Got duplicate EBT cards - one from office pickup and one in mail. What should I do with the extra CalFresh card?

Same thing happened to me last year! It's actually not a big deal. When they issue a new card, the old one gets deactivated automatically. So most likely only ONE of your cards actually works. Try checking the balance on both cards using the EBT phone number or app - I bet the mailed one doesn't work anymore since they gave you a replacement.

You can safely destroy the extra card. The system automatically deactivates the previous card when a replacement is issued. However, make sure you're absolutely certain which card is active before destroying either one. You can verify which card is active by: 1. Checking the EBT app or calling the number on the back of the card (1-877-328-9677) 2. Checking the last 4 digits of each card - the county records should show which one is currently linked to your benefits Technically, you don't need to report this to your caseworker as it's a common occurrence, but it never hurts to send a quick message through BenefitsCal just to document that you received both cards.

I work with CalFresh recipients regularly, and this happens all the time. Here's what you should do: 1. Verify which card is active (sounds like you already did this) 2. Cut up the inactive card and dispose of it securely 3. There's no need to contact your caseworker specifically about this The two cards are linked to the same account, but only one can be active at a time. When they issued you the replacement at the office, their system automatically deactivated the one in the mail. This is a security feature to prevent benefits fraud. If you ever need to contact your county office about other CalFresh issues and keep getting stuck in the phone system, try using Claimyr (claimyr.com). They help you skip the phone queue and get directly connected to a worker. They have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8. Really helpful when you have urgent benefit questions.

DID ANYBODY TELL YOU TO CHECK THE ISSUE DATES?!!! Sometimes the mailed card is actually the NEWER one even if it arrived later!!! I almost threw away the wrong card. Look at the date printed on each card and KEEP THE NEWEST ONE. The county systems are all messed up and sometimes they don't deactivate right. DON'T JUST ASSUME!!!

Call the EBT customer service directly (not your caseworker) and tell them you have two cards. They can verify which one is active and officially deactivate the other one in the system. I had three cards once because my mail kept getting sent to my old address lol.

make sure u dont let anyone else use the extra card even family members. thats considered fraud and they can kick u off calfresh for that. my cousins friend got caught sharing her card and had to pay back everything and got 6 month penalty

Just wanted to add that if you're ever unsure about which card is active, you can also try making a small purchase with each card at a store. The active one will work and the deactivated one will be declined. But honestly, checking the dates like Taylor mentioned is the easiest way - always keep the one with the most recent issue date. I had a similar situation a few months back and the county office told me this is super common, especially when there are mail delays. You're handling it exactly right by checking everything before destroying the extra card!