How long for EBT funds to return after cancelling online grocery order?

same thing happened to me last month! it took like 3 days for the money to show back up on my card. super annoying when ur trying to budget everything

It depends on the retailer. For Safeway specifically, EBT refunds typically take 2-5 business days to process. It's not like a regular debit card where refunds might appear immediately or overnight. The EBT system has to wait for the merchant to release the hold and then process the reversal. If it's been more than 5 business days, you should call the EBT customer service number on the back of your card to check on the status.

The exact same thing happened to me but with Walmart grocery pickup. Cancelled and my benefits didn't come back for almost a WEEK!!! Called EBT hotline and they said there's nothing they can do, have to wait for merchant. System is so broken.

Actually, you might be able to speed things up by contacting your county CalFresh office directly. The standard EBT customer service can't do much, but I had a similar situation last year and my county worker was able to help. I was trying to reach them for days but kept getting stuck in phone loops. I finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an actual CalFresh worker in about 20 minutes. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 that shows how it works. The county worker was able to contact Safeway and push the refund through faster since it was causing me hardship. Worth a try if you need those funds urgently.

In my experience refunds from cancelled online orders are one of the WORST things about using CalFresh/EBT. The whole system is designed to be difficult on purpose I swear! I had a $175 order with Albertsons that took TWO FULL WEEKS to come back to my card. My kids had to eat ramen noodles for days because of it. And nobody at the EBT hotline or the store could do ANYTHING to help speed it up. They just blame each other. It's so unfair that people with regular credit cards get instant refunds but EBT users have to wait forever. This is why poor people stay poor.

For Safeway specifically, their EBT refund policy states 3-5 business days for processing. However, I've found that it's often on the shorter end with them compared to some other retailers. One thing to keep in mind: if you placed the order near the end of your benefit month, make sure the refund doesn't cross over into the new benefit month, as this can sometimes cause accounting issues. If that happens, you might need to contact your county office to resolve it. Also, while we're on this topic, it's worth knowing that not all online grocery retailers handle EBT refunds the same way. Some put a hold rather than an actual charge until pickup/delivery, while others process a full transaction that needs to be reversed upon cancellation. This is why the timing varies so much between different stores.

i always just call the store customer service directly when this happens. sometimes they can tell u exactly when the refund was processed on their end which at least gives u some peace of mind knowing its coming

Just to give you a complete answer: While waiting for your refund, document everything. Keep screenshots of your cancellation confirmation, the original order amount, and check your EBT balance daily through the EBT app or by calling the number on your card. This documentation is crucial if you end up needing to file a claim. For Safeway specifically in 2025, they're using a relatively new processing system that should be faster than their old one, so there's a good chance you'll see your funds back within 2-3 business days rather than the full 5 they quote. If you don't see the funds by day 4, that's when I'd recommend escalating by contacting both Safeway corporate customer service and your county CalFresh office.

I work at a grocery store that processes EBT orders and can give you some insight from the merchant side. When you cancel an online order, we have to send a reversal request through the EBT processor, which then goes through several verification steps before hitting your card. Unlike regular debit/credit cards where we can often process instant refunds, EBT has additional security layers that slow things down. For Safeway specifically, they usually batch their EBT reversals once daily (usually overnight), so if you cancelled today, the reversal request probably won't even get submitted until tonight. Then it's 1-3 business days after that. I'd expect to see your funds back by Thursday or Friday at the latest.

I've been through this exact situation with Safeway pickup multiple times! Based on my experience, it usually takes 2-3 business days for EBT refunds to show back up on your card. One tip I learned: if you check your EBT balance online or through the app, sometimes the pending refund will show up there before it's actually available to spend. Also, make sure to save your cancellation confirmation email - I had one refund get lost in the system and that email was what helped me get it sorted out quickly. The waiting is definitely stressful when you're budgeting carefully, but Safeway is usually pretty reliable with their EBT refund processing compared to some other stores I've used.

I had a similar experience with Safeway pickup last year. The refund took exactly 3 business days to appear back on my EBT card. What helped me was calling the EBT customer service line (the number on the back of your card) on day 2 just to confirm they could see the pending reversal in their system. The rep told me it was "in process" which gave me peace of mind that it wasn't lost somewhere. Also, pro tip: I've found that placing online grocery orders earlier in the week (Monday-Wednesday) seems to result in faster refund processing if you need to cancel, probably because there's less weekend processing delays. Hope your funds show up soon - the waiting game is always stressful when you're managing a tight budget!

I've been using CalFresh with online grocery orders for about 2 years now and here's what I've learned about refunds: Safeway is actually one of the better retailers for EBT refund timing. Most of the time it's 2-3 business days like others have said. The key thing is that Tuesday is typically when they process their batch refunds, so depending on when you cancelled, you might see it back tomorrow or Thursday. One thing I always do now is take a screenshot of my EBT balance right before placing any online order, then another screenshot of the cancellation confirmation. This way if there's ever a discrepancy, I have proof of exactly what should be refunded. Also, don't panic if you don't see it exactly when expected - I've had refunds show up on Saturday morning before, even though technically they don't process on weekends. The system can be unpredictable but it usually works out within that 5-day window everyone mentions.

