CalFresh EBT card not working at ATMs - keep getting 'contact bank' message

same thing happened 2 me last month. turned out my card got blocked cuz i entered wrong pin too many times without realizing. u prob need to call ur county office to reset it

There are several possible reasons your EBT card is giving you that error message: 1. Your card may be damaged (magnetic strip worn out) 2. There could be a temporary system outage affecting EBT transactions 3. Your account might be flagged for verification or review 4. You may have reached your monthly ATM withdrawal limit 5. Some ATMs have daily limits on cash withdrawals You need to speak directly with a county eligibility worker to troubleshoot this. The EBT customer service line can only help with basic card issues, not with benefit access problems.

I had EXACTLY this problem back in January!!! So frustrating!!! Turns out there was a FRAUD ALERT on my account because I tried using my card at a new location they thought was "suspicious" (it was literally just a different grocery store than usual). The WHOLE SYSTEM is designed to make it impossible to get help when you need it most!!!

Have you checked your BenefitsCal account online? Sometimes there are notices or alerts there that explain why your card isn't working. It could also tell you if your semi-annual report (SAR7) was due and not processed, which would block your benefits. Also, are you sure you're trying to access CalFresh or is it CalWORKs? CalFresh benefits can only be used to purchase food at approved retailers, not withdraw cash at ATMs. If you need cash aid, that's the CalWORKs program.

I work with clients who use EBT cards regularly, and this sounds like either a card block or an account hold. Here's what I recommend: 1. First, try calling the EBT customer service again (1-877-328-9677) but instead of following prompts, try pressing 0 multiple times to get a human representative. They can at least tell you if the card is active or blocked. 2. If that doesn't work, you need to reach your county worker ASAP. Unfortunately, county offices are notoriously difficult to reach by phone. I've had several clients use a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helps you get through to CalFresh and CalWORKs workers without the endless hold times. They basically wait on hold for you and call you when a real person answers. Check out their video to see how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 For immediate emergency assistance, you might also want to go to your county office in person first thing tomorrow morning. Bring ID and your EBT card with you.

did u check ur balance to make sure u actually got ur benefits deposited this month? sometimes they skip a month if theres a problem with ur case. happened to me once and i went crazy trying atms everywhere lol

Based on what you've shared, this definitely sounds like a security block on your card. Since your food benefits still work but cash access is blocked, and the balance shows correctly, this is most likely a fraud prevention measure. The county system sometimes flags unusual transaction patterns or new ATM locations as potentially fraudulent. The quickest solution would be visiting your county office in person tomorrow morning. Bring your ID, EBT card, and any notices you've received recently. They can usually resolve these blocks immediately in person. For future reference, it's also good to know that CalWORKs has ATM withdrawal limits - usually around $1,000 per month with a maximum of $500 per day. And some ATMs have separate daily limits as low as $200.

btw dont forget to ask them to waive the replacement card fee when u get someone on the phone. they tried charging me $5 last time n i was like no way that was ur systems fault not mine

Did you try using the card at an ACTUAL BANK ATM instead of one of those convenience store ATMs? The fees are lower anyway and I find they work better with EBT cards. The stand-alone ATMs in stores are ALWAYS causing problems with EBT!!!

UPDATE: Problem solved! I used that Claimyr service someone suggested above and actually got through to my county worker in about 30 minutes (after trying for 2 days on my own). Turns out there WAS a fraud alert on my account because I tried using my card at a new location. The worker removed the block right away and I was able to withdraw cash at the ATM immediately after. Thank you all for your help and suggestions!