CalFresh EBT card repeatedly declined at Walmart register but works online - anyone else?

omg yes!!! this happened to me last weekend at walmart on Riverside Dr!! had to leave all my groceries there and was SO embarrassed. checked my balance right after and had $328 available. did pickup next day and it worked fine

This is actually a somewhat common issue with Walmart's in-store payment systems. Their registers sometimes have trouble connecting to the EBT processing network, while their online system uses a different processing pathway. If your card works for pickup, that confirms your benefits are active and available. A few things to try: 1. Ask the cashier to manually enter your card number instead of swiping 2. Try using a different register (some stores have specific registers with better EBT connectivity) 3. Shop at non-peak hours when their network isn't as busy If it happens again, ask to speak with a store manager and have them document the issue. The EBT customer service line likely won't be able to help since it's a store-side processing problem.

happens @ my walmart 2. cashier told me they hav prblms w/ the ebt system all the time. try using self checkout, works better there 4 sum reason

This is EXACTLY why I stopped shopping at Walmart altogether! They claim to care about low-income families but their systems are consistently problematic for EBT users. I've had my card declined there THREE TIMES even though I had plenty of benefits available. When I called CalFresh about it, they said they get complaints about Walmart all the time but can't do anything because it's Walmart's system, not the state's. Try Food 4 Less or Grocery Outlet - never had a single problem with my EBT at either place in two years.

There's actually a technical explanation for this. Walmart's in-store system processes EBT transactions through one payment processor, while their online system uses a different one. The in-store system has to connect through multiple verification points, which can time out during busy periods or if there's any network congestion. If you need to resolve CalFresh issues like this, I'd recommend contacting your county office directly. I struggled with getting through on the phone for weeks when I had a similar issue. Finally discovered Claimyr (claimyr.com) which got me connected to a real CalFresh worker in about 15 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 The worker confirmed this is a known Walmart issue and noted it in my account so if it causes problems with my future benefits, there's documentation.

I work at Walmart (different department but hear about register issues). It's our system not ur card. The EBT processing server gets overloaded especially at beginning of month when benefits load. Best times to shop in-store with EBT is mid-month and early morning or late evening. Also some stores have certain registers that work better with EBT - usually the numbered registers 1-4 not the ones in the middle. Hope that helps!

had same issue but with my calfresh AND calworks. walmart is just terrible with government benefits. save urself the trouble and just do pickup

I've had this happen a few times at Walmart too! What worked for me was asking the cashier to split the transaction - put all your CalFresh eligible items first, pay with EBT, then do a separate transaction for non-eligible items. For some reason the smaller transaction amount seems to go through more reliably. Also, double-check that you're not hitting your Income Reporting Threshold (IRT) or semi-annual reporting (SAR7) deadline. Sometimes benefits can be temporarily suspended if your reporting is due, even if you still see a balance on your card. It happened to me once - card was declined in-store but showed a full balance when I checked. Turned out my SAR7 was due that week!

This is so helpful to see I'm not alone with this issue! I've been having the same problem at the Walmart on Madison Ave - my EBT card gets declined in-store but works fine for pickup orders. It's honestly made me avoid shopping there in person because the embarrassment of leaving groceries at checkout is just too much. Really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences and tips here. I'm definitely going to try the early morning shopping times and using the lower-numbered registers that @Amina mentioned. It's frustrating that Walmart hasn't fixed this system issue when so many of us rely on CalFresh benefits, but at least now I know some workarounds!

This thread is so validating! I've been dealing with this exact same issue at the Walmart on University Ave for months now. My card gets declined at checkout but works perfectly for online orders. The worst part is having to explain to my kids why we're leaving without groceries AGAIN. I actually started keeping a screenshot of my EBT balance on my phone to show cashiers that I DO have benefits available, but they just shrug and say "system says declined." Thanks everyone for the tips about early morning shopping and using registers 1-4 - definitely going to try those. It's ridiculous that Walmart can't fix this when so many families depend on these benefits working properly.

This whole thread has been so eye-opening! I had no idea this was such a widespread issue with Walmart's EBT system. I've been avoiding using my CalFresh benefits there because I had one embarrassing decline experience and thought it was just me. Reading everyone's stories makes me realize it's definitely their system, not our cards. I'm bookmarking all these great tips - the early morning shopping, using registers 1-4, trying self-checkout, and even the split transaction idea. It's frustrating that we have to work around their broken system, but I'm grateful this community exists to share these solutions. Has anyone tried reaching out to Walmart corporate about this? With so many people experiencing the same problem, maybe if enough of us report it they'll actually prioritize fixing it.

I'm so glad I found this thread! I've been dealing with this exact same issue at the Walmart on El Camino Real for the past two months. My EBT card gets declined every single time I try to shop in person, but when I get home and place the same order for pickup, it processes immediately. I actually thought there was something wrong with my benefits and spent hours on the phone with the county trying to figure it out. Reading all these experiences makes me feel so much better knowing it's not just me! The tips about shopping early morning and using the lower numbered registers are super helpful - I'm definitely going to try those. It's really frustrating that Walmart hasn't fixed this system-wide problem when so many families depend on CalFresh benefits working properly. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences and solutions!

