Arkansas SNAP/EBT System Upgrade: Temporary Outage

The Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS) has announced a scheduled system outage that will temporarily disable all SNAP/EBT services across the state. From Saturday, July 25, at 11:00 PM until Sunday, July 26, 2026, all EBT transactions, online services, and mobile applications will be completely unavailable.

This brief disruption is part of a broader state transition to a new EBT vendor. The upgrade is designed to improve security and provide users with more advanced tools to protect their benefits. Key improvements include the introduction of chip-enabled cards and a modernized mobile management system aimed at reducing fraud.

During the outage period, recipients will be unable to make purchases at grocery stores or online retailers. Additionally, all account management features - including balance inquiries and transaction history - will be offline via the website, phone, and mobile app.

Full system functionality is expected to return by Sunday afternoon. Following the restoration, a new mobile application called ebtEDGE will be available for download starting Monday, July 27, 2026. This app will offer enhanced security features, such as the ability to freeze or lock cards when not in use and the option to block transactions made outside of the state.

DHS emphasized that this technical upgrade will not affect the amount of SNAP benefits recipients receive; benefit totals will remain the same.

To avoid any inconvenience, officials strongly encourage residents to purchase necessary groceries and check their account balances before the outage begins at 11:00 PM this Saturday night.

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