I went through this exact same situation with Safeway pickup about 6 months ago! In my case, it took exactly 4 business days for the EBT refund to show back up on my card. What I found helpful was setting a reminder on my phone to check my balance each morning, because the refund actually appeared early in the morning (around 6 AM) rather than during regular business hours. Also, if you're really tight on your budget this month, you might want to call ahead to any food banks in your area just as a backup plan - I had to do that once when a refund took longer than expected and it really helped bridge the gap. The waiting is definitely nerve-wracking when every dollar counts, but from my experience Safeway is pretty reliable with their EBT processing, just slow. Hang in there!

I've had to deal with Safeway EBT refunds a few times and wanted to share what worked for me. The standard 2-5 day timeline is pretty accurate, but here's something that might help speed things up: if you still have the Safeway app on your phone, go to your order history and make sure the cancellation shows as "processed" rather than just "requested." Sometimes there's a delay between when you hit cancel and when it actually gets processed in their system. If it still shows as "requested" after a few hours, you can chat with their customer service through the app and they can manually push it through. Also, I've noticed that refunds tend to hit EBT cards in the early morning hours (like 3-6 AM) rather than during the day, so don't stress if you don't see it during normal hours. The longest I've waited was 4 business days with Safeway, but it always came through eventually. Hope this helps ease some of the stress while you're waiting!

I've been dealing with EBT refunds for online orders for years and wanted to add a few more helpful details. One thing I learned is that if you check your EBT account balance through the automated phone system (call the number on your card), sometimes they'll tell you if there's a "pending credit" even before it shows up as available balance. This can give you peace of mind that the refund is actually in the system. Also, for Safeway specifically, I've found their customer service chat in the app is way more helpful than calling their main customer service line - the app chat reps seem to have more access to order details and can give you better updates on refund status. The waiting is definitely stressful when you're budgeting carefully, but try not to worry too much - I've never had a legitimate EBT refund from Safeway not come through eventually, it's just the timing that varies. Usually by day 3 or 4 you should see it back on your card!

Just wanted to add one more thing that might help - I learned this trick from a CalFresh worker: if you're really in a tight spot financially while waiting for the refund, some grocery stores will let you "price match" your cancelled order if you bring proof of the cancellation and shop in-store instead. I did this once at a local Safeway when I was waiting for a $85 refund and needed groceries immediately. The manager was able to honor the online sale prices I had in my cancelled order, which helped stretch my remaining EBT balance further. Not all stores will do this and it's definitely manager discretion, but it's worth asking if you're in a pinch. Also, keep that cancellation confirmation email handy - you never know when it might come in useful for situations like this!

I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and tips! This is exactly why I love this community - so many people took the time to give detailed, practical advice from their own situations. I'm feeling much less anxious about waiting for my refund now that I understand the process better. I've already started documenting everything like you all suggested (screenshots, cancellation email saved, etc.) and I'll be checking the EBT app for pending credits. It's day 1 for me so I'll update this thread when my funds come back to let others know the timeline. Really appreciate how helpful everyone has been - this is what community support is all about! 🙏

I've dealt with this situation multiple times with different grocery stores and wanted to share what I've learned about EBT refund timelines. For Safeway specifically, I've found they're pretty consistent - usually 2-3 business days, sometimes 4. The key thing that helped me was calling the EBT customer service line on day 2 to confirm they could see the pending reversal in their system. That way you know it's actually processing and not stuck somewhere. Also, I always take a screenshot of my balance before placing any online order now, just in case there are discrepancies later. The waiting is definitely stressful when you're budgeting carefully, but in my experience Safeway is actually more reliable than some other stores for EBT refunds. Hang in there - it should show up within the next few days!

I've been through this exact scenario with Safeway pickup and wanted to share my experience to help ease your stress! In my case, it took exactly 3 business days for the EBT refund to appear back on my card. What I found really helpful was checking my balance first thing in the morning each day, because the refund actually showed up around 5 AM rather than during regular business hours. Also, make sure you save that cancellation confirmation email - I had one situation where the refund got delayed and customer service needed that confirmation to track it down. The waiting is definitely nerve-wracking when you're on a tight budget, but Safeway has been pretty reliable in my experience. One tip: if you don't see the refund by day 4, call the EBT customer service number and ask them to check for "pending credits" - sometimes they can see it in the system before it hits your available balance. Hang in there, it should show up soon!

I just wanted to add something that might help while you're waiting - if you have any other stores in your area that accept EBT and have competitive prices, it might be worth checking them out while you wait for your Safeway refund. I've been in similar tight budget situations and sometimes found that places like WinCo or even some smaller ethnic grocery stores have really good deals that can stretch your remaining EBT balance further. Also, don't forget about discount grocery stores like Grocery Outlet if you have one nearby - they often have name brand items at significantly lower prices. I know it's frustrating to have that money tied up, but there are ways to make your remaining balance work harder while you wait. Based on everyone's experiences here, you should definitely see those funds back within the next few days!