My EBT card suddenly stopped working at ATMs - both Wells Fargo and Chase say 'cannot read card'

did u try cleaning the strip? sometimes if it gets dirty it wont read. i just wipe mine with alcohol

You know you can't withdraw CASH from a CalFresh EBT card, right? CalFresh benefits are ONLY for food purchases. If you're trying to get cash, that would only work if you also have CalWORKs cash aid on the same card. Otherwise of course it won't work at an ATM! You need to use it at a grocery store to buy food.

Even if you have both CalFresh and CalWORKs on your EBT card, it's possible your cash benefits haven't been loaded yet or there's another issue with just the cash aid portion. CalFresh food benefits and CalWORKs cash aid follow different issuance schedules. I'd recommend checking your balance for both benefits by calling the number on the back of your card (877-328-9677) or checking online at www.ebt.ca.gov before assuming the card is damaged. If you verify you have cash benefits available but still can't withdraw, then there might be an issue with your card. In that case, contact your county CalFresh office to report the problem. They can help determine if you need a replacement card.

If you do end up needing to contact your county office about either benefit, just be prepared for long wait times. Last time I called about my CalWORKs payment being late, I was on hold for over 2 hours before I gave up. I recently discovered this service called Claimyr that helped me get through to an actual human at the county office without the insane wait. You can check them out at claimyr.com - they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 It basically calls the county for you and then connects you when a real person answers. Saved me hours of hold time when I had an urgent issue with my benefits not loading.

This happened to me once and it turned out my card had demagnetized because I accidentally kept it next to my phone in my purse. If you've verified your benefits are loaded but the card still won't work at the store, you probably do need a replacement. In California, you can request a replacement EBT card through the BenefitsCal website now (benefitscal.com) or call the EBT Customer Service at 877-328-9677. If you request it online, they can usually mail it within 3-5 business days. In the meantime, if you're in a tough spot with groceries, check if there's a food bank near you that could help until your new card arrives. Most don't require any documentation for emergency assistance.

I keep all my important stuff in my phone case - credit cards, ID, EBT... my card stopped working after like 6 months. Found out phones can demagnetize cards! My worker told me that's one of the most common reasons people need replacements. Now I keep my EBT card separate from my phone and haven't had problems since. BTW if you do need a replacement and it's an emergency, some counties will issue a temporary immediate card if you go to the office in person. Worth asking about if you can't wait for mail delivery.

UPDATE: So I tried using my card at Food 4 Less to buy groceries, and it worked perfectly fine! So the card isn't damaged after all. I checked my account again and my CalWORKs payment is now scheduled for tomorrow (it shows as pending). Looks like I just got confused about the payment dates and tried using it for cash too early. Thanks everyone for your help!

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone for being so helpful! I'm pretty new to using both CalFresh and CalWORKs benefits and honestly the whole system is confusing to navigate. It's really reassuring to know there's a community here where people share their experiences and help each other out. I was panicking thinking my card was broken and I wouldn't be able to feed my kids, but now I understand how the different benefit schedules work. This has been a huge learning experience!