number is 1-800-686-3363.

Materials Provided to Each Agency by Skylight Financial, Inc.

On approximately October 17, 2003, Skylight will mail the following materials to each agency:

• Instant Issue Card Packs. Each pack contains the actual Skylight card; four SkylightChecks; an authorization form; a disclosure statement explaining terms, conditions, and fees; a Consumer Privacy Guide; and a Quickstart Guide to Using Your Skylight Account. The number of packs sent to each agency will vary widely. The number of card packs that will be sent is an estimate based on the number of paper paychecks currently being processed by the agency and the likelihood of usage as determined by Skylight. More card packs can be requested as needed from Skylight (see document titled Reorder Process).
• Skylight Card Issuance Log. Each agency is required to use the card issuance log and maintain the security of the card packs so that they are not lost or stolen. The log should be updated whenever a card pack is issued or transferred to another agency. Skylight requires that the log be faxed to them on the 1st and 15th day of each month or the following business day if the 1st or 15th falls on a weekend or holiday. If the issuance log has not been updated since the last time it was faxed, there is no need to send it. The fax number will be listed at the top of the issuance log.
• Brochures Titled "Skylight: The pre-approved direct deposit bank account." These brochures are promotional materials that can be handed out to employees who inquire about the paycard program. The number of brochures that will be sent is also an estimate based on the number of paper paychecks currently being processed by the agency and the likelihood of usage as determined by Skylight. Some agencies will not receive any brochures due to their ability to provide a more personal touch to those few employees who receive checks. However, the brochure is available on the web site listed below for the State of Kansas Paycard Program.
• Brochure Stands. The number of stands provided was based on the number of brochures being sent. Most agencies will not receive any brochure stands.
• Supply of Business Reply Envelopes. The envelopes are to be used to mail the signed authorization forms to Skylight. Forms can be accumulated and then mailed to Skylight on the 1st and 15th of each month.

Teleconferences for Agencies

Skylight Financial, Inc., and the Division of Accounts and Reports will host four teleconferences to assist agencies with this new program. Each teleconference will be approximately one hour in length. Attendance is strongly encouraged for at least one personnel office staff member from each agency. The content for the four teleconferences will be basically the same so it is not necessary to attend more than one. However, two teleconferences will be directed toward larger agencies and two will be directed toward smaller agencies. Agencies will be allowed to ask questions at the end of each teleconference. Prior to attending a teleconference, the employer and employee information available on the Accounts and Reports web site, http://www.da.ks.gov/ar/, should be printed and thoroughly reviewed. This information includes the following:

• Announcement Memo to Agencies from Secretary Fricke
• Division of Accounts and Reports Informational Circular 04-P-007
• Sample Employee Letter
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's) for Agencies
• Skylight Financial On-Line Enrollment Instructions
• Skylight Financial On-Line Enrollment Screen Prints
• Instant Issue Card Packs-Reorder Process
• Skylight Brochure
• Account Fees
• Introduction and Cost Comparison: Check vs. Direct Deposit
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's) for Employees
• Employee Enrollment Information

In addition to all of the documents list above, please bring at least one Instant Issue Card Pack and the Skylight Card Issuance Log to the teleconference since they will be referenced during the presentation.

Select one of the following teleconference sessions:

• Monday, October 27, 2003, 2:00-3:00 p.m., for Mid-size to Large Agencies 
• Wednesday, October 29, 2003, 10:00-11:00 a.m., for Small Agencies
• Tuesday, November 4, 2003, 2:00-3:00 p.m., for Small Agencies
• Thursday, November 6, 2003, 10:00-11:00 a.m., for Mid-size to Large Agencies

VERY IMPORTANT: There will be a limited number of lines (25) available for each call and access will be on a first come, first serve basis. If more than one person from an agency or a building are attending, PLEASE plan ahead to dial-in with others from a conference room, or an office with a speakerphone, so that we can accommodate everyone who would like to be on a call. The telephone number for accessing the conference is 1-800-503-2899, pass code 7202000#.

