Wow, reading through this whole thread has been so educational! I'm pretty new to CalFresh myself (just started the application process a few weeks ago) and had no idea there were so many different ways to check your balance when the main systems fail. The grocery store receipt trick sounds amazing - I never would have thought to ask customer service to do that. And all the tips about calling early, using different apps, and even checking at ATMs are going to be so helpful. It's honestly frustrating that we need all these workarounds just to access basic information about our benefits, but I'm really grateful for communities like this where people share their real experiences and solutions. Thanks to everyone who contributed - this is exactly the kind of practical advice that actually helps people navigate this complicated system!

This thread is absolutely incredible! I'm about 3 months into using CalFresh and honestly wish I had found this community sooner. The phone system issues have been driving me crazy - I've literally called 15+ times over the past two weeks trying to get through about a document they said they needed but then couldn't find in their system. The early morning calling tip is gold - finally got through at 7:32am yesterday after weeks of frustration! And I had no idea about the grocery store receipt option or the ebtEDGE app. Already downloaded it and it's working great as a backup. It's honestly ridiculous that we have to become experts in all these workarounds just to access our basic benefits, but this community makes it so much more manageable. Thank you everyone for sharing your real-world solutions!

I'm so sorry this happened to you! This kind of payment system glitch is unfortunately becoming more common at big retailers. I had a similar experience at a grocery store last year where their card reader kept freezing and I ended up with duplicate charges. Here's what I learned from going through the process: 1. Call the EBT customer service line (1-877-328-9677) as early as possible in the morning when wait times are shorter. When prompted, say "dispute transaction" to get routed to the right department immediately. 2. This is crucial - ask specifically about provisional credits! They can often restore the disputed amount to your card within 24-48 hours while they investigate, which would help with your immediate grocery needs. 3. Before heading to Target, log into your BenefitsCal account and print out your complete transaction history showing all five charges. This visual proof is essential when talking to store management. 4. At Target, ask for a store manager who specifically handles EBT transaction issues. Don't settle for regular customer service - some employees are much more familiar with EBT refund processes than others. Keep detailed notes of everyone you speak with (names, times, reference numbers) and don't let them send you in circles between departments. This is clearly their system error and you have every right to get your $48 back quickly. The dispute process exists exactly for situations like this! Stay persistent and you'll get this resolved. Please keep us updated on how it goes - your experience will definitely help others who face similar issues!

I'm so sorry this happened to you! This is actually a really common issue with EBT processing at Target - their payment terminals seem to have ongoing problems with properly canceling transactions when they freeze up. Here's what I'd recommend based on what others have shared: 1. Call the EBT customer service line at 1-877-328-9677 first thing in the morning when wait times are shorter. When the automated system asks why you're calling, say "dispute transaction" to get routed directly to the fraud department. 2. Ask specifically about provisional credits - this is super important! They can usually put the disputed $48 back on your card within 24-48 hours while they investigate, which would be a huge help for your grocery budget this month. 3. Before going to Target, print out your complete EBT transaction history from the BenefitsCal app/website showing all 5 duplicate charges. Having this visual proof makes all the difference when talking to store managers. 4. At Target, ask for a store manager who specifically handles EBT transaction issues - not just regular customer service. Some employees are much more familiar with processing EBT refunds than others. Document everything - names, times, reference numbers. Don't let them send you back and forth between departments. This is clearly their system error and you have every right to get your benefits back quickly. You've got this! Please keep us updated on how it goes - your experience will definitely help others who face similar issues with Target's glitchy EBT system.

This thread has been so eye-opening! I had no idea about all these EBT discount programs. My family just started receiving CalFresh benefits last month and I was feeling pretty overwhelmed about how to stretch our budget for family activities. The $5 admission at Fresno Chaffee Zoo sounds perfect - we've been wanting to take our twin 3-year-olds somewhere fun but regular zoo prices seemed impossible on our current income. I really appreciate everyone being so open about their experiences with these programs. It helps remove the stigma and shows that these benefits are there for a reason. The tip about bringing both your EBT card and photo ID is super helpful - I would have definitely forgotten about the ID requirement! I'm also excited to check out our local library for those passes people mentioned. We go there for story time anyway, so it'll be easy to ask about what other resources they have available. This community has given me so much confidence to actually use these programs instead of just struggling to afford full-price activities. Thank you all for sharing your knowledge so generously. Can't wait to start planning some affordable family outings!

