CalFresh EBT not working at Mother's Market promotion - anyone else?

i literally just used mine yesterday at mothers n got the promo with EBT!! the cashier probably didnt kno how to ring it up right. ask for manager next time

The Mother's Market promotion should absolutely work with CalFresh EBT as long as you're purchasing eligible food items. The promotion is store-based, not payment-method-based. When they say "get $60 back," they're giving you a store coupon for future purchases, not cash back on your EBT card (which would be illegal). Some things to check: 1. Were all items in your cart CalFresh-eligible? Any household goods or prepared hot foods would need separate payment 2. Did you reach the full $60 of eligible items? 3. Sometimes the register needs a manager override for these promotions I'd suggest going back with your receipt and asking to speak with a store manager. They should be able to verify you qualified and issue the promotion coupon.

This same thing happened to me last year with a different store promotion! So annoying how they advertise these things and then the cashiers don't know how to process them. I've found that sometimes the younger employees just don't know all the rules about EBT and get confused. Definitely talk to a manager.

Wait I'm confused. Does CalFresh cover organic food at fancy health food stores like Mother's Market? I thought we could only use EBT at regular grocery stores and farmers markets. My worker never told me about places like Mother's!

I used to work in grocery and can confirm there's a LOT of confusion among cashiers about EBT and promotions. The problem is that some promotions give "cash back" which can't go on an EBT card (against federal rules), but store promotions that give you a COUPON for future purchases are totally fine with EBT. Mother's Market is definitely doing the coupon type ($60 voucher for future purchases). The cashier probably just needed to call a manager for authorization. Those promotions often require a manager code anyway.

If you keep having trouble with this Mother's Market promotion, I'd recommend calling your county CalFresh office to ask if they can provide you with documentation on these types of promotions being valid with EBT. I know calling the county is a nightmare though. I recently used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through when I had a similar issue with a store not accepting my EBT properly. They got me connected to a real person at the county in about 10 minutes instead of waiting on hold forever. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 - super helpful for these weird situations where you need official clarification. The county worker was able to email me info I could show the store.

MOTHER'S MARKET ALWAYS DOES THIS!!! I've had so many problems with them and EBT. Their cashiers don't get proper training and the managers have to fix everything. Last time I was there the cashier told me my fruits weren't EBT eligible which is RIDICULOUS. Had to wait 20 mins for manager to come fix it. They really need to train their staff better if they want to accept our benefits!!!!

Just wanted to update - I called Mother's Market customer service this morning to ask about this specific promotion and EBT. They confirmed that the promotion DOES work with EBT and that there must have been a training issue with that cashier. They said to speak to a store director if it happens again. Hope this helps!

UPDATE: I went back to Mother's Market today and got the promotion! I asked for a manager right away and explained the situation. She apologized and said their newer cashiers sometimes get confused about EBT promotions. I was able to show my receipt from yesterday and they honored the $60 coupon for future purchases. For anyone else having this issue - definitely speak to a manager and don't take no for an answer if you know you qualify! Thanks everyone for your advice!

So glad you got it resolved! This is exactly why I always screenshot or print the promotion details before going to stores - it helps when you need to advocate for yourself with managers. Mother's Market promotions are usually really good for stretching benefits, so it's worth the extra effort to make sure they honor them correctly. Thanks for sharing the update!

This thread is so helpful! I had no idea that CalFresh could be used at places like Mother's Market - I've been limiting myself to just the big chain grocery stores. And the tip about screenshotting promotions is brilliant. I'm going to start doing that for any store deals I want to try. It's really encouraging to see how everyone came together to help solve this issue and share knowledge about navigating EBT with different retailers and promotions.