The Hawai‘i Restaurant Card is a prepaid debit card that contains the money you are receiving as a result of an economic relief program. The Hawai‘i Restaurant Card can be used for purchases of food and non-alcoholic beverages at eating establishments, restaurants and fast food restaurants in the State of Hawai‘i. The Hawai‘i Restaurant Card is funded by the State of Hawai‘i, managed by Money Network Financial, LLC and issued by MetaBank®, N.A.

Hawai‘i residents who opened an initial Unemployment Insurance (“UI”) claim on or after March 1, 2020 with the Hawai‘i Department of Labor and Industrial Relations; certified that their job loss is due to the COVID-19 pandemic; and received UI benefits during the month of September 2020 for the month of September 2020 without any claims pending for the month of September 2020, are eligible for this program. There is no need to apply.

Please call the Chamber of Commerce Hawai‘i’s Call Center at 808.825.4904 or email HRC@cochawaii.org and someone will be able to assist you.

If you have not received a Hawai‘i Restaurant Card and you think you may be eligible, please make sure to check your eligibility at myrestaurantcard.hawaii.gov. If you checked and are eligible to receive a Hawai‘i Restaurant Card, we ask that you wait until October 30 to request a replacement as Cards are continuing to arrive in mailboxes Statewide. If you still haven’t received your Hawai‘i Restaurant Card by November 2, call the Hawai‘i Restaurant Card’s toll-free number at 1.800.352.5202 to report your Card lost/stolen and a Call Center Agent will be able to assist.

The initial claim date was March 25, 2020, which was selected because this was the first day of the Stay at Home Order which forced non-essential businesses to close. However, in order to expand the number of individuals who may qualify, the initial claim date was changed to March 1, 2020. All other eligibility requirements remained unchanged.

Whether a claimant is on the regular UI program or the PEUC program, as long as the initial claim was opened on or after March 1, 2020, the claimant certified that their job loss was due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the claimant received UI benefits in September 2020, a Hawai‘i Restaurant Card will be issued.

Hawai‘i Restaurant Card will be mailed starting October 12, 2020 and will begin arriving in island mailboxes after October 16, 2020. Recipients will need to activate their Card by telephone prior to use.

No. You must be a current resident of the State of Hawai‘i.

Yes. The Hawai‘i Restaurant Card Program (Program) is a $75 million economic stimulus initiative made possible by funding from the Federal CARES Act, and is being administered by the State of Hawai‘’s Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism (DBEDT) as part of its Economic Relief Program.

The Hawai‘i Department of Taxation has ruled that the amount loaded on the Hawai‘i Restaurant Card and received as a benefit will not be subject to Hawai‘i income tax. Please check with your tax provider regarding reporting requirements for your Federal income tax.

No. The Department of Human Services has confirmed that the Hawai‘i Restaurant Card will not impact SNAP and Medicaid benefits or eligibility.

No. Hawai‘i residents who opened an initial Unemployment Insurance (“UI”) claim on or after March 1, 2020 with the Hawai‘i Department of Labor and Industrial Relations; certified that their job loss is due to the COVID-19 pandemic; and received UI benefits during the month of September 2020, are eligible for this program.

Yes. All Hawai‘i residents, regardless of age, who opened an initial Unemployment Insurance (“UI”) claim on or after March 1, 2020 with the Hawai‘ Department of Labor and Industrial Relations; certified that their job loss is due to the COVID-19 pandemic; and received UI benefits during the month of September for the month of September 2020, are eligible for this program and will receive a card.

Call the number on the activation sticker found on the front of your Hawai‘i Restaurant Card. During activation, you will be asked to input your Hawai‘i Restaurant Card Number, date of birth, zip code and the 3-digit security code from the back of your Hawai‘i Restaurant Card. You could be asked to further validate your identity by providing, at minimum, your name and address or answer identity verification questions.

