Introduction
Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) is the system by which state governments issue Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to eligible recipients on a plastic debit card with a magnetic stripe. Accepting EBT payments at farmers' markets can be beneficial for everyone involved. Low-income shoppers gain better access to nutritious, locally-grown foods, while farmers, vendors, and the local economy benefit from the inflow of federal dollars. This guide is written for vendors and market managers that wish to accept EBT, but are not sure where to begin. The following topics are addressed:
- Overview of EBT at Farmers’ Markets
- Becoming Authorized to Accept EBT
- Monthly and Annual Reporting
- Equipment and Services Required to Process EBT Payments
- Creating Scrip
- Marketing
- Funding Ideas to Help Offset Equipment Costs
- Additional Resources
Please click on the links to the left to access each of these pages. A printer-friendly version of this guide is available here.
This website was last updated in June, 2009.
