Your Wisconsin QUEST Card

Wisconsin Department of Health Services

What is the Wisconsin QUEST card?

The Wisconsin QUEST card is a safe and easy way for

you to use your FoodShare benefits. You use it to

buy food at stores that have swipe card terminals

and take part in FoodShare. It is similar to a plastic

debit card and has your name, card number, and the

Wisconsin QUEST logo on it.

You must have your QUEST card with you at the

store to buy food with your FoodShare benefits.

How do I use my QUEST card?

Your FoodShare benefits will be put into your

FoodShare account using an electronic benefits

transfer (EBT) system. Once your benefits are in your

account, you can use your QUEST card to buy food at

grocery stores and at some farmers markets that

accept EBT payments. To pay for your food, swipe

your QUEST card at the swipe card terminal in the

checkout line, and enter your personal identification

number (PIN).

Each month, you may use your QUEST card as often

as you want. When you use your QUEST card, there

is:

• No minimum dollar amount you need to spend.

• No fee to make a purchase.

You can use your benefits to buy foods such as:

• Breads and cereals.

• Fruits and vegetables.

• Meats, fish, and poultry.

• Dairy products.

• Seeds and plants to grow food for your family to

eat.

You cannot use your benefits to buy:

• Nonfood items (pet foods, paper products, soaps,

household supplies, grooming items, toothpaste,

cosmetics, etc.).

• Beer, wine, liquor, cigarettes, or tobacco.

• Food that will be eaten in the store.

• Hot foods (food cooked and served hot at the

store).

• Vitamins and medicines.

You also cannot use your benefits to pay for deposit

fees on containers, such as glass milk bottles and

other returnable soft drink cans or bottles in

Wisconsin. Other states may have laws that require

you to pay a deposit fee. In those states, your

benefits can be used to pay the fee.

What is a personal identification number

(PIN)?

When you get your QUEST card in the mail,

instructions are included that tell you to select a PIN.

You need a PIN to access your benefits when using

your QUEST card. When selecting your PIN, choose

four numbers that are easy for you to remember but

hard for someone else to figure out. Keep your PIN a

secret. Do not write your PIN on your QUEST card or

card carrier, and do not keep your PIN in your wallet

or purse. Once you tell someone your PIN and give

the person your QUEST card, he or she could use any

or all of your benefits. These benefits will not be

replaced.

What if I forget my PIN?

If you do not remember your PIN, call QUEST Card

Customer Service at 1-877-415-5164 and choose a

new PIN. You should also select a new PIN if you

think that someone else knows your PIN. If you are in

the grocery store and enter the wrong PIN, you have

two more chances that day to enter the right PIN. If

you do not enter the right PIN by the third try, a lock

is put on your card, and you will not be able to use

your card until the next day.

When will benefits be put in my

account?

Each month that you are enrolled in FoodShare, your

benefits will automatically be put in your FoodShare

account. The date you get your benefits is based on

the eighth digit of your Social Security number (SSN).

Eighth Digit

of Your SSN

Day of the Month Your

FoodShare Benefits Will Be

Available on Your QUEST Card

2nd

3rd

5th

6th

8th

9th

11th

12th

14th

15th

Your benefits will be available on the above date,

even if it falls on a weekend or holiday.

How do I check my balance?

You can check your FoodShare balance before you

shop by:

• Calling QUEST Card Customer Service at

1-877-415-5164 (voice) or 711 (TTY).

• Looking at your last receipt.

• Going to www.ebtedge.com

(click on Cardholder

You should get a printed receipt when you buy food

with your QUEST card. The receipt will show your

account balance. If you do not get a printed receipt,

ask for one.

Can I save my benefits to be used in a

different month?

Each month, you may use your QUEST card as often

as you want and spend as much of your benefits as

you want. You can leave as many benefits in your

account as you wish at the end of each month to use

in a future month. Keep in mind that if you do not

use your QUEST card for one year, any benefits older

than 274 days will be removed from your account.

Who are authorized buyers and

alternate payees?

You can choose an authorized buyer to help you buy

food for your household. In addition to the QUEST

card you get, the authorized buyer will get his or her

own QUEST card with his or her name on it and will

have access to your FoodShare benefits and account.

You may also choose an alternate payee to use

FoodShare benefits on your behalf. The alternate

payee will get a QUEST card with his or her name on

it. When you choose an alternate payee, you will not

get your own QUEST card.

Contact your agency to choose an authorized buyer

or alternate payee. You can cancel access you have

granted at any time by calling QUEST Card Customer

Service at 1-877-415-5164.

What if my card does not work?

If your QUEST card does not work, call QUEST Card

Customer Service at 1-877-415-5164. If you still need

help, contact your agency.

What should I do if I get an error

message using my QUEST card at the

store?

Call QUEST Card Customer Service at

1-877-415-5164 if you get an error message when

using your QUEST card. These are some examples of

error messages and solutions:

• Card not on file. Contact QUEST Card Customer

Service at 1-877-415-5164.