You will also be asked to create a 4-digit PIN required for automated assistance and to hear your balance. For your Account security, do not use personal information as your PIN.

Go to HawaiiRestaurantCard.com and follow the steps to register for online access. Be sure to have your Hawai‘i Restaurant Card handy.

There are two easy and free¹ ways to access your Hawai‘i Restaurant Card account balance information and transaction history:

• Online: View your balance and transaction history online any time at HawaiiRestaurantCard.com (you must first register your Hawai‘i Restaurant Card to view your balance online).
• By phone: Call the number on the back of your Hawai‘i Restaurant Card to hear your balance and transaction history using our automated voice response system.

No, the Hawai‘i Restaurant Card is a prepaid card, loaded with a specific dollar amount. You can use the Hawai‘i Restaurant Card to make signature or PIN debit purchases at restaurants in Hawai‘i through December 15, 2020, or until the Hawai‘i Restaurant Card balance reaches zero, whichever occurs first.

You can use your Hawai‘i Restaurant Card at restaurants in Hawai‘i who accept debit Mastercard®. Using your Hawai‘i Restaurant Card is similar to using most other signature-based debit or credit cards. At the time of purchase, swipe the Hawai‘i Restaurant Card through the keypad and select “credit” to complete a signature purchase transaction, or select “debit” and enter your PIN to complete a PIN purchase transaction. If you press “credit” and the merchant does not accept debit Mastercard cards, your transaction may be declined.

Each time the Hawai‘i Restaurant Card is used, the transaction amount and any applicable fees are automatically deducted from the Hawai‘i Restaurant Card balance. Spending is limited to the value available on the Hawai‘i Restaurant Card.

A restaurant will pre-authorize your purchase amount plus an extra 20% to account for a tip. This puts a temporary hold on your Card balance that could be greater than the actual purchase amount. If you do not have sufficient funds to cover the pre-authorized amount on your Hawai‘i Restaurant Card your transaction will be declined.

Once the transaction is fully processed, any extra pre-authorized amount will be released, and your balance will be adjusted. Pre-authorized funds may take 7-10 business days to be released back to your Card account balance.

Restaurants can expedite the release of the pre-authorized hold by processing their Hawai‘i Restaurant Card transactions daily. Holds are released when the transaction is processed.

When making purchases at a restaurant, the Hawai‘i Restaurant Card may be “preauthorized” for an amount greater than the transaction amount to cover the gratuity or incidental expenses. If you don’t have enough money on your Hawai‘i Restaurant Card to cover the preauthorized amount, your transaction may be rejected. Any preauthorized amount will place a “hold” on your available funds until the merchant sends us the final payment amount of your purchase. Once the final payment amount is received, the preauthorized amount on hold will be removed. During this time, you will not have access to preauthorized amounts. If you authorize a transaction and then fail to make a purchase of that item as planned, the approval may result in a hold for that amount of funds.

To make a purchase greater than the balance on your Hawai‘i Restaurant Card, you will need to do the following*:

• Have a second form of payment available that is accepted by the merchant to cover the difference – examples of payment options include cash, check, debit card or credit card.
• Tell the cashier in advance how much to deduct from your Hawai‘i Restaurant Card (this can be an amount up to the balance of your Hawai‘i Restaurant Card) – the second payment method must cover the difference.

*Note: Not all merchants will permit transactions to be split between two payment methods.

Yes. There are two easy and free ways to access your Hawai‘i Restaurant Card account balance information and transaction history:

• Online: View your balance and transaction history online any time at HawaiiRestaurantCard.com (you must first register for online access to view your balance online).
• By phone: Call the number on the back of your Hawai‘i Restaurant Card to hear your balance and transaction history using our automated voice response system.

If a Hawai‘i Restaurant Card transaction is declined, the merchant will let you know. To avoid a decline, before initiating the transaction, verify that there are sufficient funds on your Hawai‘i Restaurant Card by:

• Calling the Customer Service at the number on the back of your Hawai‘i Restaurant Card and follow the prompts to check your Hawai‘i Restaurant Card’s balance.
• Visiting HawaiiRestaurantCard.com (you must first register your Hawai‘i Restaurant Card to view your balance online).

