Published 3/10/22. Updated 6/15/22.
A change is coming that will make your EBT card more secure!
Due to a recent increase in Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) theft, the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) will begin including Card Verification Value (CVV) as part of the electronic transaction validation process for food and cash EBT purchases. This change will improve card security for cardholders.
The CVV number is an added layer of coding embedded in the magnetic strip and is not visible to cardholders. All cards printed since October 2018 already have CVV technology and are just awaiting CVV activation to be turned on.
If your card was issued prior to October 2018, then the EBT vendor will automatically send you a replacement card in the mail, with instructions to start using the new card. Activate and start using the new card right away. Once you activate the new card, it will deactivate the old card. Your PIN and benefits from the old card will not change.
Cards printed in our office, or issued by the EBT vendor after October 2018, will not be impacted.
The activation of the CVV technology is currently planned for late April 2022. Once it is turned on, the old cards issued prior to October 2018 will no longer work.
If you have any questions about the new cards, you can call EBT customer service at 1 (877) 328-9677, or call the Santa Barbara County Department of Social Services Access number, 1 (866) 404-4007, to reach your district office or the BSC.
REMINDER: Please be aware that when you make someone a Designated Alternate Cardholder (DAC) or Authorized Representative (AR), they will have access to ALL of your cash aid and/or CalFresh benefits. If you have ever requested a DAC or AR that you no longer wish to have access to your benefits but did not call to remove them, then they may also receive a new card. The county is not responsible for lost or stolen benefits by a DAC or AR. You can change who can access your cash aid or CalFresh by calling EBT customer service at 1 (877) 328-9677, or your worker at 1 (866) 404-4007. Remember: to keep your benefits secure, it is YOUR responsibility to call EBT customer service or your worker to have them terminate access to your EBT account for another household member, a DAC, or an AR.
