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Accepting government benefits as payment is now as easy as accepting a debit card. The Challenge: If you don’t accept credit cards, you not only limit your sales opportunities, you limit your ability to offer the new payment options that are continually being presented to consumers. Bottom line, if you don’t accept credit, your customer base will find the merchants that do. The Solution: Government assistance programs now come in the form of Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards. Instead of paper coupons, most states use EBT to distribute all cash benefits, such as unemployment, grocery and housing assistance. Partnering with industry vendors ensures that the EBT solution is fully integrated into key third-party software packages, which makes processing seamless and simple for all parties involved. The EBT solution also provides the merchant with a consolidated statement and funding stream, documenting cash flow and simplifying the reconciliation processes. The service is discreet, with no additional identification or signature needed, and customers can even choose to get cash back with cash benefit EBT transactions. Here’s How It Works: If your business is able to process credit or debit cards, participating in EBT couldn’t be easier. The service may utilize existing equipment and processes at the point-of-sale (POS). Using an EBT card and Personal Identification Number (PIN), customers are able to easily and discreetly make purchases at participating locations. All states are transitioning to EBT for all forms of benefits, and merchants who are ready to accept EBT are better positioned to capture their share of this sizable market. |