Local News
The state will begin distributing new chip-enabled EBT cards to combat benefit theft. Here’s what recipients and retailers should know.
Massachusetts will begin sending out new chip-enabled Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards statewide to help protect SNAP and other public assistance benefits from fraud and theft, Gov. Maura Healey announced Wednesday.
The state is the fourth in the nation to launch chip- and tap-enabled EBT cards statewide, following a pilot program in the Worcester area that began in July. During the pilot, the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) mailed about 35,000 new cards to recipients, which officials said were used in tens of thousands of successful transactions.
Nearly 1 million Massachusetts residents receive SNAP benefits through EBT cards, which are accepted at about 5,500 authorized retailers statewide, according to Healey’s office. The DTA distributes roughly $2.6 billion in SNAP benefits each year.
State officials say fewer than 1 percent of recipients have been found to commit fraud, but the new cards are designed to prevent benefit theft through tools such as skimming devices, not recipient misuse, according to Healey.
The updated cards will be mailed to recipients across the rest of Massachusetts throughout August.
“Families across Massachusetts rely on DTA programs to afford groceries and other essential goods,” Healey said in a statement. “We’re focused on preventing fraud and theft so that these funds are going to the people who need and deserve them.”
The upgrade comes after the Legislature approved funding for the new cards in 2025, making Massachusetts the fourth U.S. state to adopt chip-and-tap technology for EBT benefits.
Recipients should activate their new cards by using them within 60 days of receiving them, according to Healey’s office.
State officials said they spent months working with retailers to prepare for the transition by updating payment terminals to accept chip- or tap- transactions. While most retailers are ready, some stores may still require customers to swipe their cards.
“This does not mean that the card is broken or defective, but that the store has not yet updated its systems,” Healey said.
Other security features include the ability for recipients to lock and unlock their EBT cards through the DTA Connect mobile app or customer service line, educational materials on avoiding scams, reminders to change PINs regularly, and outreach to retailers about fraud schemes.
DTA said it will continue investigating fraud. Under federal rules, the agency refers suspected retailer fraud to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and suspected individual fraud to the Massachusetts Auditor’s Office.
The agency cited two recent enforcement actions: the 2024 referral of Jesula Variety Store for suspected fraud, which later resulted in federal charges against the store’s owner, and the shutdown of a large skimming scheme targeting the SUN Bucks summer food assistance program last month.
Morgan Rousseau is a freelance writer for Boston.com, where she reports on a variety of local and regional news.
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