This whole thread is so helpful! I've been dealing with the same P-EBT confusion at stores. One thing I learned from my caseworker is that you can also show them the back of your P-EBT card - it has the same "Quest" logo and processing info as regular EBT cards, which helps prove they're processed the exact same way. I've had success at the Costco in Modesto by going to customer service first before shopping and asking them to make a note that I'll be using P-EBT at checkout. That way the cashier is already prepared and there's no confusion or delays. Might be worth trying if you want to avoid any awkward moments with a full cart! The $1,800 you mentioned is definitely worth fighting for - that could feed your family for months if you shop smart at Costco. Don't let uninformed employees keep you from using benefits you're entitled to!

I work part-time at a grocery store and deal with EBT transactions daily, so I can shed some light on this from the employee perspective. The main issue is that many cashiers (especially newer ones) aren't properly trained on P-EBT cards since they look slightly different from regular EBT cards and have different expiration dates. From a technical standpoint, P-EBT cards run through the exact same payment processing system as regular EBT - there's literally no difference in how the register handles them. The confusion usually happens because some employees think P-EBT is a "special" or "limited" program and don't realize it's just a different way of distributing SNAP benefits. My advice: if you get pushback, ask them to try running it as EBT first. If that doesn't work, then ask for a supervisor. Most of the time the card will process just fine once they actually attempt the transaction instead of refusing upfront. And definitely mention that it's federally mandated - that usually gets managers to take it seriously. Hope this helps from the "other side of the counter" perspective!

Just wanted to add that if you're looking for ways to save on household essentials, some dollar stores like Family Dollar and Dollar General have different layouts than Dollar Tree - they often have more grocery sections where you can use your CalFresh benefits for food, and their non-food items are sometimes priced competitively too. Another tip I learned: if you have a Walmart nearby, their Great Value brand household products are often cheaper per unit than Dollar Tree, especially if you catch them on rollback. I know it requires more cash upfront, but buying larger sizes can save money in the long run. Also, don't overlook ethnic grocery stores in your area - they often have amazing prices on cleaning supplies and paper products, plus great food deals you can use your CalFresh benefits for. The Asian market near me has huge bags of rice and dried beans that last forever!

I totally get your confusion - I thought the same thing when I first got CalFresh! The $1.25 price point at Dollar Tree makes it seem like everything should be affordable with benefits, but unfortunately the federal SNAP rules are really strict about food vs. non-food items. One thing that's helped me is learning to shop strategically at Dollar Tree. I focus on their decent food selection first - things like canned vegetables, pasta, rice, and frozen items that I can get with my CalFresh benefits. Then I make a separate small list of only the most essential household items I absolutely need and budget cash for those. If you're really struggling with household supplies, check out your local Buy Nothing groups on Facebook - people give away cleaning supplies, toilet paper, and other essentials all the time. Also, some food banks include household items in their distributions, so it's worth asking when you visit. The 99 Cent Store (if you have one nearby) sometimes has better deals on cleaning supplies than Dollar Tree too. Hang in there - it gets easier once you learn to work within the system!

Just wanted to add from my experience - I've successfully used EBT for pre-ordered custom cakes at Costco multiple times! The key thing that helped me was calling ahead and speaking to someone in the bakery department before placing my order. I explained I'd be paying with EBT and asked if there would be any issues. They actually appreciated the heads up and made a note on my order. When I went to pick up, the process was super smooth because they were already prepared for the EBT payment. Also, their custom cakes are such good quality for the price - your daughter is going to love it!

I work at a grocery store and deal with EBT transactions daily. Just wanted to confirm what others have said - pre-ordered bakery cakes are definitely EBT eligible! The main thing is that it's a cold food item for home consumption. I've processed tons of these transactions and never had an issue. The confusion usually comes from cashiers mixing up the rules for hot prepared foods (like rotisserie chicken or food court items) with cold bakery items. If you do run into any problems, just politely ask them to check with their manager or reference that cold bakery goods are SNAP eligible under federal guidelines. Hope your daughter has an amazing birthday!

Just wanted to add that you can also use the SNAP Retailer Locator on the USDA website to find stores in your area that are authorized to accept EBT and have better track records with properly coding items. Some smaller discount stores like Big Lots are newer to accepting EBT and their systems aren't always updated correctly. Also, if you're shopping on a tight budget, consider downloading store apps before you shop - some will show EBT eligibility right in the app so you can plan your purchases ahead of time. Safeway and Lucky's apps do this pretty well in California. One last tip: if you're ever unsure about an item, you can ask the cashier to ring it up separately first to test if it's EBT eligible before adding your other items. Saves the embarrassment of finding out at the end!

I've had similar issues at Big Lots and other discount stores! One thing that really helped me was learning to look for the actual food category codes on items. If you look closely at the barcode area on packaging, sometimes there are tiny numbers that indicate the product category - grocery stores use these to determine EBT eligibility automatically. Also, I've noticed that Big Lots sometimes carries "club store" sized items or bulk packaging that can be coded differently than regular grocery store versions of the same products. The protein bars you mentioned are definitely tricky - even regular granola bars can be non-eligible if they're marketed as "energy" or "performance" bars instead of just snacks. For future reference, Target and Walmart tend to have much more reliable EBT systems if you need to shop at discount retailers. Their POS systems are better at catching eligible items correctly.

This is exactly why I wish they would send out notifications when they do system updates that might affect our cards! I've been on CalFresh for 3 years and this kind of random card issue has happened to me twice. It's so stressful when you're at the checkout with your kids and your card gets declined for no reason. Really glad the magnetic strip workaround helped you get groceries right away - that's such a useful tip that more people should know about. Definitely going to remember to ask about system updates if this happens to me again. Hope your chip reactivation goes smoothly!

Wow, what a rollercoaster! I'm so glad you got it figured out and that the magnetic strip trick worked to get you groceries right away. This whole thread has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea about system updates causing card issues like this. I'm bookmarking this post because I have a feeling this April 2025 system update is going to affect more people. It's really frustrating that they don't notify us when these updates happen, especially when it can leave families unable to buy food. Thank you for sharing the solution about calling your county worker and mentioning the system update specifically - that's going to save other people a lot of time and stress. Hope your chip reactivation goes smoothly and you don't have any more issues!