CalFresh EBT 1-877 customer service number not working - showing 'invalid card number'

The EBT phone system has been really glitchy lately! Make sure you're entering the 16-digit number on the front of your card, not the 19-digit number on the back. Also, wait for the full prompt before entering - sometimes if you type too early it registers as an error. If that doesn't work, you can also check your balance online at www.ebt.ca.gov or through the ConnectEBT mobile app, which might be easier anyway.

same thing happened 2 me last week!!! the 877 number was saying invalid for like 3 days straight then it randomly started working again. i think their system is just broken tbh. typical government bs

I had this exact same problem two weeks ago!! It was giving me anxiety because I thought maybe they had cancelled my benefits without telling me (which has happened before). I kept calling and trying different things but nothing worked. Finally I just went to the county office in person and they said it was a system-wide issue they were working on. Have you tried the BenefitsCal website? Sometimes you can check your balance there too, though it's not always up to date.

This is a known issue that's been affecting the EBT phone system intermittently since they upgraded their infrastructure last month. Some counties are more affected than others. Here's what you can do: 1. Try using the ConnectEBT mobile app as others suggested 2. Check your balance at www.ebt.ca.gov (though this sometimes has a 24-hour delay) 3. If you have access to BenefitsCal, you can sometimes see pending deposits there 4. As a last resort, call your county CalFresh office directly to check your balance The phone system issues are supposed to be resolved by July 15th according to the last notice I saw from CDSS, but who knows if they'll meet that deadline.

maybe ur card is expired? mine did that when it was about to expire and i didn't realize it

If you're having trouble reaching someone at the EBT customer service or your county CalFresh office, I'd recommend trying Claimyr. It helped me get through to a real person when I had a similar issue with my EBT card not working with the automated system. They basically wait on hold for you and call you back when they get a real person. Saved me hours of frustration! Their site is claimyr.com and they have a video that shows how it works here: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8

I work for a community organization that helps people with CalFresh applications, and we've heard about this issue from multiple clients over the past two weeks. It seems to be affecting people randomly across different counties. The EBT vendor (Conduent) is doing system updates that were supposed to be completed by the end of June, but they're obviously running behind schedule. One thing I've found that sometimes works: try calling very early in the morning (like 6-7am when the system first opens) or late at night. Sometimes the system works during off-peak hours when there's less traffic. If you need to check your balance urgently and nothing else works, grocery stores like Safeway and Food4Less can print your balance on a receipt if you ask the cashier (without making a purchase).

Did anyone else notice they changed the menu options too? I called last week and all the prompts were different. Pressed what I thought was for balance check and somehow ended up in fraud reporting??? So confusing when they change things and don't tell anyone.

UPDATE: Just saw on the CalFresh Twitter account that they're aware of the EBT phone system issues and are working to resolve them. They didn't give a specific timeline but acknowledged the problem is affecting multiple counties. In the meantime, they recommend using the ConnectEBT app or website.

I've been dealing with this same issue for the past week! What's really frustrating is that they don't send any notifications when they're doing these system updates. I found out about the ConnectEBT app from this thread and it's been a lifesaver - much easier than dealing with the phone system anyway. For anyone still having trouble, I also discovered that you can text "BAL" to 96539 from the phone number registered with your EBT account and they'll text back your balance. It's been working consistently even when the phone line is down. Hope this helps others who are struggling with the same problem!

I've been having the exact same issue! The phone system kept saying my card number was invalid even though I was entering it correctly. What worked for me was clearing my phone's cache and trying again - apparently sometimes the system gets confused if you've called multiple times in a short period. Also, if you have a smartphone, I highly recommend downloading the ConnectEBT app that others mentioned. It's actually more reliable than the phone system and you can check your balance, see recent transactions, and even find nearby stores that accept EBT. I've been using it for about 6 months now and it's never let me down, unlike the phone line which seems to have issues every few weeks.

I'm having the exact same problem! The EBT phone line has been saying "invalid card number" for me since Monday, even though my card works fine at stores. It's so frustrating when you're trying to budget and plan your grocery shopping but can't check your balance. I downloaded the ConnectEBT app based on the recommendations here and it's working perfectly - I can see my balance and recent transactions with no issues. I also tried the text option someone mentioned (texting "BAL" to 96539) and that worked too! It's really disappointing that CalFresh doesn't do a better job communicating about these system outages or promoting the alternative ways to check your balance. Thank you everyone for sharing these workarounds - this community is more helpful than the actual customer service sometimes!