SNAP and Work First New Jersey (WFNJ) beneficiaries in Cumberland, Mercer and Essex counties will receive Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) chip cards this summer as New Jersey begins its first phase of a statewide rollout of the more secure technology, officials said on Monday. EBT chip cards he lp reduce people’s SNAP benefits from being stolen through skimming, which is where illegal technology on card swiping machines to capture card information and data, officials said. Theft of SNAP benefits hit families particularly hard since the federal government does not allow for stolen balances to be replaced, officials said. “The new cards will feature an updated design and enhanced security features,” officials said in a press release. “The cardholder’s name and card number will appear on the back of the card, and an expiration date and 3-digit security code have been added for increased security. The expiration date applies to the card only and does not affect the cardholder’s benefits.” Once people receive the new chip card, they should activate and then destroy the old cards, officials said. During the pilot program, people statewide who request a replacement card will also receive a chip card, officials said. After the pilot program has run its course, New Jersey will send chip cards to SNAP and WFNJ users statewide, officials said. Once a new chip card is issued, people will have 90 days to activate them, and their old card will stop working after 6o days. “We have worked hard to ensure everything functions as intended and look forward to issuing the new cards to all beneficiaries,” said Natasha Johnson, the assistant commissioner of the Division of Family Development. “Families are seeing grocery prices rise each time they shop. Having benefits stolen, with no means to replace them, only adds further strain to already stretched households. The chip cards will give beneficiaries peace of mind when they shop, helping reduce the incidents of benefits being stolen.” On Sunday, July 12, Pennsylvania also passed a statewide switch to chip SNAP cards as part of its 2026-27 budget. ...read more read less