Your EBT Card Is Getting an Upgrade, What Berkshire Shoppers Should Expect

Massachusetts just became the fourth state in the country to roll out chip and tap EBT cards statewide, and that's good news for families right here in Berkshire County. Governor Healey's office announced the move today, and it means SNAP and other DTA benefit cards will be a lot harder to steal from, according to mass.gov

This isn't coming out of nowhere. Back in July, the state ran a pilot right here in the Worcester area, mailing out 35,000 of the new chip cards. DTA says those cards were used in tens of thousands of transactions without a hitch. Now the rest of the state, including us, will start seeing these cards land in mailboxes throughout August.

If you get one of these cards, don't let it sit in a drawer. You need to activate it within 60 days or it won't work.

One heads up for folks shopping at local grocery stores and corner markets. Most retailers around here have already updated their card readers to accept the new chip and tap cards, but a few might not be ready yet. If a cashier asks you to swipe instead of tap or insert, that doesn't mean your card is broken. It just means that store hasn't finished updating its system.

DTA has been pushing hard on theft prevention lately. They've already got card lock and unlock features through the DTA Connect app, and they're encouraging people to change their PINs regularly. Just last month, the agency uncovered a skimming scheme hitting the summer food assistance program and shut it down.