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Maryland Awards EBT Card Contract to Fidelity With July 1 Rollout for Chip-and-Tap Cards

Officials say chip and tap features will help curb widespread EBT theft.

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The Trump administration is trying to expand work requirements for Medicaid and food stamps, known as SNAP.

Overview

  • The Board of Public Works approved a multiyear contract with Fidelity Information Services to replace Maryland’s current EBT card vendor.
  • Maryland will add EMV chips and tap-to-pay capability, making it one of the first states to enable contactless EBT transactions.
  • Fidelity begins an immediate transition, with new cards targeted to start issuing July 1 and $7.7 million budgeted for the nine-month changeover.
  • The deal totals a potential $38 million, including a $16.7 million six-year base term and two optional two-year extensions at about $7 million each.
  • Roughly 943,000 Marylanders use EBT cards, and the state has replaced more than $35.2 million in stolen benefits since March 2023, according to DHS, as Conduent pursues an appeal in the Appellate Court of Maryland.