How to Replace Your Food Stamp Card in Georgia

To replace your food stamp card in Georgia, call Conduent Customer Service at 1-888-421-3281, request a new card through the ConnectEBT website or mobile app, or ask your local Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) office to order one.¹ The new card arrives already activated, and your existing PIN transfers over automatically, so you can use it as soon as it reaches your mailbox. Before you do anything else, though, lock the card so no one can spend your benefits while you wait.

Lock the Card First

If the card is missing but might still turn up, locking it is the safer first step. The ConnectEBT mobile app lets you freeze the card so purchases, balance checks, and other transactions are blocked until you unlock it.² Download the app, log in, and tap the lock/unlock icon on the home screen. You need an active ConnectEBT account with a previously activated card for this to work.

If the card shows up the next day, unlock it and keep going. If you’re certain it’s gone or the card itself is broken, move on to a replacement.

Three Ways to Request a Replacement

By Phone

Call Conduent Customer Service at 1-888-421-3281.³ The automated system walks you through reporting the card as lost, stolen, or damaged and puts an immediate hold on the old card. The line runs around the clock, which matters if the card disappears late at night or over a holiday.

Online

Log into connectebt.com and use the card management options to report the card and order a new one.¹ This is the fastest route if you already have a ConnectEBT account.

Through DFCS

You can also visit your local DFCS office and have a caseworker submit the request, or ask your county worker to contact the State Office EBT Team at EBT@dhs.ga.gov on your behalf.¹ The in-person route helps if the phone system isn’t cooperating or you don’t have internet access.

When the Card Arrives and How to Use It

Federal rules require the state to make the replacement card available for pickup or drop it in the mail within two business days after you report the loss.⁴ Delivery usually takes another five to ten business days depending on postal conditions. The envelope is plain, with no markings that identify it as a benefits card.

Here’s the part people miss: Georgia replacement cards arrive already active, and your existing PIN carries over. You don’t need to call to activate the card or create a new PIN. As soon as it’s in your hand, it works at any retailer displaying the Quest logo.¹ If the card was stolen rather than misplaced, change your PIN through the ConnectEBT portal or by phone anyway. The old card is already dead, but a fresh PIN closes off any risk that someone memorized the number they watched you enter.

If nothing has arrived after ten business days, call 1-888-421-3281 to check the shipment status and confirm the mailing address on your file.

Fees and the Four-Card Warning

Federal law lets states charge a replacement fee, but the amount cannot exceed the actual cost of producing and mailing the card.⁴ Any fee is taken from your benefit balance rather than paid out of pocket, and states can waive it for good cause, such as theft or damage that wasn’t your fault. Ask the representative whether a fee applies when you place the request so nothing surprises you on your next balance check.

Federal rules also require states to track how often households replace cards. On your fourth request within a 12-month period, you’ll get a notice telling you the account is being monitored, listing how many cards you’ve requested, and explaining what counts as misuse or fraud.⁴ If you ask for another card after that warning and the state suspects trafficking, the case gets referred to a fraud investigation unit. Legitimate reasons for repeated replacements exist, but keeping the card secure keeps you out of that queue.

If Benefits Were Stolen Through Skimming

A replacement card stops future unauthorized charges. It does not restore money that a skimmer already drained from your account. Congress temporarily let the USDA replace SNAP benefits stolen this way with federal funds, but that authority expired on December 20, 2024.⁵ Benefits stolen on or after December 21, 2024 are not eligible for federal replacement. Unless Congress reinstates that authority, Georgia cannot use federal funds to reimburse skimmed benefits in 2026.

If you see transactions you don’t recognize, report them to Conduent immediately, change your PIN, and file a report with your local DFCS office. Documentation still matters, because it puts you in position to claim reimbursement if federal authority is ever restored.

Protecting the New Card

Once you have a working card again, a few habits from the Federal Trade Commission cut the odds of losing benefits to a skimmer:⁶

Look at the card reader before you swipe. If it feels loose, sits off-center, or wobbles, don’t use it. Tell the manager and shop elsewhere.
Change your PIN at least once a month, ideally just before your benefits deposit.
Ignore anyone who calls or texts asking for your PIN or card number. State agencies and EBT processors never ask for that.
Check your balance and recent transactions often through ConnectEBT or the customer service line.

The ConnectEBT lock feature works between shopping trips too. If a skimmer copied your card data, a locked card gives them nothing to spend.

1
Georgia Division of Family and Children Services. SNAP Policy Manual – Electronic Benefits Transfer
2
Georgia Department of Human Services Division of Family & Children Services. ConnectEBT Website and Mobile App
3
Georgia Department of Human Services. Contact Information
4
eCFR. 7 CFR 274.6 – Replacement Issuances and Cards to Households
5
Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Replacement of Stolen Benefits Dashboard
6
Federal Trade Commission. Protect Your SNAP Benefits From Illegal Card Skimmers