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SNAP EBT Chip and Tap Cards are Coming Soon to CA and OK
You are receiving this message because you are a SNAP authorized retailer in a state that borders California (CA) or Oklahoma (OK). Since these states will be issuing SNAP EBT chip cards to clients soon, retailers must be prepared to accept this type of card.
These cards:
- Will not work at retailer point-of-sale (POS) without the appropriate updates.
- Will have a magnetic stripe as a fallback, but you must ensure that your POS system will allow SNAP EBT chip cards to “fallback” to magnetic stripe until SNAP EBT chip cards are fully supported on your POS device(s)/system. This is referred to as empty candidate list (ECL) fallback.
About SNAP EBT Chip Card Payment
- Be ready to accept SNAP EBT chip card payments to ensure CA/OK SNAP clients can still use their benefits at your store.
- 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 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 provided.
- 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 asking you to 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 asking you to report your ability to fully accept chip enabled EBT cards at the SEMTAC website.
Note on Reporting
The intent of collecting this information is so 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 implementation, individual retailer information will not be publicly distributed or displayed in any way.
Resources
Join the USDA EBT Card Industry Forum
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 includes USDA, state agencies, retailers, card processors, and others.
- If you are interested in participating, submit a request.