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I'm glad you're getting some good suggestions here. One last thing to know is that even if it takes time to get the additional cards, P-EBT benefits are retroactive to the eligibility date. So when your children's cards do arrive, they should have the full benefit amount they're entitled to, including for the months you were waiting. Don't worry about losing benefits during this resolution period.
That's really reassuring to hear! I was worried the benefits would expire or something while I'm trying to sort this out. I'll update this thread once I've tried some of these suggestions and let everyone know what works.
I'm dealing with a similar situation right now! My daughter got her P-EBT card last month but my son who's in the same grade at the same school still hasn't received his. I called our school's main office and they transferred me to the district's food services coordinator who was actually really helpful. She explained that sometimes there are delays when kids have different spellings of their names in different systems (like if the school uses "Michael" but the state records show "Mike"). She was able to verify both my kids were on the submitted list and gave me a reference number to use when I contact the county office. Definitely try the district food services department - they seem to know way more about the P-EBT process than individual school secretaries!
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I'm in a similar situation with my kids - last name starts with L and still waiting! It's really helpful to see everyone's experiences here. I didn't realize the cards looked so different this year or that they come in plain envelopes. I'll definitely be checking our mail more carefully and won't throw away anything that looks like junk mail. Thanks for sharing the portal link too - I'm going to check that tonight to see if there's any status update for our family. It's reassuring to know they're actually following the alphabetical order mostly, even if there are some exceptions based on school districts and counties.
Hey Pedro! Since your last name starts with L, you should be getting your cards really soon based on what everyone's been saying. I'm new to this whole P-EBT thing but it sounds like they're right around the L range now. Definitely check that portal link that Katherine shared earlier - it seems like it's been really helpful for people to track their status. I'm still learning about all this but everyone here has been so helpful with sharing their experiences!
I'm also waiting for my P-EBT cards and this thread has been so helpful! My kids' last name starts with N so I'm hoping we'll get ours in the next week or two based on what everyone is saying. I had no idea about the purple design or that the envelopes look like junk mail - I'll definitely be checking everything carefully. Does anyone know if the cards come with instructions on how to activate them or do you have to call a number? Also wondering if there's a way to check the balance once you get the card activated. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences!
Hi Yara! I'm also new to this community but from what I've been reading in this thread, the P-EBT cards usually come with basic activation instructions printed on a sticker on the card or included in the envelope. You typically call the number on the back of the card to activate it and set up your PIN. For checking balances, you can usually call the customer service number, check online at the EBT website, or get a receipt when you use the card at stores. Since your last name starts with N, based on what everyone's been sharing, you should definitely get yours soon since they seem to be around the L-M range now!
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I'm dealing with the exact same issue right now! Called the EBT line three times today and keep getting that "information doesn't match" message when I enter my zip code. It's so frustrating because I know I'm entering it correctly - I've been using the same zip for years. Reading through these comments it sounds like there was a system update that caused problems, so hopefully it gets fixed soon. I need to check my balance before I go grocery shopping tomorrow. Has anyone tried using the mobile app instead of calling? Wondering if that works better during these technical issues.
I tried the mobile app yesterday when I was having the same zip code problem and it gave me the same error! So frustrating. But based on what Zainab said about the system update, it should hopefully be working by now. I'm going to try both the app and calling again this evening. If you're still having trouble tomorrow, definitely call your county office directly - that seems to be the backup solution everyone's recommending here.
I'm having the exact same problem! Been trying to reset my EBT password since yesterday and keep getting that zip code error. It's so stressful when you need to access your benefits and the system won't cooperate. Based on what everyone's saying here about the system update, I'm hoping it gets resolved soon. In the meantime, I'm going to try some of the suggestions like entering the zip code really slowly and maybe trying the zip+4 format. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - at least I know I'm not going crazy and it's not just me!
You're definitely not going crazy! I'm a newcomer here but I'm dealing with the exact same issue. It's really reassuring to see so many people experiencing this and getting helpful advice from community members like Zainab who actually work in the system. I'm going to try the slow zip code entry method that Carter suggested, and if that doesn't work, I'll wait until this evening since it sounds like the system update should be resolved by then. Thanks everyone for making this less stressful by sharing your experiences!
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This is such a valuable thread! I'm bookmarking this for future reference. It's honestly shocking how many hoops you have to jump through just to access your own benefit information online when you get a replacement card. The fact that ConnectEBT doesn't automatically sync with new card numbers or provide ANY guidance about this process is really poor system design. I'm dealing with a similar situation right now - my card got demagnetized and won't swipe anywhere, so I need to request a replacement. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences here, especially the detailed step-by-step instructions. It's frustrating that we have to figure this stuff out through trial and error and community forums instead of having proper documentation from the agencies themselves!
I totally agree with you about the poor system design! I'm new to CalFresh and just got my first card a few weeks ago. Reading through this thread has been eye-opening - I had no idea that ConnectEBT and BenefitsCal were completely separate systems run by different companies. That explains so much confusion I've had trying to navigate everything! It's really concerning that there's basically no official documentation for something as basic as updating your card number online. What happens if someone isn't tech-savvy enough to figure out the workaround, or doesn't have access to community forums like this? It seems like a major accessibility issue. Thanks to everyone who shared their solutions here - I'm definitely saving this thread in case I ever need to replace my card in the future!
Just wanted to add another tip for anyone dealing with this in the future - if you're having trouble with the ConnectEBT website even after following the User ID/password reset steps, try clearing your browser cache and cookies completely before attempting the process. I had a similar issue last year and kept getting error messages until I cleared everything and started fresh. Also, I noticed the site works better on Chrome or Firefox rather than Safari or Edge. It's ridiculous that we need these workarounds, but at least there are solutions! Really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences here - this thread is going to help so many people avoid the frustration of being stuck without online access to their benefits.
Great tip about clearing the browser cache! I've run into similar issues with other government websites where old cached data causes problems. It's wild that we need to become tech support experts just to access our own benefits online. The browser compatibility issue you mentioned is so frustrating too - you'd think in 2025 these sites would work properly across all browsers. Thanks for sharing that Chrome/Firefox tip, I'll definitely remember that if I ever have issues. This whole thread has become like an unofficial user manual for ConnectEBT problems!
Jacob Lee
I don't have WIC (no kids) but good to know about the Friday market in Old Oakland! Thanks for clarifying the different program names too.
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Brady Clean
Hey Jacob! I'm new to CalFresh and just moved to the Bay Area too (from LA). This thread has been SO helpful - I had no idea about Market Match at all! I'm in San Francisco and wondering if anyone knows which farmers markets here participate? I saw mentions of Oakland and Berkeley markets but nothing about SF specifically. Also, does anyone know if the Castro Farmers Market or the one at UN Plaza do the matching program? My caseworker never mentioned any of this when I applied. It's frustrating how these programs seem like such well-kept secrets when they could really help people like us stretch our food budgets!
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Jasmine Hancock
•Welcome to the Bay Area, Brady! I'm also pretty new here and this thread has been a lifesaver. For SF specifically, I know the Heart of the City Farmers Market at UN Plaza definitely does Market Match - I think they match up to $20. The Castro Farmers Market does too, though I'm not 100% sure on their match amount. There's also the Alemany Farmers Market that participates. You're so right about these being well-kept secrets! It's crazy that caseworkers don't tell us about programs that could literally double our produce budget. Have you tried calling 211? Sometimes they have better info about local food assistance programs than the official websites do.
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