• Invalid PIN. You have entered the PIN

incorrectly. If you enter the wrong PIN three

times on the same day, a lock is put on your card

until the next day.

• Insufficient balance. You have tried to spend

more benefits than you have in your account. Put

back some of your groceries, or pay the

remaining amount due with your own money.

• Inactive card. You did not select a PIN. Call

QUEST Card Customer Service at 1-877-415-5164

to select a PIN.

What should I do if I cannot find my

card?

As soon as you know you have lost your QUEST card

or it has been stolen, call QUEST Card Customer

Service at 1-877-415-5164. Your card will be

canceled when you call. If someone uses it before

you call to cancel your card, your benefits will not be

replaced. Once your card is reported lost or stolen,

no one will be able to use your card. A replacement

card will be mailed to you on the next business day.

If any QUEST card on your account is lost or stolen,

you may have to pay a $2.70 fee for a replacement

card. The fee will come out of your FoodShare

benefits. If your FoodShare account does not have

enough benefits to pay the fee, the fee will come out

of your FoodShare benefits when enough benefits

become available to pay the fee in full. A cardholder

is eligible for one free replacement QUEST card each

year from January 1 to December 31.

What should I do if my card gets

damaged?

If your card is damaged or the store must manually

key your card number each time you use your card,

call QUEST Card Customer Service at 1-877-415-5164

and request a replacement card.

How many replacement cards can I get?

Wisconsin is required to monitor the number of

replacement QUEST cards each FoodShare group is

issued. If you get five or more replacement QUEST

cards in a 12-month period, the Office of the

Inspector General may review your QUEST card

account for possible misuse of your FoodShare

benefits.

How should I take care of my QUEST

card?

Listed below are some helpful tips when using your

QUEST card. These tips may help you protect your

QUEST card and reduce the need for you to get

replacement cards in the future:

• Keep your QUEST card in a safe place.

• Keep your QUEST card clean.

• Take care of your QUEST card like you would a

credit card.

• Do not bend or twist your QUEST card.

• Do not use your QUEST card to scrape

windshields, open door locks, etc.

• Keep the magnetic strip clean and free from

scratches.

• Store your QUEST card in a wallet or purse.

• Keep your QUEST card away from magnets, such

as purse or handbag clasps and televisions.

• Follow the instructions of the store clerk when

using your QUEST card.

• Never tell anyone your PIN, including the store

clerk.

• Do not throw away your QUEST card. Your QUEST

card does not expire. You can use the same

QUEST card every month for as long as you get

FoodShare benefits.

• If you stop getting FoodShare benefits, do not

throw away your QUEST card. If you get

FoodShare benefits again, they will be put on

your last active QUEST card.

Wisconsin Department of Health Services

Division of Medicaid Services

P-16088 (03/2024)

How do I return something I bought

with my QUEST card?

To make a return, bring the item, store receipt, and

your QUEST card to the store where you bought

the item. The store will put your benefits back into

your account. You will be able to use these benefits

right away. You will not get cash back.

How do I fix an error on my account?

To correct an error on your account, call QUEST

Card Customer Service at 1-800-415-5164 to report

the error. You will get a letter with a decision about

the error. If you disagree with the decision, you may

file for a fair hearing. Information about filing for a

fair hearing will be in your letter.

Note: A store may need to increase or decrease the

amount of your QUEST card purchase to correct an

error (for example, a system error). You will get a

letter that explains why the adjustment is needed. If

you do not agree with the adjustment, you will have

15 calendar days from the date of the letter to file

for a fair hearing. The amount of the adjustment

may stay in your account until a fair hearing

decision is made.

Do I need to do anything if I move?

If you plan to move, contact your agency to report

your new address. If a card is mailed to your old

address, it will not be forwarded to your new

address.

What should I do if I move out of

state?

If you move out of state, report it to your agency.

You should still be able to use any benefits you

have on your Wisconsin QUEST card in your new

state. If you cannot find a store in your new state

that accepts the Wisconsin QUEST card, contact the

Wisconsin agency that issued the FoodShare

benefits. To keep getting benefits in your new state,

you must apply there.

Where can I get more information?

• Contact QUEST Card Customer Service at

1-877-415-5164 (voice) or 711 (TTY).

• Go to dhs.wisconsin.gov/foodshare/index.htm

Information provided is general. To find more

information about FoodShare, contact your agency.

Nondiscrimination Statement

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S.

Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations

and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating

on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including

gender identity and sexual orientation), religious creed,

disability, age, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for

prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages

other than English. Persons with disabilities who require

alternative means of communication to obtain program

information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American

Sign Language), should contact the agency (state or local)

where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf,

hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact

USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant

should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program

Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained

online at:

https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ad-

3027.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (833) 620-1071,

or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must

contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone

number, and a written description of the alleged

discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the

Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature

and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed

AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to:

(1) mail: Food and Nutrition Service, USDA

1320 Braddock Place, Room 334

Alexandria, VA 22314; or

(2) fax: (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or

(3) email: FNSCivilRightsComplaints@usda.gov.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.