Frequently Asked Questions

Will EBT Chip cards continue to have a magnetic stripe?

Yes, in all of the current implementations of EBT Chip cards, the cards will continue to have a magnetic stripe also to ensure that customers are able to access their benefits.

How can I get EBT chip test cards?

Contact your POS provider to get EBT chip test cards. If you are unable to get a test card through your POS provider, contact EBTChip@nationalgrocers.org for assistance. If you are responsible for more than one store, you will likely want to have several test cards available. Please keep test cards in a safe place for future testing.

What is the difference between ECL fallback and “technical” (or EMV) fallback?

Technical/EMV fallback will occur if for some reason the POS terminal cannot read the chip (either the chip is bad or the reader is bad).  The terminal will try three times before saying it cannot read the chip and instructing the cardholder to swipe the card instead.

ECL fallback is related to the POS terminal reading the chip but not having the correct application installed to process the information on the chip. ECL fallback will only require one unsuccessful chip attempt before prompting for a magnetic stripe/swiped transaction.

What is the purpose of the Empty Candidate List (ECL) EBT chip card testing exercise for retailers with up to date, chip-enabled equipment?

The purpose of the EBT chip testing exercise is to confirm that the POS terminal can fallback to magnetic stripe because either 1) the terminal is not able to process chip cards, or 2) the terminal has not yet been upgraded to recognize the EBT AID (Application Identifier), so does not know how to process the chip card.

A POS terminal update is required to recognize the EBT AID and process EBT chip card transactions. POS service providers will have different release dates for when the POS terminals they support can process EBT chip card transactions. Consequently, the rollout of POS support for EBT chip card transactions will occur over a period of time.

Is the ECL fallback EBT chip card testing intended to confirm that POS devices that do not accept any chip transactions will accept the magnetic stripe on the new EBT chip cards?

It should not be an issue for non-chip enabled POS terminals if they are currently processing EBT transactions.  The magnetic stripe does not have any logic in it but is simply a formatted data string.  Assuming the magnetic stripe is formatted correctly on the physical chip card, the POS terminal will have no problem processing the mag stripe.

What is the difference between the "EBT AID" and the "220 service code"?

The AID (Application Identifier) is an identifier in the chip that defines the application within the chip. For EBT, the AID is A0000000044542. The Service Code is a data element within the card magnetic stripe or in the chip that defines the processing characteristics of the card.  The service code for EBT magnetic stripe card is currently 120, with the "1" stating that this is a magnetic stripe card, the"2" means it requires online approval by the issuer and the "0" means that a PIN is required.  For chip cards, the service code is "220", with the first "2" stating this is a chip card.

What is the USDA EBT Card Industry Forum and how do I join?

The purpose of this industry forum is to provide an environment for the groups associated with the USDA’s issuance, processing and redemption of SNAP benefits to discuss issues related to the upgrading of the SNAP EBT card to a chip card, as well as the associated updates around mobile NFC payments and SNAP Electronic Healthy Food Incentive Program (eHIP). These groups include the USDA, State Agencies, Retailers, Card Processors, and others. The group is to work through issues related to upgrading the SNAP EBT card and make recommendations to the X9A11 work group which is responsible for the ASC X9.58 standard that controls the SNAP card. The group will provide an open forum to discuss and reach consensus on these issues. Industry Forum can not generate X9 standards. Use this link to request to participate.