In 2016, the USDA Food and Nutrition Service put out a request for applications for retail food stores to participate in the pilot. The 2014 Farm Bill mandated the creation of a pilot program to test out allowing “retail food stores” to accept SNAP payments for online purchases of eligible foods. Until recently, SNAP/EBT payments could only be made in person, via the debit card or check transactions described above. The situation around online SNAP/EBT sales is changing rapidly. To accept WIC payments as a farmers market vendor, apply to the Maryland Farmers Market Nutrition Program. If you have questions about the process, Weida Stoecker ( is the Maryland Department of Agriculture contact for the Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program. The Farmers Market Coalition has an excellent article about selecting EBT processing equipment. These grants can be used to purchase either the EBT swipe machine, or the smart device and app (Novo Dia Group’s TotilPayGo, formerly known as Mobile Market+). Grants are available from the Maryland Department of Human Services for the cost of purchasing the equipment required to process EBT transactions. Once you are approved as a “Direct Marketing Farmer” or “Farmers Market,” you will have two options for accepting payments: purchasing a specialized piece of equipment that can swipe EBT cards, or running an approved payment app on a smart-device ( SNAP/EBT Equipment Resources). To accept federal SNAP/EBT food benefits as payment as a food vendor, start by applying online. How can I accept SNAP/EBT or WIC payments at my farm stand or farmers market? A smaller number of people are eligible for WIC benefits, and different states use different payment processes. WIC is short for Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children.
SNAP is the larger of the two programs, and provides funds for low-income individuals to purchase food using an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card. SNAP stands for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Both programs are particularly important right now, with record unemployment applications due to layoffs and furloughs caused by disruptions due to Covid-19. It’s important to know that SNAP and WIC are slightly different programs with different processes.
Wic maryland how to#
With increased direct-to-customer sales, and changes to farmers' markets, some farmers have been asking about how to accept SNAP/EBT and WIC food payments (previously called “food stamps”).