State of Kansas Procedures for Enrolling Employees in the Paycard Program

Agencies may start enrolling employees in the program on October 27, 2003 therefore the November 7, 2003 paycheck would be the earliest on-cycle pay date for participants to have a direct deposit in their Skylight account. The steps that agencies should follow to complete enrollment in the paycard program are:

1. The agency must have possession of an Instant Issue Card Pack in order to process the enrollment. The agency, along with the employee, signs on to the Skylight Online Enrollment web site, https://www.skylight.net/secure/onlinesignup/os_login.asp. The user ID is 'SOK' and password is your 3-digit agency number.
2. Follow the On-Line Enrollment Instructions provided on the Accounts and Reports web site, http://www.da.ks.gov/ar/. It is important for the employee to have privacy as he enters his PIN during the enrollment process.
3. During the online enrollment process, the confirmation number must be filled in on the authorization form. The employee's signature is also required on the authorization form. The agency must mail the form to Skylight Financial, Inc. Authorization forms should be accumulated and mailed to Skylight on the 1st and 15th of each month.
4. The agency completes a DA-184, Direct Deposit form, using the bank account information shown on the voided check printed during the online enrollment process. The employee's signature is also required on this form.
5. The agency enters the direct deposit information. The prenote flag should be turned off since direct deposit prenotes are no longer necessary, as directed in Informational Circular Number 04-P-004. Direct deposit information entered in SHARP by 6:00 p.m. on the day of payroll confirmation will be effective on that paycheck being confirmed as long as the direct deposit transaction has been entered with an effective date which is less than or equal to the payroll period ending date of the payroll being confirmed. (For Regent Institutions, enroll the employee in direct deposit in your payroll system using the established procedures for your agency. The timing for a Regent employee's first paycard deposit will be different from those entered in SHARP since processing for Regent on-cycle payrolls are on a slightly different schedule. Regents Institutions should advise employees of the direct deposit effective date.)
6. The employee is given the contents of the Instant Issue Card Pack used for his/her enrollment, except for the authorization form. The authorization form is the top one-third portion of the page that the Skylight card is attached to. Please detach the authorization form from the rest of the page and mail to Skylight Financial. The rest of the page should be given to the employee. Authorization forms must be mailed to Skylight Financial on the 1st and 15th of each month. 

Web Sites with State of Kansas Paycard Program Information

Information is readily available for both agencies and employees to assist with using this program on the following web sites:

• Access Kansas State Employee Services
  http://www.kansas.gov/employee/ 
  This site contains information directed to employees and is accessed under the heading Employee Benefits. The documents include a Skylight brochure, a list of account fees, an introduction and cost comparison for cashing a check versus direct deposit, frequently asked questions, employee enrollment information, and a link to Skylight's list of surcharge free ATMs.
• Division of Accounts and Reports Home Page
  http://www.da.ks.gov/ar/ 
  This site contains information directed to agencies and is accessed under the heading Payroll Services. All of the documents provided on the Access Kansas State Employee Service web site are also included here. The same agency information is also available on the Payroll Services home page, http://www.da.ks.gov/ar/payroll/default.htm.
• SHARP Customer Service
  http://www.da.ks.gov/SHARP/ 
  This site contains information directed to agencies, and offers another way to access the same information that is available on the Accounts and Reports web site. A list of the State of Kansas Paycard Program documents is listed under the heading entitled Documents.

Employee Communication

We strongly encourage agencies to provide all employees with information about this new benefit by November 20, 2003. To assist you, two documents have been prepared to announce the paycard program to employees. Both documents are available on the agency directed web sites above:

• Sample Employee Letter. This letter encourages participation in direct deposit and announces the paycard option for employees who do not have a bank account. Your agency information needs to be inserted in the top of the letter before printing or sending to employees. Your agency may also want to add an agency contact person.
• Introduction and Cost Comparison: Check Versus Direct Deposit. This is a short introduction to the paycard program that is ideal for handing to employees at the workplace. Regent Institutions may want to distribute it along with student paychecks where possible.

DB:JJM

Page last modified on:  June 22, 2012