Direct deposit provisions - West Virginia

In West Virginia, private employers are permitted to require direct deposit of payroll, as long as the employee can designate a preferred financial institution. If an employee fails to designate a preferred bank, the employer may pay wages via payroll card as long as employees have the ability to make at least one withdrawal or transfer per pay period without cost to the employee.

West Virginia law and state policy make electronic pay the default method for payroll. State agencies and many public employers require direct deposit (or deposit to the state payroll card). Higher-education law explicitly directs institutions to provide pay by electronic transfer “to the maximum extent practicable.”