EBT card suddenly declining with 'transaction not authorized' error while out of state - what's going on?

this happens sometimes when ur out of state. some states have restrictions on out-of-state ebt usage. nevada should work tho. try calling the number on the back of ur card maybe?

You're actually dealing with a common issue. While CalFresh benefits can be used in any state, sometimes the system flags out-of-state transactions as potentially suspicious, especially if you've been using it in a different state for a while. This is a security measure to prevent fraud. You need to contact the EBT Customer Service directly at 1-877-328-9677 to have them authorize out-of-state usage. They might have temporarily locked your card due to the location change or because their system detected something unusual. They can verify your identity and unlock the card usually within minutes. Also, make sure you're using the card at SNAP-approved retailers. Some stores that accept EBT in California might not be approved in Nevada.

I had this exact situation last summer when visiting family in Oregon. EBT customer service told me they automatically flag cards used out-of-state for more than 14 days as a fraud prevention measure. You need to speak directly with a representative to verify your identity and travel plans - they'll remove the block once you do. Frustratingly, getting through on that EBT customer service line can be nearly impossible. I ended up using Claimyr.com to help me actually reach a human. Their service calls and navigates the hold system for you, then calls you when a person is actually on the line. Saved me hours of hold time and got my card working again within a few hours. They have a demo video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8

have u tried useing a difrent pin number??? my card did this once and i just had 2 do a new pin at the atm. also sometimes u need 2 run it as credit not debit thats wat the cashier at dollar tree told me when mine wasnt working

I don't think it's about being out of state. The government tracks all of us anyway and they know exactly where you are. More likely they're cutting your benefits without telling you. Classic government move. My cousin had her benefits just VANISH one day with no notice and took 3 months to get them back. They're probably testing some new system and we're all guinea pigs!!!

UPDATE: I finally got through to a real person! For anyone dealing with this issue in the future - it was exactly what several of you said. My card was automatically flagged for fraud protection after being used out-of-state for more than 14 days. They verified my identity and travel plans, and my card is working again! That Claimyr service actually worked - saved me from spending another day on hold. Thanks everyone for your help! ❤️

I always call before traveling!! learned this the hard way two years ago when visiting my mom in Arizona. I was stranded with no food money for THREE DAYS because of this exact situation. Now I always call my caseworker before I leave California and tell them where I'm going and for how long. Haven't had a problem since. The system is ridiculous but at least there's a workaround if you know about it ahead of time!

This is such valuable information! I had no idea about the 14-day rule or that you could notify CalFresh in advance about travel plans. I'm bookmarking this thread because I travel to see family in other states fairly regularly and this could definitely happen to me. It's frustrating that these policies aren't clearly communicated to beneficiaries - seems like something that should be explained when you first get your card. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and solutions!

This is such an important thread! I'm a college student who relies on CalFresh and I travel home to Oregon during breaks. I had no idea about the 14-day rule and almost got caught in this same situation last winter break. Luckily my card kept working, but now I realize I probably just got lucky with timing. Definitely going to start notifying them in advance before my next trip. It's really frustrating that these policies aren't explained clearly when you first get your EBT card - seems like basic information they should provide upfront. Thanks for sharing your experience and glad you got it resolved!

Wow, this is exactly the kind of real-world info that should be in the official CalFresh handbook! I'm a single parent who's been on CalFresh for about 8 months now, and I had plans to visit my brother in Texas next month with my daughter. We were going to stay for 3 weeks during her spring break. I had no clue about the 14-day automatic flag - this could have been a disaster! I'm definitely going to call my caseworker before we leave and also set up that BenefitsCal account notification. It's honestly ridiculous that they don't explain these policies upfront when you first get your card. Like, they tell you "you can use it in any state" but don't mention the fine print about fraud protection flags. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences - you probably just saved me and my kid from getting stranded without food money! Does anyone know if the notification process is the same for temporary trips versus if you're actually moving to another state permanently?

This whole thread has been incredibly eye-opening! I'm a CalFresh recipient who travels frequently for work (I do seasonal agricultural work in different states), and I've somehow been lucky enough to never hit this 14-day limit issue. But reading everyone's experiences makes me realize I've been playing with fire this whole time! I had no idea there was even a way to notify CalFresh about travel plans in advance. The fact that this crucial information isn't provided during the initial enrollment process is honestly shameful. How many people have been left stranded without food money because of this hidden policy? I'm definitely going to start using the BenefitsCal notification system before my next work assignment. And huge props to everyone who shared their solutions here - especially the tip about Claimyr for getting through those impossible customer service hold times. This community is doing a better job of educating people than the actual government agencies! Does anyone know if there's a limit to how many times you can notify them about travel, or if frequent out-of-state usage might eventually cause other issues?

