P-EBT card PIN setup error message - did it actually work?
I finally got my daughter's P-EBT card in the mail yesterday and tried to set up the PIN today. I called the number on the back, entered all her info, and got to the part where you create and confirm the PIN. I entered the 4 digits, pressed #, then repeated the same PIN and pressed # again. But right after that, instead of a confirmation, I heard this weird sound and an automated message saying "Can't access your account." Then it hung up! I'm so confused - did the PIN actually get set up or not? I tried calling back but keep getting a busy signal. Has anyone else dealt with this? I'm worried we won't be able to use the card when we need groceries this weekend. Do I need to start the whole process over?
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Ravi Gupta
I had the EXACT same thing happen with my son's P-EBT card last month!! It's sooo frustrating. For me, I waited about 30 mins and tried calling again. Got the same error. Tried again the next day and it worked fine. I think their system gets overloaded sometimes especially when new batches of cards go out. Try waiting until tonight or tomorrow morning when less people might be calling.
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Isabella Santos
•Thank you! That's a relief to hear it eventually worked for you. I'll try again tomorrow morning. Do you think I should start the whole process over or would it have saved my PIN even with that error?
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GalacticGuru
The good news is that your PIN probably did get set up successfully even with that error message. The system often gives that message at the end but the PIN is already saved. You can verify by trying to use the card at a store - just make sure to select EBT as the payment type and enter the PIN you created. If it doesn't work, you'll need to call again, but try during non-peak hours (early morning or late evening). The P-EBT customer service system is separate from regular CalFresh EBT and often has technical glitches, but the benefits should still be accessible.
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Freya Pedersen
•my kids pebt did this 2 me also!!! but i just went 2 the store anyway and tried the pin i WANTED to make and it worked fine. there system is garbage lol
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Omar Fawaz
I think what happens is the pin does go thru. But the rest of the confirmation msg doesn't. It happened to my card too, I just tried it at the grocery store and it worked fine. Don't stress about it too much.
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Isabella Santos
•I'll try it at Walmart tomorrow then. Fingers crossed! This whole P-EBT process has been more complicated than the regular CalFresh benefits we get.
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Chloe Anderson
Just to clarify - P-EBT cards and regular CalFresh EBT cards use different systems even though the benefits are similar. P-EBT has been notorious for technical issues since it was rolled out. Here's what officially should happen: After PIN creation and confirmation, you should hear "Your PIN has been set" or similar confirmation message. However, their phone system frequently drops calls or gives errors after the PIN is actually saved in their database. If your PIN wasn't successfully created, when you try to use the card, the terminal will show "Invalid PIN" after 1-2 attempts. If that happens, wait at least 24 hours and call again to create a new PIN. The system sometimes needs time to reset after failed attempts.
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Diego Vargas
•omg the p-ebt system is THE WORST!! i spent 3 days trying to set up my kids cards last year. kept getting hung up on. is p-ebt even connected to calfresh? cause when i called my county worker they said they couldnt help with p-ebt at all
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Anastasia Fedorov
If you're still having trouble after a couple tries tomorrow, you might want to check out Claimyr. I had similar issues and couldn't get through on the regular line at all. Their service helped me get to an actual human representative who could handle the PIN issue immediately. You can see how it works at https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 or just go to claimyr.com - they basically hold your place in line and call you when a rep is available. Saved me hours of frustration with my daughter's P-EBT card issues.
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Isabella Santos
•Thanks for suggesting this! I hadn't heard of it before. If I can't get through tomorrow I'll definitely check it out. Does it work specifically for P-EBT issues though? I thought those were handled through a different department than regular CalFresh.
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Anastasia Fedorov
It works for both regular CalFresh and P-EBT issues. The P-EBT support is technically handled by a different department, but they can still connect you properly. It's basically just saving you from the endless hold times and random disconnects that happen with both systems. Good luck getting it sorted!
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Omar Fawaz
just wanted 2 check back - did ur card end up working? was the PIN actually set? mine did this twice now
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Isabella Santos
•Yes! I tried using it at the store yesterday and the PIN I had set up actually worked perfectly! So even though it gave that weird error, the PIN was successfully saved in their system. Hope this helps others having the same issue.
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