This has been such an amazing thread to follow! As someone who's been on CalFresh for about 8 months now, I wish I had found information like this earlier. The Fresno Chaffee Zoo discount sounds incredible - $5 per person is such a manageable price compared to regular admission. My 6-year-old has been begging to go to the zoo and I kept having to say "maybe next month" because of our tight budget. I'm definitely going to call ahead like everyone suggests to confirm the current policy. The tip about asking at the membership desk if the regular ticket counter isn't familiar is so smart - I never would have thought of that! It's reassuring to hear from so many people that the staff are generally very understanding about these programs. The library pass idea has me really excited too. We're at our local library at least twice a week for books and activities, but I had no clue they might have museum passes or other resources available. I'm going to ask about that this week for sure! Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences so openly. It really helps normalize using these benefits and shows that we're all just trying to provide good opportunities for our kids within our means. This community is such a valuable resource!

This thread has been absolutely amazing to discover! I just got approved for CalFresh about 2 weeks ago and had absolutely no clue about IRT reporting requirements until reading through this entire discussion. @Melina Haruko I'm so sorry you had to experience that sudden $125 reduction - that must have been incredibly stressful not knowing what was happening with your benefits! But your question has created this incredible educational resource that's going to help so many of us avoid the same situation. The child support counting as income issue really caught my attention because I'm in a similar situation - my ex is supposed to pay monthly but it's very inconsistent. Sometimes I'll go 3-4 months with nothing, then suddenly get a large lump sum payment. Now I'm realizing those irregular payments could potentially trigger IRT issues if they push me over my threshold in any given month. Definitely calling my county office this week to find out my exact IRT amount! @Dallas Villalobos thank you so much for explaining what "IRT NA" actually stands for - I've received some paperwork with similar abbreviations that made no sense to me. @Freya Christensen I'm starting that income tracking spreadsheet immediately - seems like essential survival knowledge for this program! @Vera Visnjic that Claimyr service sounds like it could save hours of frustration, and @Mateo Lopez had no idea about reporting through the BenefitsCal app - that's going to be so much more convenient than trying to get through on the phone. What really strikes me about this whole conversation is how we're all having to educate each other about critical program rules that should be clearly explained during the application process. It's honestly pretty concerning that accessing basic food assistance requires becoming an expert in all these complex bureaucratic requirements, but I'm so grateful this community exists where people actually help each other navigate these confusing systems. This thread is definitely going in my bookmarks as essential CalFresh knowledge - thank you everyone for sharing your experiences!

This entire thread has been such an incredible resource! I just started my CalFresh application process last week and honestly had no idea these IRT reporting requirements even existed. @Melina Haruko I'm so sorry you had to deal with that sudden reduction - it must have been terrifying to see your benefits drop without understanding why! But thank you for asking this question because it's created this amazing educational discussion that's going to save so many of us from similar surprises. Reading through everyone's explanations, especially @Dallas Villalobos breaking down what "IRT NA" actually means and all the practical tips people have shared, has made me realize I need to be way more prepared for these bureaucratic complexities than I thought. I'm definitely going to start @Freya Christensen's income tracking spreadsheet idea before I even get my first benefits - better to be organized from day one! @Vera Visnjic that Claimyr service sounds like it could be a lifesaver, and @Mateo Lopez I had no clue you could report changes through the BenefitsCal app instead of spending hours on hold. This community is teaching me more about CalFresh requirements in one thread than all the official paperwork I've received so far. It's honestly pretty frustrating that we all have to become experts in these complex rules just to access basic food assistance, but I'm so grateful to have found this supportive community where people actually share real-world knowledge and help each other navigate these confusing systems. This thread is definitely going in my bookmarks as essential reading - thank you everyone for being so generous with your experiences and advice!

This is such helpful information for anyone who might face this issue in the future! I'm bookmarking this thread. It's really reassuring to see how the community came together to help figure out what was happening. The system maintenance explanation makes total sense - wish they would post these notices somewhere more obvious though. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences, especially @Omar Hassan for checking with the county liaison!

As someone who's been through this exact same panic, I can totally relate! Just went through my first EBT scare a few months ago when the pending message disappeared. Turns out it was just a system glitch like others mentioned. What really helped me was setting up text alerts through my county's BenefitsCal portal - now I get notifications when benefits are actually deposited instead of relying on that sometimes-unreliable phone message. Might be worth setting up for peace of mind in the future! So glad your benefits came through on schedule!