In the August 12, 2015, Federal Register, USDA's
Food and Nutrition Service ("FNS") announced its interest
in identifying ways to stimulate increased competition in the
electronic benefit transfer ("EBT") marketplace and
identify procurement or systems features that are barriers to new
entrants. EBT systems are used by the Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program ("SNAP") and Special Supplemental
Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children
("WIC") state agencies, using magnetic stripe cards
similar to debit or credit cards. FNS is seeking comments from EBT
stakeholders and other financial payment industry members and
interested parties, to improve procurement of the delivery of EBT
transaction processing services through modifications to, or
replacement of, the existing business model. Comments
are due October 24, 2015.
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