Using SNAP Benefits: How to Activate, Check Balance, & Get Support

Your Colorado SNAP benefits are loaded onto an EBT card called the Colorado Quest card. This guide covers everything you need to manage it, including activating your card, setting your PIN, checking your balance, shopping in stores and online, protecting your benefits, and where to get support.

Colorado EBT Customer Service

1-888-328-2656
TTY: 1-800-659-2656
Automated line available 24/7 for balance checks and PIN changes

Fastest ways to check your SNAP balance

Method How It Works
ebtEDGE mobile app Download free; log in with your 16-digit card number
ebtedge.com (Cardholder Portal) Register or log in online for balance and transaction history
Phone Call 1-888-328-2656, available 24/7
Your receipt Your balance prints at the bottom of every store receipt
At the store or ATM Ask a cashier for a balance inquiry, or use a Quest-logo ATM

Your Colorado EBT Card (Quest Card)

In Colorado, SNAP benefits are issued on an EBT (Electronic Benefits Transfer) card, also called the Colorado Quest card. It looks and works like a debit card and can be used at any store nationwide that displays the Quest or EBT logo. Your benefits are loaded onto the same card each month, and the card itself does not expire. Keep it even after your balance reaches zero.

Benefits are deposited on the same day each month based on your case. If you’re unsure of your deposit date, check your Colorado PEAK account, contact your county human services office, or call EBT Customer Service.

For card issues, such as balance, PIN, lost or stolen cards, or fraud, call EBT Customer Service at 1-888-328-2656. For help applying, renewing, or finding food, contact Community Food Share. For questions about your case or benefit amount, contact your county human services office.

How to Activate Your EBT Card and Set Your PIN

Before you can use your card, you must set up a 4-digit PIN (Personal Identification Number). Setting your PIN is what activates the card. Here’s how:

  1. Sign the back of your new Quest card as soon as you receive it.
  2. Open the ebtEDGE mobile app or go to ebtedge.com and select the Register option, OR call EBT Customer Service at 1-888-328-2656.
  3. Enter your 16-digit card number (printed on the front of your card).
  4. Choose a 4-digit PIN that is easy for you to remember but hard for others to guess.

How to Check Your Colorado EBT Balance

It’s a good idea to check your balance before you shop and to review your transactions regularly. You have several free options.

The official Colorado tools are the ebtEDGE app and ebtedge.com.

  • ebtedge.com (Cardholder Portal): Register or log in online to see your balance, review transactions, change your PIN, and freeze your card.
  • ebtEDGE mobile app: Download the free official app, log in with your 16-digit card number, and view your current balance and transaction history anytime.
  • By phone: Call 1-888-328-2656 anytime. The automated system is available 24/7 and only requires your 16-digit card number.
  • Your store receipt: Your remaining balance prints at the bottom of every SNAP purchase receipt.
  • At a store or ATM: Ask any cashier at a SNAP-authorized store for a balance inquiry, or use a Quest-logo ATM (note: a $0.32 state fee applies to ATM transactions, and ATMs show cash-benefit balances).

How to Use Your SNAP Card

In Stores

Using your Quest card in a store works just like a debit card:

  • At checkout, swipe your card through the card reader (or hand it to the cashier for manual entry if needed).
  •  If prompted, select “food” to access your SNAP benefits.
  •  Enter your 4-digit PIN and press OK or ENTER.
  • Verify the purchase amount and press YES to confirm.
  • Keep your receipt, as you can reference the remaining balance printed at the bottom.

There is never a fee for using your card for SNAP food purchases. Look for the Quest or EBT logo in store windows, or use the ebtEDGE app to find nearby retailers that accept EBT.

Shopping Online with SNAP

You can use your Colorado EBT card to buy groceries online at participating retailers, including Amazon, Walmart, King Soopers, and Safeway. Enter your EBT card information at checkout, just as you’d use a debit card.

How to Protect Your EBT Benefits

EBT cards can be targeted by electronic theft, such as card skimming and cloning. You can take simple steps to protect your benefits:

  • Change your PIN regularly, and choose one that’s hard to guess.
  • Check your balance and transaction history often so you can spot unauthorized activity quickly.
  • Freeze your card when you’re not using it, or if you misplace it. You can freeze and unfreeze your card anytime in the ebtEDGE app or at ebtedge.com. Freezing blocks new purchases, PIN changes, and ATM transactions.
  • Use the “Protect My Account” feature and block out-of-state or online transactions in the ebtEDGE app if you don’t need them.
  • Never share your PIN. CDHS and EBT Customer Service will never ask for your PIN. Scammers may pose as officials and threaten to stop your benefits—don’t give out your information.

