After years of widespread food stamps fraud, New Jersey promises new fix

💳 New Jersey is replacing EBT cards with encrypted chip cards to combat fraud.

⚠️ The new cards are designed to stop card skimming that has stolen food benefits from recipients.

➡️ The rollout starts in three counties before expanding statewide, but anyone can request a replacement card.

The same encrypted chip in your credit and debit cards is now coming to food assistance cards in New Jersey.

The new chip cards will help fight fraud and make it more difficult for criminals who use card skimmers to steal benefits, according to New Jersey Human Services Commissioner Stephen Cha.

"Under current federal law, electronically stolen benefits cannot be replaced, leaving families who experience this type of theft without recourse. The new chip cards provide enhanced security to help prevent that kind of loss in the first place, keeping benefits in the hands of the people who need them,” Cha said.

An EBT sign is displayed on the window of a grocery store on Oct. 30, 2025. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

New chip cards aim to stop EBT fraud in New Jersey

EBT recipients have been frequent targets of fraud. In 2022, the state Department of Human Services reported that SNAP recipients lost $355,000 to card skimmers. Last year, there were also reports of widespread EBT fraud in Lakewood.

Around 757,528 people in 412,000 New Jersey households received benefits as of April, according to the state.

ALSO SEE: NJ BPU opens investigations into JCP&L power outages

A chipless New Jersey EBT card that is being phased out. (New Jersey Department of Human Services)

Rollout starts in three counties before expanding statewide

Starting now, residents in Cumberland, Essex and Mercer counties will automatically receive Electronic Benefit Transfer cards with encrypted chips. Distribution will expand to the rest of New Jersey after a four-week pilot program.

Residents in any county who are enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or the Work First New Jersey program can also request a replacement EBT card and receive the new chip version. Each user's current chipless card will expire 60 days after the replacement card is received.

Like most credit and debit cards, the new EBT cards will include a three-digit security code on the back, support tap-to-pay transactions and have an expiration date. The expiration date applies only to the card itself, not to the recipient's benefits. These cards have rolled out to several other states, including New York and California.

Report a correction 👈 | 👉 Contact our newsroom