New York is set to swap out its old magnetic-stripe EBT cards for chip-enabled plastic starting in early 2027, a change Gov. Kathy Hochul says is meant to blunt a wave of card-skimming that has drained SNAP benefits from households across the state. The new cards will use the same EMV chip technology found in most debit and credit cards, a setup that is intended to make cloned benefit cards much harder for criminals to reproduce.
According to News12 New York, the state’s Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance recently finalized a contract with Fidelity Information Services (FIS) to produce the new cards. Officials expect roughly two million chip-enabled EBT cards to go out to SNAP and public-assistance recipients beginning in the first quarter of 2027. The report notes the shift follows months of skimming incidents, and cardholders will be notified before any replacement cards are mailed.
What the state is changing
Hochul’s FY27 budget set aside funding and added language to move New York off magnetic-stripe EBT cards and onto “secure chip-based technology” that will make cards “virtually impervious to mass skimming,” the governor’s office said in a press release via Governor Kathy Hochul's office. Officials say the rollout will be phased in order to limit interruptions while the state coordinates with vendors and local retailers.
Public contract records identify Fidelity Information Services (FIS) as the state’s EBT processor under a multi-year agreement, and recent procurement activity indicates FIS will supply the new chip cards, according to state contract records. Agency testimony earlier this year also told lawmakers that the earliest card replacements could begin is early 2027, with a phased schedule to reach existing recipients.
Why it matters
The push for chip cards took on new urgency after a temporary federal program that reimbursed stolen SNAP benefits expired in late 2024, leaving many victims without a guaranteed federal backstop for skimmed funds, as reported by NextGov. State and city advocates say that with federal reimbursement gone, preventing theft in the first place has become the most realistic way to protect food aid.
Retailers and payment processors will also have to test and update their systems to handle EBT chip transactions. The USDA Food and Nutrition Service has issued technical guidance explaining that EMV-capable terminals will need software updates so they can recognize the SNAP EBT application identifier and that, during testing, terminals should support magnetic-stripe fallback, according to the USDA Food and Nutrition Service.
How to protect your benefits
State officials are urging cardholders to use the ebtEDGE mobile app or online portal to freeze and unfreeze cards, block online and out-of-state transactions, and to never share their EBT number or PIN when contacted unexpectedly, per News12 New York. Those steps are meant to shrink the window of opportunity for thieves while the state prepares and ships out replacements.
Local lawmakers and advocates, who have pushed for both a dedicated anti-fraud officer and a compensation fund for victims, welcomed the technical fix but argue it has to be paired with stronger outreach and enforcement to reach seniors, immigrants and other vulnerable groups, as reported in a push to “nail EBT skimmer crooks”. Advocates also point out that the transition will require clear instructions and enough time for retailers to upgrade their systems without disrupting access to benefits.
Officials say cardholders will be notified before new chip-enabled cards are mailed, and the state still expects distribution to begin in early 2027, according to a statement from the governor’s office. In the meantime, recipients who suspect theft are urged to report suspicious transactions to their local SNAP office and consider using account-freeze features until a replacement card arrives.
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