The Pennsylvania food stamp schedule spreads SNAP deposits across the first 10 business days of every month, and your specific date is set by the last digit of your seven-digit case record number. A case number ending in 1 is funded on the first business day; a number ending in 0 waits until the tenth. Weekends and state holidays are skipped in the count, so the calendar dates shift slightly from month to month.
How the Monthly Schedule Works
Rather than loading every household’s card on the same day, the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services staggers deposits across the first 10 business days of the month. Business days mean Monday through Friday, excluding state-recognized holidays. A month with a Monday holiday pushes every date after it forward by one calendar day compared to a holiday-free month.
The staggered system keeps EBT processing and grocery payment terminals from being hit with millions of transactions at once. For you, it creates a predictable rhythm. Once you know which business day belongs to you, the same slot repeats every month.
Finding Your Deposit Date by Case Number
Your deposit day is tied to the last digit of your seven-digit case record number. This is not the 16-digit number printed on the front of your EBT card. You can find your case record number on the approval letter the Department of Human Services mailed when your benefits started, or by logging into the myCOMPASS PA portal online.
The mapping is straightforward:
- Last digit 1: first business day of the month
- Last digit 2: second business day
- Last digit 3: third business day
- Last digit 4: fourth business day
- Last digit 5: fifth business day
- Last digit 6: sixth business day
- Last digit 7: seventh business day
- Last digit 8: eighth business day
- Last digit 9: ninth business day
- Last digit 0: tenth business day
To work out your date in any given month, count forward from the first weekday of that month, skipping any state holidays, until you reach your digit’s position in the list.
When Weekends and Holidays Shift Your Date
Because the schedule counts business days only, any weekend or holiday that falls inside the first two calendar weeks of the month pushes later deposit dates forward on the calendar. When a scheduled deposit day would land on a Saturday or Sunday, benefits are typically made available the preceding Friday. State-recognized holidays like New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, and Memorial Day also pause the count, so the 10-business-day window stretches across more calendar days in those months.
The EBT system itself runs electronically around the clock, but the administrative schedule behind it follows the business-day calendar. If your benefits don’t appear by the end of your expected deposit day, wait until the following business day before assuming something went wrong. Occasional technical maintenance or banking-system delays can push a deposit by a few hours.
How to Confirm Your Deposit Landed
Once your scheduled date passes, you have three ways to check that benefits are on your card.
MyCOMPASS PA App
The myCOMPASS PA mobile app lets you check your EBT balance, review past transactions, report a lost or stolen card, and request a replacement from your phone.1Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. About the MyCOMPASS PA Mobile App It is free for iPhone and Android.
ConnectEBT Website
The ConnectEBT portal at connectebt.com shows your balance and recent transactions. You create an account using your EBT card number and set a password. It works on any device with a web browser, which is useful if you’d rather not install a separate app.
EBT Customer Service Line
If you don’t have internet access, call the PA EBT customer service line at 1-888-328-7366.2Pennsylvania Department of Human Services. SNAP 580.5 Replacements The automated system runs 24 hours a day and reads your current balance and most recent deposit after you enter your card number.
Unused Benefits Carry Forward
Any SNAP balance you don’t spend in a month rolls into the next month’s deposit and stacks on top of it. There is no penalty for leaving money on the card. However, if you go a full nine consecutive months without using your EBT card at all, the remaining balance is permanently forfeited. Even one small purchase inside that window resets the clock. If you are going through a stretch where you don’t need to draw on your balance, make at least one transaction every few months to keep the funds active.
Your first month’s deposit is prorated based on the day you applied, so the opening payment is usually smaller than the regular monthly amount that follows.
If Your Card Is Lost Before Deposit Day
If your EBT card is lost or stolen, call 1-888-328-7366 right away to cancel the card and protect your balance. You can request a replacement through that same line, through the myCOMPASS PA app, or in person at your County Assistance Office. There is a $2.50 replacement fee, taken automatically from your cash account or, if you have no cash balance, from your SNAP account. Your caseworker can waive the fee in certain circumstances.2Pennsylvania Department of Human Services. SNAP 580.5 Replacements
Any benefits remaining when you canceled the old card stay available once the replacement arrives, and any new deposit scheduled while you’re waiting still posts to the account on its normal day. The sooner you report the loss, the less chance someone else can drain the balance before the replacement reaches you.