EBT overview

EBT cards are issued by each US state. All EBT cards are magstripe only, function like a debit card, and always require a PIN. The entire EBT system must be online in order to process an EBT transaction.

Types of EBT programs

• EBT Food (also called SNAP) accounts have the following characteristics:

  • Cardholders can use EBT Food to pay for qualifying food purchases and check their account balance.
  • Swiped and manual card entry are supported.
  • Merchants can process a refund to a cardholder's EBT Food account. Refunds in cash are not permitted.
  • Cash back is not permitted.
  • If the EBT system is down at the time of purchase, Clover does not provide a way for the merchant to complete and record the transaction using a manual voucher.
  • Clover must manually enable the EBT Food benefit for a sandbox merchant.

• EBT Cash accounts have the following characteristics:

  • Cardholders can use EBT Cash to pay for merchandise and check their account balance.
  • Swiped card entry is supported; manual card entry is not supported.
  • Merchants can make refunds in cash or store credit (including merchant gift cards). Refunds cannot be made directly to the EBT Cash account.
  • Cash back with a purchase and cash withdrawals are not currently supported by Clover.