October 31, 2026 | Read online

Stop Calling That 1-800 Number

700+ discounts you already qualify for

Kwame here with a special Saturday edition of our newsletter.

Let's talk about something that shouldn't be this hard.

You want to know what's on your EBT card. So you flip it over, call the 1-800 number, punch in all sixteen digits, listen to a recording, press 1, press 2, and finally a voice tells you your balance. Then you hang up.

And tomorrow, when you need to know again, you do the whole thing over.

It gets worse than just annoying

Here's the part that really bothers me.

You don't know what you have: So you get to the register and guess. I've heard from plenty of you who've had to put groceries back on the belt.
You don't know when your deposit lands: The date shifts, nobody tells you, and you're left checking that 1-800 number over and over.
You don't know if somebody's draining it: EBT skimming has hit older cardholders hard. By the time most people find out, the money is gone and it's a fight to get it back.

That's a lot of worry over a card that's supposed to make your life easier.

The app that fixes all three

That's why I partnered with Propel. It's a free app, more than 5 million people already use it, and it has over a million 5-star ratings. Here's what it actually does.

Your balance, on your phone: Open it and it's right there. No phone tree, no sixteen digits.
Deposit alerts: It shows you when your next payment is expected, so you can plan your shopping around it.
Card protection: You can lock your card from the app, and it watches for suspicious charges. If someone tries to use your card out of state or online, it can block that too.
Discounts built in: Offers on groceries, phone and internet plans, utilities, car insurance, and healthcare — the bills that actually eat your budget.
Benefits updates: Plain-English notes when the rules change, which as you know from this newsletter, they do constantly.

Let me be clear about one thing. Propel is a private company, not a government agency and not part of SNAP. The app connects to your state's own system with your permission so you can see your own information. That's it.

And here's what I'm adding on top

My team spent weeks building something for you: the Benefits Insider EBT Discount Guide.

It's over 700 verified discounts for EBT and SNAP cardholders. Museums, zoos, aquariums, internet service, phone plans, prescriptions, car repairs, gym memberships, streaming — places that will give you a break if you have that card and know to ask.

All told, over $1,000 in savings sitting there unclaimed because nobody hands you a list.

I'm giving it away free when you get set up with Propel.

How to get it

Two steps, about five minutes total.

Text the word EBT to 1-888-459-8182 — we'll send you the link
Download Propel and add your EBT card — that's what unlocks the guide

DOWNLOAD THE PROPEL EBT APP HERE

👉 Text EBT to 1-888-459-8182

That's it. The app is free, the guide is free, and you'll never punch sixteen digits into a phone tree again.

— Kwame

P.S. If you've got a friend or a neighbor on SNAP who's been struggling to keep track of their balance, forward this to them. The guide alone is worth the five minutes.

^{Propel is a Benefits Insider partner and this is a sponsored message. Propel Inc. is a private company and is not affiliated with or endorsed by SNAP, USDA, or any government agency. The Propel app is free to use. Balance checking is available in 49 states, Washington D.C., and several U.S. territories; it is not currently available in Iowa. Discounts listed in the EBT Discount Guide are offered by third parties and are subject to change or end at any time — we verify them before publishing but can't guarantee availability. By texting EBT to 1-888-459-8182 you agree to receive text messages from Benefits Insider. Message and data rates may apply. Reply STOP to opt out at any time.}

_{*View our Advertising Disclosure}