This thread is incredibly valuable! As someone who just started receiving CalFresh a few weeks ago, I had absolutely no idea about any of these travel restrictions or the 14-day automatic fraud flag. The orientation I received was extremely basic and definitely didn't cover real-world scenarios like this. I'm planning to visit my parents in Arizona next month for about 10 days, so thankfully I'll be under the 14-day limit, but it's terrifying to think how easily I could have ended up in the same situation if I'd stayed longer. I'm definitely going to set up that BenefitsCal account and look into the travel notification process before I go. It's honestly shocking that this critical information isn't provided upfront during enrollment - how many people have been caught off guard by this policy? Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and solutions, especially the practical tips about Claimyr and calling caseworkers in advance. This community is providing better guidance than the official resources!

This thread should honestly be pinned or turned into a FAQ! I've been on CalFresh for over a year and had no clue about the 14-day out-of-state rule. I travel to visit my elderly grandmother in Oregon every few months, usually for 2-3 weeks at a time, and I've just been incredibly lucky that my card kept working. Reading everyone's experiences here, I realize I've probably been right on the edge of triggering that fraud flag multiple times. The lack of clear communication about these policies from CalFresh is really frustrating. They tell you "benefits can be used nationwide" but conveniently leave out the fine print about automatic security flags. It feels deliberately misleading, honestly. I'm definitely going to call my caseworker before my next trip and set up those BenefitsCal travel notifications. Thank you everyone for sharing your real-world experiences - this is the kind of practical information that actually helps people navigate the system successfully!

This thread has been such an eye-opener! I've been on CalFresh for about 3 months and had no idea about any of these travel restrictions. I'm actually supposed to drive to my cousin's wedding in Colorado next month and was planning to stay for about 16 days. Reading everyone's experiences here just saved me from what could have been a really embarrassing and stressful situation - imagine having my card declined while trying to buy groceries for the wedding preparation! It's honestly infuriating that this 14-day rule isn't explained during the enrollment process. Like others have mentioned, they just tell you "it works in all 50 states" but completely skip over the fraud prevention measures that could leave you stranded. I'm definitely going to call my caseworker this week to set up travel notifications and figure out the BenefitsCal system before I leave. The Claimyr tip is also incredibly helpful - I've already had frustrating experiences trying to reach EBT customer service for other issues. Knowing there's actually a way to get through those impossible hold times could be a lifesaver for anyone dealing with urgent card problems while traveling. Thank you to everyone who shared their stories and solutions! This community is providing way better real-world guidance than any official documentation I've received.

This whole discussion has been incredibly helpful! I'm a new CalFresh recipient (just got my card last month) and I'm supposed to visit my sister in Washington state for about 18 days this summer. Reading through everyone's experiences here probably just saved me from a major headache - I had absolutely no idea about the 14-day automatic fraud flag rule! It's really frustrating that this critical information isn't explained during the enrollment process. They make it sound so simple - "your benefits work in all states" - but don't mention these important security measures that could leave you unable to buy food while traveling. The fact that we're all learning about these policies through community discussion instead of official guidance is pretty concerning. I'm definitely going to call my caseworker before my trip and set up those BenefitsCal travel notifications. The Claimyr service tip is also really valuable - I've already had trouble getting through EBT customer service lines for basic questions. Thank you everyone for sharing your real experiences and solutions. This thread should honestly be required reading for all new CalFresh recipients! The community knowledge here is way more practical than anything in the official materials.

This thread has been incredibly educational! I'm a recent CalFresh recipient (about 2 months now) and I'm planning a cross-country move from California to Florida next month. Reading through all these experiences has made me realize I need to understand the difference between temporary travel notifications and permanent address changes. From what I've gathered here, if I'm permanently relocating, I'd need to close my California case and reapply in Florida rather than just notify about travel plans. But what if the move takes longer than expected and I'm staying in temporary housing for a few weeks while apartment hunting? Would that trigger the 14-day fraud flag even though it's technically part of a permanent relocation process? The lack of clear guidance on these complex situations is really concerning. It seems like there are so many edge cases that aren't covered in the basic orientation materials. Has anyone dealt with interstate moves while on CalFresh? I'm worried about getting caught in some bureaucratic gap where I can't use my benefits but also can't immediately establish residency in the new state. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences - this community knowledge is invaluable for navigating these systems!

