The Shadow
RICHMOND, VA (VR) – For many households, SNAP benefits help keep food on the table. When those benefits are stolen electronically, the loss is immediate and can be especially difficult for families with little room to absorb it.
Virginia is moving to chip-enabled EBT cards to address the vulnerability that has allowed that theft to occur.
Governor Abigail Spanberger announced the rollout of the new chip-and-tap EBT cards on Sept. 10, 2026. Virginia is the eighth state in the nation to adopt chip-enabled EBT cards and the fifth to use dual-interface technology that supports both tapping and inserting.
The transition comes after criminals found a weakness in older card technology. The magnetic stripe on a traditional benefit card stores fixed data that can be captured by a skimming device placed on a point-of-sale terminal. Once captured, that information can be used to drain benefits from an account before a family has a chance to use them.
The cardholder never loses possession of the card, and the problem is not limited to Virginia. Benefit theft involving older card technology has affected programs nationwide.
“The threat of benefit theft is real, and this modernization strengthens the security of the benefits Virginians count on,” said Duke Storen, commissioner of the Virginia Department of Social Services. “SNAP benefits are often what stands between the families we serve and an empty table, and no one should have to worry about going hungry because a criminal targeted the help they depend on.”
The timing of the rollout was deliberate. VDSS scheduled it to avoid overlapping with the SUN Bucks rollout, which could have created confusion for the same households, while completing the work as close to the end of summer as possible.
Within the month, the agency specifically chose a window that would not interfere with the days benefits are issued, which are the first, fourth, and seventh of every month.
The new cards address the security weakness through embedded chip technology. A magnetic stripe presents the same fixed information every time it is read, while an embedded chip creates a unique, encrypted code for each transaction. That means data captured from one purchase cannot be reused to make another.
The technology brings Virginia’s EBT system in line with the same technology banks and major retailers have used for years.
Other states have reported significant results after making the change. California reported that reports of benefit theft dropped 83 percent after it moved to chip-enabled cards in January 2024, and Alabama has reported similar results.
The chip does not change how benefits are issued or what a household receives. It changes how the card authenticates a transaction, which is where the vulnerability was.
Virginia’s new cards are dual-interface, allowing cardholders to either insert the chip or tap to pay. Tapping provides the strongest protection of the two.
Cardholders also have tools they can use directly, including locking the card when it is not in use through the ConnectEBT app, changing the PIN regularly, and never sharing a card number or PIN in response to an unsolicited call, text, or email.
“If a family qualifies for food assistance to help them buy groceries, they should not have to worry about someone stealing them,” said Marvin B. Figueroa, secretary of Health and Human Resources. “These new cards are a practical step to protect families and make it harder for criminals to take advantage of the system.”
The transition is already underway, and benefits continue without interruption throughout the process.
The initial rollout targeted localities that have experienced high levels of benefit theft, including Chesterfield, Colonial Heights, Clarke, Fairfax City and County, Giles, Lynchburg, Madison, Manassas Park, New Kent, Norfolk, Northampton, Orange, Patrick, Portsmouth, Radford, Richmond City, Roanoke City, Smyth, Surry, Washington, and Wythe.
Approximately 145,300 cards were mailed during the pilot phase.
The second round of card rollouts is scheduled to begin at the end of October. All EBT cardholders in Virginia are expected to have their new cards in hand by the end of December 2026.
The pilot followed an extensive statewide readiness effort. Testers visited retailers across Virginia to confirm that point-of-sale systems correctly handled both successful and declined purchases. VDSS also monitored card mailing times, activations, and transaction issues so problems could be identified and resolved quickly.
Households do not need to take any action to receive a new card. Cards are mailed directly to households, making it important for cardholders to ensure the mailing address on file with their local department of social services is current so the card arrives without delay.
When the new card arrives, cardholders should verify their information, activate the card, and set a PIN by following the instructions mailed with it.
The new cards are accepted at the same authorized retailers and ATMs as the current cards. Chip readers are already standard at point-of-sale terminals nationwide, and Virginia tested retailer systems across the Commonwealth before the pilot launched to confirm transactions processed correctly.
Cardholders who lose a card, suspect their card has been compromised, or see transactions they did not make should lock the card through the ConnectEBT app and contact their local department of social services right away.
The EBT Call Center is also available 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 866-281-2448.
Cardholders should be aware of scams that can accompany transitions like this one. VDSS and local departments will never ask for a PIN or card number by phone, text, or email. Anyone who receives that kind of request should not respond and should contact their local department directly using a number they know to be legitimate.
The rollout cost approximately $8.25 million.
For Virginia households receiving SNAP benefits, the transition replaces decades-old magnetic-stripe technology with a system designed to make stolen transaction data unusable and provide another layer of protection for the benefits families rely on.
