I work at a Sam's Club in Sacramento and can confirm what others have said - we definitely cannot add EBT cards to the app or use them for online orders. The system just isn't set up for it due to federal regulations. However, I wanted to share a few tips that might help make your in-store experience smoother: 1) Our customer service desk can pre-approve your EBT card before you shop, which sometimes helps avoid issues at checkout, 2) If you're buying in bulk, consider splitting large quantities between EBT-eligible and non-eligible items BEFORE you get to checkout (like if you're buying 24 bottles of water, make sure they're not mixed with non-food items), and 3) We typically have at least one cashier per shift who's well-trained on EBT transactions - don't hesitate to ask for them specifically if the first cashier seems unsure. Hope this helps make your Sam's Club trips easier!

Just to add another perspective - I've been using EBT at Sam's Club for about 2 years now and while you definitely can't add it to the app, I've found a workaround that helps with planning. I use the Sam's Club app to browse and add items to my "favorites" list, then I screenshot the list and use a notes app to mark which items are EBT-eligible before I go shopping. This way I can still take advantage of the app's features like seeing current prices and special offers, but I'm prepared for checkout with my physical card. It's not as convenient as having everything integrated, but it's better than going in blind! Also, pro tip: the Sam's Club website has a search filter for "SNAP eligible" items which can help with meal planning even though you can't actually order online with EBT.

Welcome to CalFresh! This thread has so much great info already. One thing I'd add that really helped me as a newcomer - don't be afraid to ask the cashier for help your first few times using the card. Most grocery store employees are used to helping people with EBT and can walk you through the process if you let them know it's your first time. Also, just a heads up that some items that seem like they should be covered aren't (like energy drinks, prepared hot foods, or anything with supplements added). When I first started I got confused about what was eligible, but you'll learn quickly. The good news is if you accidentally try to buy something that's not covered, the register will just remove it from your EBT total and you can pay for it separately with cash/card if you want. One last tip - keep your receipts! Not just for budgeting, but because they show your remaining balance and transaction details. Super helpful for tracking your spending throughout the month.

Hey! Welcome to CalFresh! I just wanted to add something that helped me a ton when I was starting out - if you have a smartphone, you can actually add your EBT card to your phone's wallet app (like Apple Wallet or Google Pay) for contactless payments at many stores now. It's super convenient and means you don't have to worry about forgetting your physical card at home. Also, I noticed someone mentioned the Market Match program earlier - definitely look into that! Many farmers markets will match your EBT spending dollar-for-dollar up to a certain amount, so if you spend $10 in EBT benefits on fresh fruits and veggies, you get an additional $10 in Market Match tokens. It's an amazing way to stretch your benefits and get really fresh, local produce. One more thing - don't stress if you don't spend all your benefits in one month. They roll over to the next month, so there's no "use it or lose it" pressure. Just plan your shopping based on what you actually need rather than feeling like you have to spend everything right away.

Hey everyone! I'm new to CalFresh and this conversation has been super helpful. I was also expecting some kind of increase this month because I saw something on social media about benefit increases, but now I understand it was probably about a different program. It's good to know that if my expenses go up (like rent or utilities), I can report that anytime and potentially get more benefits rather than waiting for the annual October adjustment. Thanks for all the clear explanations - this community is really supportive!

Thanks everyone for all this helpful info! I'm relatively new to CalFresh too and was also confused about the timing. It's really reassuring to know that October is the standard time for increases and that there wasn't actually supposed to be one this month. I was starting to worry I had missed something or that there was an issue with my account. Also really good to know about being able to report expense changes anytime - my childcare costs just went up and I had no idea I could report that outside of my regular reporting period. This community is such a great resource for getting accurate information instead of trying to figure things out from confusing government websites!

I'm so grateful I found this thread! I've been struggling with BenefitsCal issues for the past month and was starting to feel like I was the only one dealing with this nightmare. My account has been showing "system maintenance" errors constantly, and I've missed important deadlines because I couldn't access my case information. Reading everyone's experiences here makes me realize this is a widespread problem, not just something I'm doing wrong. That technical support number everyone mentioned is going straight into my phone contacts! It's honestly heartbreaking that so many families are dealing with these technical barriers when we're just trying to access basic food assistance. Thank you all for sharing your solutions and supporting each other through this mess. This community is a lifeline when the actual government systems fail us.

I'm dealing with this exact same issue right now! My BenefitsCal account has been locked for over a week and I'm getting so stressed about missing important deadlines. Reading through all these responses is actually really reassuring - I thought I was the only one having these problems. I'm definitely going to try that technical support number (1-800-541-5555) that @Mateo Sanchez shared. It's so frustrating that we have to jump through all these hoops just to access our own case information! Thank you @Nia Wilson for posting this and everyone for sharing your solutions. It's incredible how this community helps each other when the actual system fails us. I'll update once I try calling that number!

I'm experiencing the exact same issue! Been trying to upload my pay stubs for my CalFresh recertification since Sunday and the site just freezes every single time. My deadline is in 4 days and I was starting to panic thinking it was just me or my internet connection. This thread has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea there was a mobile app or that counties had direct email submission options! Going to try the early morning mobile app approach that worked for @StarSeeker, and also email my documents to my county office as backup like @Aisha Abdullah suggested. It's so frustrating that we have to become IT specialists just to submit basic paperwork for benefits we qualify for, but I'm really grateful for this community sharing real solutions when the official system fails us. Will definitely update here with what ends up working in case it helps others dealing with the same problem!

OMG thank you all so much for sharing your experiences and solutions! I've been struggling with this exact same problem for the past week trying to upload documents for my CalFresh renewal. The site keeps timing out right when I click upload and I was starting to think I was doing something wrong. @StarSeeker so glad you got it working! I'm definitely going to try the mobile app early tomorrow morning like you did. And @Aisha Abdullah that county email information is a lifesaver - I had no idea that was even an option. Going to email my docs as backup too. It's honestly insane that in 2025 we're dealing with a government benefits system that can't handle basic file uploads, but this community sharing real solutions when the official channels fail is exactly what we need. You've all probably saved multiple people from losing their benefits due to technical issues that are completely out of our control. Will update tomorrow on whether the early morning mobile app trick works for me too! 🙏