This story was reported and written by our media partner the Virginia Mercury.
Virginia is replacing traditional food-assistance benefit cards with chip-enabled versions designed to make it harder for thieves to steal SNAP benefits from families. About 749,000 state residents receive assistance through the program.
Gov. Abigail Spanberger announced Thursday that the state has begun mailing new Electronic Benefits Transfer cards equipped with chip-and-tap technology to households enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
The change is aimed at combating “skimming,” in which criminals capture card information at the point of sale and drain benefits before recipients can use them. Unlike magnetic stripes, chips generate a unique, encrypted code for each transaction, making the cards more difficult to skim or duplicate.
Households do not need to request a replacement, and benefits will continue without interruption during the transition, according to the administration.
The SNAP program is essential for Virginia families, Spanberger said, even as forthcoming changes from the federal spending bill H.R. 1 will reduce the program’s funding by up to $187 billion over the next 10 years, levy more of the cost onto states and change eligibility requirements for recipients.
“At a time when many families are struggling to keep up with the rising price of groceries and Republicans in Washington are making the deepest cuts to SNAP in the program’s history, we are taking this step to make sure families have secure, accessible support — and are protected from bad actors,” Spanberger said in a statement.
The first cards are going to areas that have experienced high levels of benefit theft, including Chesterfield, Colonial Heights, Clarke, Fairfax City and County, Giles, Lynchburg, Madison, Manassas Park, New Kent, Norfolk, Northampton, Orange, Patrick, Portsmouth, Radford, Richmond, Roanoke, Smyth, Surry, Washington and Wythe.
A second round will begin at the end of October, with all Virginia EBT cardholders expected to receive replacements by the end of the year.
“If a family qualifies for food assistance to help them buy groceries, they should not have to worry about someone stealing them,” Secretary of Health and Human Resources Marvin Figueroa said. “These new cards are a practical step to protect families and make it harder for criminals to take advantage of the system.”
Recipients will be able to insert the chip or tap the card at checkout through a dual-interface system. The state recommends tapping when possible because it provides the strongest protection.
Virginia is the eighth state to adopt chip-enabled EBT cards and the fifth to use technology supporting both tap and insert transactions, the administration said.
Other states have seen theft reports fall after introducing chip cards. California reported an 83% decline after making the switch in January 2024, and the administration said Alabama has reported similar results.
“SNAP benefits are often what stands between the families we serve and an empty table, and no one should have to worry about going hungry because a criminal targeted the help they depend on,” Virginia Department of Social Services Commissioner Duke Storen said.
“The threat of benefit theft is real, and this modernization strengthens the security of the benefits Virginians count on.”
Before the rollout, testers visited retailers across Virginia to make sure point-of-scale systems properly handled both successful and declined transactions. The Department of Social Services also tracked mailing times, card activations and transaction problems during testing.
“Throughout the testing and rollout process, this has been a true collaboration, and the result is a stronger, more secure system,” said Travis Smiley, executive director of the Virginia Food Industry Association. “When families’ benefits are better protected, those dollars stay in our communities and support local grocers and businesses across the commonwealth.”
Because replacement cards will be mailed directly to recipients, households should make sure their local services department has their current address. After receiving a card, recipients will need to verify their information, activate it and select a personal identification number using the enclosed instructions.
The Department of Social Services recommends locking cards through the ConnectEBT app when they are not being used and changing PINs regularly. Recipients should also never provide their card number or PIN in response to an unsolicited phone call, text message or email.
More information is available through Virginia’s EBT chip card website. Cardholders can also reach the EBT Call Center around the clock at 866-281-2448.