What Should I Do if My EBT Card is Lost or Stolen, or if I Suspect Fraud?

Freeze your card immediately in the ebtEDGE app, then call EBT Customer Service at 1-888-328-2656 to report it and request a replacement. If you notice a transaction you didn’t make, you have 90 days to file a dispute, which you can do by calling the same number to start a claim.

Can I Use My Colorado EBT Card in Another State?

Yes, your Colorado Quest card works at any SNAP-authorized retailer across the United States that displays the Quest or EBT logo. You do not need to do anything special to use it while traveling within the country. Note that SNAP benefits can only be used to buy food, and cannot be used outside the U.S. or at non-participating retailers.

Traveling out of state? To protect cardholders from fraud, Colorado may block transactions in certain cities or states where card cloning has occurred. If the area you’re traveling to is blocked, call 1-800-536-5298 before you leave so the Colorado EBT program can help unblock your card. You can check the current list of blocked locations on the CDHS Colorado EBT page.

Keep Your Card Active

If you don’t use your EBT card for an extended period, your benefits may be removed from your account. In general, SNAP benefits can be reclaimed after about 274 days (roughly 9 months) of account inactivity. To keep your account active, make at least one purchase periodically. If your balance unexpectedly shows $0, call 1-888-328-2656 to find out why.

Get More From Your Benefits: Double Up Food Bucks

Colorado’s Double Up Food Bucks program helps your SNAP benefits go further by matching what you spend on fresh fruits and vegetables. When you use your EBT card at participating farmers’ markets and grocery stores, the program matches your produce spending with up to $20 per day in additional fruits and vegetables.

For example, if you spend $20 in SNAP benefits on produce at a participating market, you could receive another $20 to spend on more fruits and vegetables, either right away or on a future visit. It’s one of the easiest ways to stretch your food budget and bring home more fresh, healthy food. Visit the Double Up Colorado website for a list of participating locations near you.

Other savings for SNAP households: Receiving SNAP may also qualify your household for other cost-saving benefits, such as free nutrition classes through Colorado SNAP-Ed and reduced admission at museums, zoos, and cultural sites through Museums for All.

Need Help With Your SNAP Benefits?

Community Food Share is here to help. Whether you have questions about using your benefits, need help applying for SNAP or renewing, or need additional food support, our team can assist you free of charge. Get in touch by contacting our team at SNAP@communityfoodshare.org or call (303) 652-3663. Bilingual assistance is available in English and Spanish.

If you need food right away, Community Food Share’s on-site food pantry in Louisville and mobile pantries serve Boulder and Broomfield County residents. There is no SNAP approval required. If you’re outside these counties, use our Food Finder Map to locate food resources near you.

FAQs

The Colorado EBT Customer Service number is 1-888-328-2656 (TTY: 1-800-659-2656). The automated system is available 24/7 for balance checks and PIN changes. You only need your 16-digit card number.

You can check your balance using the free ebtEDGE mobile app, by logging in at ebtedge.com, by looking at the bottom of your most recent store receipt, or by calling 1-888-328-2656. You can also ask a cashier for a balance inquiry at any SNAP-authorized store.

Yes. You activate your card by setting up a 4-digit PIN. Use the ebtEDGE app or ebtedge.com and enter your 16-digit card number, or call 1-888-328-2656. Setting your PIN activates the card for use.

Set or change your PIN through the ebtEDGE mobile app, at ebtedge.com, or by calling 1-888-328-2656. Choose a 4-digit PIN that’s hard to guess, and avoid combinations like 1234 or your birth year. You can change your PIN as often as you like.

Your 16-digit card number is printed on the front of your physical Colorado Quest card. If you don’t have your card or have lost it, call EBT Customer Service at 1-888-328-2656 to request a replacement.

Yes. Your Colorado Quest card works at any SNAP-authorized retailer nationwide that displays the Quest or EBT logo. However, Colorado may block transactions in certain areas where fraud has occurred. If your destination is blocked, call 1-800-536-5298 before you travel so your card can be unblocked.

You can check your balance through the ebtEDGE mobile app or by logging in at ebtedge.com if you’ve registered your account, even if you don’t have your physical card in hand. For phone checks, you’ll need your 16-digit card number.

Freeze your card immediately using the ebtEDGE app or ebtedge.com, then call EBT Customer Service at 1-888-328-2656 to report it and request a replacement. If you see a transaction you didn’t make, you have 90 days to file a dispute by calling the same number.