The process and timeline is the same whether using the card or direct deposit.
After acceptance, but before processing, if you contact the government or try look up your refund status while your return is still pending, don't be surprised if they tell you "no record found." This is normal; until the government starts reviewing and processing your return, they won't have any record of it.
The IRS started processing returns later than in prior years and as such has a backlog to work through. They also just recently started processing returns claiming EIC and/or ACTC.
