Louisiana Selected for SNAP Mobile Payment Pilot

BATON ROUGE, LA - The USDA Food and Nutrition Service has selected Louisiana as one of five states to test mobile payment technology for EBT cardholders in the next few years, and the Department of Children and Family Services is now seeking retail partners to help implement the new option for recipients of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.

The SNAP Mobile Payment Pilot will allow recipients of SNAP and other EBT benefits to use mobile payment methods - like tapping or scanning their personal mobile device - as an alternative to their physical EBT card. The new option also will allow SNAP and Disaster SNAP (D-SNAP) recipients to have immediate access to their benefits when approved and issued, eliminating any delay resulting from waiting for a mailed card.

DCFS will work with the Louisiana Retailers Association to identify potential retail partners for the project. While most of the design and system work will be done by the State and EBT vendor Inmar, it is important that retailers participate throughout the entire process. Joining the pilot early will allow retailers to acquire insight into the pilot process and timeline updates. Also, retail system changes could potentially be minimized for retailers who participate from design to implementation.

"We are thrilled to be chosen to participate in the SNAP Mobile Payment Pilot," said DCFS Secretary Terri Ricks. "Over the past few years, we've focused on ways of using technology to make SNAP applications and purchases easier for the families we serve, including through text messaging reminders, a mobile app for managing benefits, online SNAP purchasing and even a virtual D-SNAP process following disasters. The goal of the Mobile Payment Pilot is to build on these efforts by making purchases more convenient and reducing the time involved in receiving access to benefits."

Read the full announcement from USDA FNS at https://www.fns.usda.gov/news-item/fns-006.23.

SNAP Non-Discrimination Statement

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), religious creed, disability, age, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English.  Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the agency (state or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at:

https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/USDA-OASCR%20P-Complaint-Form-0508-0002-508-11-28-17Fax2Mail.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (833) 620-1071, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to:

Mail:

Food and Nutrition Service, USDA

1320 Braddock Place, Room 334

Alexandria, VA 22314; or

Fax:

(833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or

Email:

FNSCIVILRIGHTSCOMPLAINTS@usda.gov

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.