Help with P-EBT Card Use

Dear Superintendents, Charter School Leaders, Assistant Superintendents, and School Nutrition
Directors,

Families whose students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch started to receive P-EBT cards in
the mail on Friday, May 29, and many are having trouble activating their card. Please share the
following information from the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) with families:
How to Activate (PIN) a P-EBT Card

You will need the letter DTA sent you in the mail to activate the card. If you lost the letter or
never received one, you can fill out this form.
The Massachusetts EBT vendor was not able to change the automated prompts you hear when
you call to PIN a card, and unfortunately, some of the automated instructions are inaccurate for
P-EBT cards. Instead, please follow the steps below:
• Call the EBT card phone number on the back of your P-EBT card: 800-997-2555.
• Enter your P-EBT card number (it is an 18-digit number).
• You will then be prompted incorrectly to enter the last four digits of your Social Security
number. Do not enter the last 4 digits of your Social Security number. For the P-EBT
cards, you must enter the last four digits of your child’s case number that was
provided on the DTA letter you received in the mail.

• Then enter your child’s date of birth using a two-digit month, two-digit day, and four-
digit year (example: 04/06/2005).

For more information, visit: map-ebt.org. Questions? Call Project Bread’s FoodSource Hotline
at 800-645-8333.
Sincerely,
Jeffrey C. Riley
Commissioner