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Attention SNAP EBT Retailers
SNAP EBT chip and tap cards will be rolling out soon in California (CA) and Oklahoma (OK). As more states plan to add chip and tap functionality to SNAP EBT cards, it is imperative that your point of sale devices be updated to successfully read these cards to ensure SNAP cardholders can redeem their SNAP benefits at your store.
These cards:
- Will not work at retailer point-of-sale (POS) without the appropriate updates.
- Will have a magnetic stripe and retailers must ensure that their POS system allows for SNAP EBT chip cards to “fallback” to magnetic stripe until SNAP EBT chip cards are fully supported on their POS device(s)/system. This is referred to as empty candidate list (ECL) fallback.
About SNAP EBT Chip Card Payment
- As more states begin to issue SNAP EBT chip cards, you must ensure that SNAP card holder benefits can successfully be used for purchases at all SNAP authorized stores nationwide.
- Though strongly encouraged, you are not required to accept EBT tap payment at this time.
- Chip and tap transactions still require cardholder PIN entry at the point-of-sale.
Steps You Should Take Immediately
- Contact your point-of-sale (POS) service provider TODAY to ensure that your POS system will allow SNAP EBT chip cards to “fallback” to magnetic stripe transactions. More details for your POS provider are available.
- Ask your POS service provider to update your POS to fully support SNAP EBT chip cards.
- Tell your POS provider that the SNAP EBT chip cards will use:
- Standard EMV chips
- Both contact-only and dual-interface
- New EBT Application Identifier (AID): A0000000044542
- 220 service code on track II of the magstripe
- If your POS service provider needs more information about supporting SNAP EBT chip cards,tell them to contact their third-party processor (TPP).
Steps You Should Take After Confirming or Enabling ECL Fallback on Your POS Device/System
We are requesting retailers report successful ECL fallback at the SNAP EBT Modernization Technical Assistance Center (SEMTAC) website.
Steps You Should Take After Your POS Device/System is Updated to Fully Accept SNAP EBT Chip Cards
We are requesting retailers report your ability to fully accept chip enabled EBT cards at the SNAP EBT SEMTAC website.
Note on Reporting
The intent of collecting this information is so that we can determine that SNAP households have access to their benefits once chip cards are distributed. While the information may be shared with states that are working toward EBT chip/tap card implementation, individual retailer information will not be publicly distributed or displayed in any way.
Resources
Join the USDA EBT Card Industry Forum and Have a Voice in the Future of EBT Modernization!
- This industry forum allows groups associated with the USDA’s issuance, processing and redemption of SNAP benefits to discuss issues around upgrading SNAP EBT cards to chip card, as well as the associated updates around mobile NFC payments, SNAP online purchasing and SNAP Electronic Healthy Food Incentive Program (eHIP).
- Members include USDA, state agencies, retailers, card processors, and others.
- If you are interested in participating, submit a request.