You may cancel or request that a restaurant cancel a transaction initiated with your Hawai‘i Restaurant Card prior to completing the transaction, while you are still present at the point of sale terminal where you initiated the transaction. You do not have the right to stop payment on any other purchase transaction originated by use of the Hawai‘i Restaurant Card.

You may use your Hawai‘i Restaurant Card at restaurants in Hawai‘i. See your Card Account Agreement online at HawaiiRestaurantCard.com for more information on where you can use your Hawai ‘i Restaurant Card.

No. The Hawai‘i Restaurant Card is intended for restaurant food and non-alcoholic beverage purchases only. If wine, beer or spirits are ordered with a meal, you will need to request a separate check for the alcoholic beverages and pay for it using your own funds.

No. You may only use the Hawai‘i Restaurant Card at restaurants in Hawai‘i. See your Agreement at HawaiiRestaurantCard.com for additional information.

No. You may only use the Hawai‘i Restaurant Card at restaurants in Hawai‘i. See your Agreement at HawaiiRestaurantCard.com for additional information.

The Hawai‘i Restaurant Card may be used at dine-in and take-out restaurants, fast food establishments and eateries statewide.

Yes, the Hawai‘i Restaurant Card for all food service purchases at restaurants in Hawai‘i. See your Agreement atHawaiiRestaurantCard.com for additional information.

That will depend on the restaurant’s online ordering system. Some restaurant online systems are out-of-state or third-party platforms that may not be accepted by the Hawai‘i Restaurant Card billing system. If you have problems, contact the restaurant you are trying to access. You may have to order by phone or in person.

No. You may only use the Hawai‘i Restaurant Card at restaurants in Hawai‘i. See your Agreement at HawaiiRestaurantCard.com for additional information.

It depends. The Hawai‘i Restaurant Card can only be used at eating establishments, restaurants, bakeries and food caterers with Merchant Category Codes (MCC) 5462, 5811, 5812 and 5814. If a restaurant within a hotel utilizes one of these codes, they will be able to accept the Hawai‘i Restaurant Card.

No. Only the Hawai‘i Department of Business Economic Development & Tourism may place funds on the Hawai‘i Restaurant Card.

You can make permitted restaurant purchases using your Hawai‘i Restaurant Card through December 15, 2020, or until the Hawai‘i Restaurant Card balance reaches zero, whichever occurs first.

There are several reasons why this might happen. Some restaurants are part of a larger corporation that may have a different name than the restaurant name. And other restaurants may choose to do their card processing under a different company name. If you see a transaction that doesn’t match up with any recent purchases, please follow the procedures in the section below.

If your Card is lost, stolen or compromised, it is important that you call Customer Service at 1.800.352.5202 to report your lost or stolen Card immediately. Your Card will be deactivated to prevent anyone from using it and a new replacement Card will be ordered. Fees may apply. Please see your Agreement at HawaiiRestaurantCard.com for additional information.

The Hawai‘i Restaurant Card is non-transferable and if you allow another person to use your Card, you will be responsible under this Agreement for all transactions made by that person. The Hawai‘i Restaurant Card will be defunded and deactivated upon evidence that the cardholder is trying to transfer the Hawai‘i Restaurant Card to another individual.

There are no fees for using the Hawai‘i Restaurant Card for purchases at restaurants in the state of Hawai‘i. Please see the fee table under the Expiration and Fees section of the Agreement found at HawaiiRestaurantCard.com for more information.

The Hawai‘i Restaurant Card is issued by MetaBank®, N.A., Member FDIC. The Loyalty Reloadable Prepaid Card Cardholder Agreement (Agreement) found online at HawaiiRestaurantCard.com applies to your use of the Hawai‘i Restaurant Card.

