New Jersey households on food stamps have 90 days from the day a new chip EBT card arrives to activate it, and the old card stops working 60 days after the new ones are issued. Human Services Commissioner Stephen Cha announced on Sept. 10 that chip cards are available statewide, and the state’s press release sets out both clocks. New Jersey runs food stamps, the federal SNAP program, through the same card that also serves participants in Work First New Jersey.
Two clocks, two lengths
The release puts it this way: cardholders have 90 days from receiving the new card to activate it, and current cards expire 60 days after the new cards are issued. The two periods overlap. A household that waits the full 90 days would find the old card already dead for a month.
The state’s chip card page, last modified Sept. 16, spells out the penalty for waiting. A chip card that is not activated within 90 days deactivates, and the cardholder must request a replacement before using benefits. Fees may apply. The page also says the old and new cards cannot be used at the same time, and that benefits carry over to the new card.
That page carries a banner reading “Your old card will stop working on October 20, 2026.” Anyone unsure which date applies to a particular card can call the state’s EBT customer service line at 1-800-997-3333.
Who gets a chip card
The new cards go to residents who take part in SNAP or Work First New Jersey, and benefits move to the new cards automatically. The rollout followed a pilot in Cumberland, Essex and Mercer counties. The state says the pilot produced more than 100,000 chip transactions, 41,000 tap-to-pay transactions and 56,000 online purchases.
The cards look different. The design is updated, the cardholder name and number are on the back, and there is a new expiration date and a three-digit security code. The state says the expiration date applies to the card only and does not affect benefits. At the register, cardholders insert the chip or tap the card rather than swipe it.
For a household that has just gotten a plain white envelope in the mail, the job is to pick a date to activate and work out when the old card ends. For a household still waiting, the job is to confirm the mailing address is right.
New Jersey SNAP households now have a 90-day activation window and a 60-day cutoff for the old card, with renewal and reporting dates running separately. The SNAP & Medicaid Renewal Organizer has 51 state packs and a renewal and reporting calendar for keeping the card dates beside them.
Line up chip card dates and SNAP renewal dates with the Renewal Organizer →
How to activate
The chip card page lists three ways to set a PIN and activate. By phone, cardholders call 1-800-997-3333 and enter the 16-digit card number, the three-digit security code, the expiration date, the last four digits of the Social Security number and the date of birth. Online, they log in at NJFamiliesFirst.gov, open the “CARD” menu and choose “Change PIN.” In the ConnectEBT app, they go to “Settings” and then “Card PIN Selection.”
The PIN cannot use consecutive or repeating numbers, such as 1234 or 9999. The page calls ConnectEBT the only official app for New Jersey’s EBT users. Once the new card is working, the state says to destroy the old one.
Why the state switched
The release says the chip adds protection against skimming, where devices on payment terminals capture card data and PINs. The department notes that federal authority to replace electronically stolen SNAP benefits ended in December 2024. Deputy Commissioner Michael J. Wilson said losing benefits that cannot be replaced “can be devastating,” and Natasha Johnson, an assistant commissioner in the Division of Family Development, said chip cards “will help reduce the risk of electronic theft.”
Cardholders can lock and unlock the card at NJFamiliesFirst.gov or in the app. Households can also link their SNAP and Work First New Jersey cases at MyNJHelps.gov to see account information and mailed notices, report changes and upload documents.
A card that has not shown up
The state says cards come in a plain white envelope from Kentucky, not from the county social service agency. Households waiting on a card should check the mailing address on file at NJFamiliesFirst.gov or in the app. An incorrect address is fixed through MyNJHelps.gov or by contacting the county social service agency. The page adds that, for now, replacement cards issued by a county agency are not chip cards, and that replacements are made available only for good cause.
Sorting out the card dates
The first step is to write down two dates for each card: the day the new one arrived, and the day the old one ends. The old card’s end date is the one that comes first, so it should drive the plan. Activating soon after the card shows up avoids a stretch with neither card working.
The state’s chip card page is the free place to confirm timing and see the phone number again. Households with a case already linked at MyNJHelps.gov can see mailed notices there. It also helps to keep the old card until the new one is working, since the state asks for it to be destroyed only after activation.
Anyone who suspects a charge that was not theirs should say so right away. New Jersey’s own release says lost benefits cannot be replaced.
90 days to activate, 60 days until the old card ends
A New Jersey SNAP household that mixes up the two clocks can end up between cards with benefits it cannot reach. The SNAP & Medicaid Renewal Organizer gives New Jersey households a state pack among its 51 and a renewal and reporting calendar, in a 20-page organizer that keeps card dates and recertification dates together.
Get the New Jersey state pack and renewal calendar in the SNAP & Medicaid Renewal Organizer →
This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.
