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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Aisha Mahmood
This is such a common issue with P-EBT cards! I'm a newcomer here but went through the exact same thing with my son's card just a few weeks ago. The system gave me that "Can't access your account" error after I set the PIN, but when I tried using the card at Target the next day, it worked perfectly with the PIN I had created. It seems like their confirmation system is broken but the actual PIN setup goes through. Really glad to see it worked out for you too Isabella! For anyone else dealing with this - don't panic, just try using the card with your intended PIN at a store.
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Emma Davis
•Welcome to the community Aisha! Thanks for sharing your experience - it's really helpful to hear from someone who just went through this recently. The P-EBT system definitely seems to have consistent issues with that confirmation message, but it's reassuring that the PIN setup actually works despite the error. Did you have any other issues with your son's card after that, or has it been working smoothly since then?
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Samantha Johnson
Hey everyone! I'm new to this community but this thread is so helpful - I literally just got my daughter's P-EBT card yesterday and was about to try setting up the PIN. After reading all your experiences, I'm mentally prepared for that weird error message now! It's frustrating that California's P-EBT system has such consistent technical issues, but at least it sounds like the PIN actually gets set up despite the confusing error. I'll definitely try using the card at a store first before panicking if I get that "Can't access your account" message. Thanks Isabella for starting this thread and everyone for sharing your experiences - this saved me a lot of stress!
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Hassan Khoury
•Welcome to the community Samantha! You're so smart to read through all these experiences first - it definitely would have saved me some anxiety if I had known what to expect. The P-EBT system really does seem to have this same glitch for almost everyone. Just go ahead and set your PIN as normal, and if you get that scary "Can't access your account" message, don't worry! Wait a day and then try using the card at any grocery store with the PIN you created. It's worked for pretty much everyone here despite the error. Good luck with your daughter's card setup!
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Malik Thompson
Hi Isabella and everyone! I'm new to this community but just wanted to share that I experienced this exact same issue with my twin daughters' P-EBT cards about two weeks ago. Got the same "Can't access your account" error after setting up both PINs, and I was so worried I'd have to start over. But both cards worked perfectly at Safeway the next day with the PINs I had originally set up! It's clearly a widespread system glitch with their confirmation process. For anyone dealing with this in the future - the PIN setup actually goes through despite that scary error message. Just wait about 24 hours and try using the card at any store that accepts EBT. The P-EBT system definitely needs some serious technical improvements, but at least the benefits are still accessible once you get past this initial hurdle.
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