The California Department of Social Services has updated its instructions regarding activating Card Verification Value (CVV) on Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards. Prior instructions are in ACWDL, March 17, 2022, summarized here. The EBT CVV functionality will be enabled in June, 2022. When the CVV functionality is enabled, any card that does not have the CVV will be deactivated. Cards issued by the EBT vendor before June, 2018 and by counties before October, 2019 do not have the CVV and will be deactivated.
Counties should connect cardholders who have issues, including not receiving their new card or otherwise needing a replacement card, with the EBT vendor FIS. In addition, current county cardstock can be used because the CVV coding is added by the card printer. (ACWDL, June 6, 2022.)