The Hawai‘i Restaurant Card can be used for all food service purchases at restaurants in Hawai‘i that accept debit Mastercard.

No. The Hawai‘i Restaurant Card is intended for restaurant food and non-alcoholic beverage purchases only. If wine, beer or spirits are ordered with a meal, a separate check for alcoholic beverages must be provided to customers who will have to pay with their own funds.

No. The State encourages all restaurants to creatively promote your eating establishment to attract Hawai‘i Restaurant Card recipients and others to your place of business.

Yes, the Hawai‘i Restaurant Card for all food service purchases at restaurants in Hawai‘i.

That will depend on the restaurant’s online ordering system. Some restaurant online systems are out-of-state or third-party platforms that may not be accepted by the Hawai‘i Restaurant Card billing system. If your online platform has problems, customers may have to order by phone or in person.

No. The Hawai‘i Restaurant Card can only be used to purchase food and non-alcoholic beverages at restaurants and fast food establishments.

Yes. A Hawai‘i Restaurant Cardholder may leave tips or gratuities when making purchases at restaurants using the Hawai‘i Restaurant Card.

We recommend asking the cardholder to have a second form of payment available that is accepted by the restaurant to potentially cover the difference and process the transaction as a split payment. Examples of payment options include cash, check, debit card or credit card.

At the time of purchase, present the Hawai‘i Restaurant Card or swipe the Hawai‘i Restaurant Card through the keypad and select “credit” to complete a signature purchase transaction.

No application or approval is required. The Hawai‘i Restaurant Card may be used at restaurants, bakeries and food caterers, fast food establishment located in Hawai‘i that accepts Debit Mastercard and process under MCC codes 5462, 5811, 5812 and 5814.

We recommend Hawai‘i restaurants, food establishments and eateries who receive the Hawai‘i Restaurant Card as a form of payment for qualified food and non-alcoholic beverage purchases, ask for the cardholder’s identification to verify the Card belongs to the individual paying. 

The federal government’s CARES Act created a separate Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (“PUA”) program that extends eligibility to individuals who normally do not qualify for traditional unemployment benefits. This new program is not administered within the Hawai‘i Department of Labor and Industrial Relations existing processing system. Thanks to additional funding provided by the Governor, DBEDT will be able to provide Hawai‘i Restaurant Cards to eligible PUA claimants, based on the same eligibility criteria as UI claimants. More information will be provided at HawaiiRestaurantCard.com when the Hawai‘i Restaurant Cards are produced and ready to be distributed.

The Hawai‘i Restaurant Card program was developed to stimulate our local economy, by directly and efficiently helping our highly-impacted food service industry. Distributing Hawai‘i Restaurant Card to qualified UI recipients was selected as an effective means to put this effort to work quickly and effectively, in accordance to CARES funding guidelines.

No. All transactions should be fully completed by midnight, December 15th.

No. The card can only be used to purchase food and non-alcoholic beverages at restaurants and fast food establishments.

The Hawai‘i Restaurant Card may be “preauthorized” for an amount greater than the transaction amount to cover the tip or gratuity. If you don’t have enough money on your Hawai‘i Restaurant Card to cover the preauthorized amount, your transaction may be rejected. Any preauthorized amount will place a “hold” on your available funds until the merchant sends us the final payment amount of your purchase. Once the final payment amount is received, the preauthorized amount on hold will be removed. During this time, you will not have access to preauthorized amounts. If you authorize a transaction and then fail to make a purchase of that item as planned, the approval may result in a hold for that amount of funds.

The Hawai‘i Restaurant Card program doesn’t just benefit restaurants. It also benefits the state’s entire local food supply chain, including farmers, fishermen, ranchers, producers and distributors. This entire industry has been one of the hardest hit by COVID-19. Most of these businesses are locally owned or operated, so the multiplier effect of this stimulus will be felt across Hawai‘i’s economy.