This thread has been absolutely invaluable! I've been on CalFresh for about 5 months and had no clue about the 14-day out-of-state rule. I regularly visit my dad in New Mexico for extended periods (usually 2-3 weeks at a time) and somehow my card has always worked - I must have been incredibly lucky with timing or just barely squeaking under the radar. Reading everyone's experiences here is both eye-opening and frustrating. The fact that such critical information about fraud protection measures isn't explained during enrollment is honestly unacceptable. They give you this false sense of security by saying "works nationwide" without mentioning the fine print that could leave you stranded without food money. I'm immediately going to set up that BenefitsCal account and start notifying them before my trips. The Claimyr service tip is also a lifesaver - I've spent countless hours stuck in EBT customer service hold hell for other issues. Thank you to everyone who shared their real-world experiences and practical solutions. This community is doing the education job that CalFresh should be doing upfront. Seriously considering sharing this thread with other recipients I know because this information could prevent so much unnecessary stress and hardship for families just trying to use their benefits responsibly.

This thread has been such a lifesaver! I'm a CalFresh recipient who's planning to visit my brother in Texas for about 3 weeks over the holidays, and I had absolutely no idea about the 14-day automatic fraud flag rule. Reading everyone's experiences here probably just saved me from being stranded without food money during what's supposed to be a family celebration. It's honestly mind-blowing that this critical information isn't part of the standard enrollment process. Like so many others have mentioned, they tell you "your benefits work in all 50 states" but completely skip over the security measures that could leave you unable to buy groceries while traveling. The fact that we're all learning about these essential policies through community discussion instead of official guidance is really concerning. I'm definitely going to call my caseworker this week to set up those BenefitsCal travel notifications before my trip. The Claimyr service tip is also incredibly valuable - I've already had frustrating experiences with EBT customer service hold times for other issues, so knowing there's actually a way to reach a human being could be crucial if something goes wrong while I'm traveling. Thank you to everyone who shared their stories and practical solutions! This community is providing way better real-world education than any official materials I received. Seriously considering bookmarking this thread as a reference guide for future travels.

This thread is absolutely incredible and should be required reading for every CalFresh recipient! I've been on benefits for about 7 months and travel fairly regularly to visit family in different states. I had absolutely no clue about the 14-day automatic fraud flag rule and have been completely lucky that my trips have mostly been shorter than that timeframe. The lack of transparency about these policies during enrollment is honestly shocking. They make it sound so straightforward - "use your benefits anywhere in the US" - but don't mention these crucial security measures that could leave you stranded. It feels almost intentionally misleading at this point. I'm immediately setting up a BenefitsCal account and will definitely be using those travel notifications for future trips. The Claimyr service tip is also a game-changer - I've been stuck in EBT customer service hell before and knowing there's actually a way to reach a human being is invaluable. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and practical solutions, especially the original poster for updating us with the resolution. This community knowledge is filling such a huge gap in the official guidance we receive. I'm definitely sharing this thread with other recipients I know because this information could prevent so much unnecessary stress and hardship for families just trying to use their benefits responsibly while traveling.

This thread is absolutely essential and has probably saved countless people from getting stranded! I'm a newer CalFresh recipient (just got approved 6 weeks ago) and I'm supposed to visit my grandparents in Idaho for about 17 days this spring. Reading through everyone's experiences here made me realize I was walking straight into a potential disaster - I had zero knowledge about the 14-day fraud protection rule! It's honestly inexcusable that this critical information isn't provided during the enrollment process. The "works in all 50 states" messaging is so misleading when they don't explain the security restrictions that come with it. How are we supposed to use our benefits responsibly if they don't tell us the rules? I'm calling my caseworker tomorrow to set up those BenefitsCal travel notifications before my trip. Also bookmarking that Claimyr service - the idea of actually being able to reach EBT customer service without spending hours on hold sounds too good to be true! Thank you everyone for sharing your real-world experiences and solutions. This community is doing the education job that should be happening officially. I'm definitely passing this information along to other recipients I know because this kind of knowledge could prevent so much unnecessary hardship for families just trying to visit loved ones.