Virginia is beginning to replace electronic benefit transfer cards with new cards that use chip-and-tap technology, a move state officials say will help protect Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients from benefit theft.
Patrick County is among the localities included in the first round of the rollout, along with Chesterfield, Colonial Heights, Clarke, Fairfax City and County, Giles, Lynchburg, Madison, Manassas Park, New Kent, Norfolk, Northampton, Orange, Portsmouth, Radford, Richmond, Roanoke, Smyth, Surry, Washington and Wythe.
Households do not need to request a new card. New cards will be mailed automatically, and SNAP benefits will continue without interruption during the transition.
All Virginia EBT cardholders are expected to have the new cards by the end of December.
The new cards are designed to reduce the risk of “skimming,” in which card information is captured at a point-of-sale terminal and used to steal benefits.
“When I took office, I made clear that my administration would find new ways to make government work better for Virginians,” Gov. Abigail Spanberger said. “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.”
The second round of card replacements is scheduled to begin at the end of October.
Unlike older cards that rely primarily on a magnetic stripe, the new cards contain a chip that generates a unique, encrypted code for each transaction, making the information more difficult to skim or clone.
The Virginia cards are dual-interface, meaning cardholders can either insert the chip into a payment terminal or tap the card to pay. State officials said tapping provides the strongest protection.
“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 B. Figueroa said. “These new cards are a practical step to protect families and make it harder for criminals to take advantage of the system.”
Virginia is the eighth state in the nation to adopt chip-enabled EBT cards and the fifth to use dual-interface technology supporting both tap and insert payments, according to the administration.
Other states have reported reductions in benefit theft after switching to chip-enabled cards. California reported an 83% decline in reports of benefit theft after moving to chip-enabled cards in January 2024. Alabama also has reported similar results.
Duke Storen, commissioner of the Virginia Department of Social Services, said protecting SNAP benefits is particularly important for families who depend on the assistance to purchase food.
“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,” Storen said. “The threat of benefit theft is real, and this modernization strengthens the security of the benefits Virginians count on.”
The transition follows statewide testing intended to identify problems before the cards were distributed. Testers visited retailers to ensure point-of-sale systems properly processed both successful and declined transactions. The Department of Social Services also monitored mailing times, card activations and transaction issues.
“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. The Virginia Food Industry Association appreciates VDSS’ diligent efforts working with Virginia’s retailers to protect customers from theft and fraud.”
What recipients need to know
Although recipients do not need to take action to receive a new card, they should make sure their mailing address is current with their local department of social services.
When a new card arrives, recipients should verify their information, activate the card and set a PIN using the instructions included with the card.
The Department of Social Services also recommends that cardholders lock their cards when they are not in use through the ConnectEBT app, change their PINs regularly and never provide a card number or PIN in response to an unsolicited call, text or email.
More information about the transition is available at virginiachipcard.com. Cardholders with questions can call the EBT Call Center at 866-281-2448, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
