What Is an EBT Card? How It Works, and What to Do if It Is Lost, Stolen, or Skimmed

1How does an EBT card work?

EBT is "an electronic system that allows a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participant to pay for food using SNAP benefits." When you shop at a SNAP authorized store, your SNAP account is debited to pay the store. (USDA FNA, SNAP EBT) Federal rules say SNAP benefits may be used only by the household, or other persons the household selects, to buy eligible food. (7 CFR 274.7)

Indiana describes its card this way: "The card works like a bank debit card." Stores cannot give change or cash back from a SNAP purchase, and the card only works with your four-digit PIN. (Indiana FSSA, EBT Hoosier Works card) Some states also put TANF cash help on the same card; Texas, for example, pays SNAP and TANF through the Lone Star Card, while Texas Medicaid uses a separate card, the Your Texas Benefits Medicaid card. (Texas HHSC, Questions About Your Benefits)

There are no fees: "no transaction fees shall be imposed on SNAP households utilizing the EBT system to access their benefits," and there is no minimum purchase. (7 CFR 274.7) For what the card covers at checkout, see what you can buy with SNAP.

2How do you get an EBT card and PIN?

You get an EBT card after your state approves your SNAP application. Federal rules say newly approved households must get an active EBT card, a PIN, and benefits they can spend no later than 30 calendar days after applying, and households that qualify for expedited service no later than the seventh calendar day. (7 CFR 274.2)

Your state must let you choose your own PIN. If a state mails a PIN instead, it must mail it separately, one business day after the card. (7 CFR 274.2) Kentucky, for example, mails the card with instructions on how to activate it and choose a PIN. (Kentucky CHFS, SNAP)

Applying for SNAP costs nothing. One state puts it plainly: "You should never be asked to pay for help filling out an application. There is no charge." (New Jersey DHS, NJ SNAP Ways to Apply) You submit your application yourself on the official site. Benefit Bull is free and never files for you. For income limits by household size, see SNAP income limits, and if a family member helps you, see who can apply for SNAP on your behalf.

3How do you check your EBT balance?

Federal rules say you must be able to check your SNAP balance "without making a purchase or standing in a checkout line." Your state's EBT system must also be able to give you up to 2 calendar months of transaction history when you ask, and every purchase receipt must show your remaining SNAP balance. (7 CFR 274.7) (7 CFR 274.8)

The safest place to check is your state's official EBT line or website. USDA's SNAP State Directory lists each state's EBT customer service number. (USDA FNA, SNAP State Directory)

Indiana adds a useful detail: its card never expires, so it is worth keeping even when benefits stop, in case you are approved again later. (Indiana FSSA, EBT Hoosier Works card)

4What should you do if your EBT card is lost or stolen?

1. Call your state's EBT line as soon as you notice. Federal rules require an immediate hold on your account when you report the card lost or stolen, and states must run a reporting system that is always available. (7 CFR 274.6)
2. Expect a replacement fast. The state must make a replacement card available for pick up or put it in the mail "within two business days following notice by the household." (7 CFR 274.6)
3. Know what is protected. Once you report the card lost or stolen, the state "shall assume liability for benefits subsequently drawn from the account and replace any lost or stolen benefits to the household." Benefits spent before you report are not covered by that rule, which is why calling quickly matters. (7 CFR 274.6)
4. Ask about a fee. A state may charge a replacement fee by reducing your monthly benefits, but the fee may not be more than the cost of the card, and states may set good cause exceptions. (7 CFR 274.6)
5. Change your address with your SNAP office, not the EBT line. Indiana says all address changes must go through FSSA to reach the EBT system. (Indiana FSSA, EBT Hoosier Works card)

If you replace many cards in a short time, your state may ask you to explain before sending another. Federal rules set that threshold at no fewer than four cards in 12 months. (7 CFR 274.6)

5What if your SNAP benefits were skimmed or stolen?

USDA explains skimming this way: "Thieves place an illegal device on an ATM or a retailer's card-swiping machine to copy EBT card information." Criminals then make fake cards, called card cloning, and use them to buy food with stolen benefits. (USDA FNA, Addressing Stolen SNAP Benefits)

For a while, federal law paid states to replace skimmed benefits. That law covered benefits stolen between October 1, 2022 and December 20, 2024, and the American Relief Act, 2025 "did not extend this authority for benefits stolen beyond December 20, 2024." (USDA FNA, Addressing Stolen SNAP Benefits) Under that law, replacements could not exceed the amount stolen or the household's benefits for the two months before the theft, whichever was less. (USDA FNA, Addressing Stolen SNAP Benefits)

If you think your card was skimmed, USDA's advice is to change your PIN right away to stop new purchases and to contact your local SNAP office. (USDA FNA, Addressing Stolen SNAP Benefits) Whether your state can replace benefits stolen after December 20, 2024 is up to the state, so ask the office directly.

6How do you protect your EBT card from skimming?

USDA's tips for SNAP participants: (USDA FNA, Addressing Stolen SNAP Benefits)

• Avoid simple PINs. Combinations like 1111, 1234, or 9876 are easy to guess.
• Keep your PIN and card number secret, and cover the keypad when you enter your PIN.
• Beware of phishing. State agencies and EBT processors will never call or text to ask for your PIN or card number.
• Change your PIN often, at least once a month, right before your benefits are deposited.
• Check your account regularly for charges you did not make, and report anything suspicious to your local SNAP office.

Indiana adds that no cashier or store employee should ever ask for your PIN: "If an employee or cashier asks for a PIN, a cardholder should not give it to that person under any circumstances." (Indiana FSSA, EBT Hoosier Works card) USDA also says no states issue SNAP EBT cards with a chip yet, though some are planning to, and USDA will soon test mobile contactless payments. (USDA FNA, Addressing Stolen SNAP Benefits)

7What if food you bought with SNAP is destroyed?

This is a different rule from a lost card. If food you bought with SNAP is destroyed in a household misfortune, such as a fire or flood, your state must replace it if you report the loss within 10 days. (7 CFR 274.6)

1. Report the loss to your SNAP office, by phone or in writing, within 10 days of when the food was destroyed. (7 CFR 274.6)
2. Sign a statement about the loss. The state must receive it within 10 days of your report, and it may be mailed if you cannot get to the office because of age, disability, or distance. (7 CFR 274.6)
3. Expect the state to verify the loss, for example with the fire department, the Red Cross, or a home visit. (7 CFR 274.6)
4. Replacement is the amount lost, up to one month's benefits, issued within 10 days of your report or 2 working days after your signed statement, whichever is later. (7 CFR 274.6)

If the state denies or delays the replacement, you have the right to a fair hearing. (7 CFR 274.6)