This thread has been such a lifesaver! I've been having the exact same problem at the Walmart on Broadway for weeks now. My EBT card works perfectly fine everywhere else - Target, Safeway, even the corner market - but Walmart's registers keep declining it even though I have over $400 in benefits available. The embarrassment of having to abandon a full cart of groceries in front of other customers is just awful. I actually started doing all my grocery shopping at other stores because I was so frustrated, but their prices really are better for feeding my family of four. After reading everyone's tips, I'm going to give it another try with the early morning shopping and asking for registers 1-4 specifically. It's ridiculous that we have to work around their broken system, but I'm so grateful this community exists to share solutions. Has anyone had luck explaining the situation to store managers? I'm wondering if they could at least train their cashiers to be more understanding when this happens.

This thread is incredibly helpful! I've been having this exact same issue at the Walmart on Stockton Blvd for about a month now. My CalFresh card gets declined at checkout but works perfectly for pickup orders - it's so confusing and embarrassing! I actually called the EBT customer service line thinking my benefits were frozen or something, but they confirmed everything was fine on their end. Reading all these experiences makes me realize it's definitely a Walmart system problem, not our cards. I'm going to try the early morning shopping and asking specifically for registers 1-4 like @Amina suggested. It's really frustrating that such a major retailer can't fix their payment processing when so many families depend on these benefits working properly. Thank you everyone for sharing your stories and tips - it's such a relief to know I'm not alone in this struggle!

This thread is so validating! I've been having the EXACT same issue at multiple Walmart locations around town. My EBT card works fine at every other store - Grocery Outlet, FoodMaxx, even gas stations - but Walmart's registers decline it constantly even when I have plenty of benefits available. The worst part is the looks you get from other customers when you have to abandon your cart. I've started screenshot-ing my EBT balance before shopping just to prove to cashiers that I have money available, but they just shrug and say the system won't accept it. Reading everyone's experiences here makes me feel so much better knowing it's not just me or something wrong with my benefits! Definitely going to try the early morning shopping and specific register tips that @Amina shared. It's absolutely ridiculous that such a major company can't fix their payment processing system when they know how many families depend on EBT benefits. Thank you all for sharing your stories and solutions - this community is such a lifeline!

This whole thread has been such an eye-opener! I had no idea so many people were dealing with this same Walmart EBT issue. I've been experiencing the exact same thing at the Walmart on Howe Avenue - my CalFresh card gets declined at checkout but works perfectly for online pickup orders. I actually avoided shopping there for weeks because I thought something was wrong with my benefits account. Reading everyone's experiences and tips has been incredibly helpful! I'm definitely going to try the early morning shopping strategy and ask specifically for registers 1-4 like @Amina suggested. The split transaction idea from @Oliver is genius too. It's so frustrating that we have to develop all these workarounds just to use our benefits, but I'm grateful this community exists to share solutions. Has anyone tried contacting local news stations about this? With so many families affected, this seems like the kind of story that might get Walmart's attention to actually fix their system.

This thread is SO helpful! I've been having this exact same problem at the Walmart on Riverside Drive for the past month. My EBT card gets declined every time I try to shop in-store, but when I get home frustrated and place a pickup order with the same items, it goes through instantly! I thought maybe my card was damaged or something was wrong with my account, but clearly it's a widespread Walmart system issue. The embarrassment of having to leave a full cart of groceries is really getting to me - especially when you're trying to feed your family and you know you have benefits available. I'm definitely going to try the early morning shopping times and asking for registers 1-4 that @Amina mentioned. It's ridiculous that such a major retailer can't fix their payment processing when they serve so many families who depend on these benefits. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences - it's such a relief to know it's not just me dealing with this!

I'm dealing with this exact same issue! My EBT card gets declined at the Walmart on Fruitridge Road but works perfectly for pickup orders. It's so embarrassing having to leave groceries at checkout, especially with my toddler asking why we can't buy the food we picked out. I actually started avoiding Walmart altogether because of this, but their prices really are better for stretching my CalFresh benefits. After reading all these helpful tips from everyone, I'm going to try shopping early morning and asking for one of the lower numbered registers like @Amina suggested. It's crazy that so many of us are dealing with the same system problem - makes me feel way less alone in this struggle. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and solutions!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I've been experiencing the exact same issue at the Walmart on Watt Avenue - my CalFresh EBT card gets declined at checkout but works perfectly fine when I place pickup orders online. It's so frustrating and embarrassing, especially when you're shopping with your kids and have to explain why we're leaving without groceries. I actually thought there was something wrong with my benefits account and called the county office multiple times, but they confirmed everything was active and fine on their end. Reading everyone's experiences here makes me realize this is definitely a widespread Walmart system problem, not our cards! I'm going to try the early morning shopping strategy and ask specifically for registers 1-4 like others have suggested. It's ridiculous that such a major retailer hasn't fixed this issue when they know how many families depend on EBT benefits working properly. Thank you everyone for sharing your stories and tips - it's such a relief to know I'm not alone in dealing with this!