An Advocate's Guide
to Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) in California

Jessica Bartholow
Alameda County Community Food Bank

Debra Garcia
Consumers Union of U.S., Inc.
West Coast Regional Office

November 2002

Report in PDF format

Report
Acknowledgements
Glossary
List of Website & Contacts
List of Appendices

GLOSSARY

Account Balance refers to the amount a recipient has in his or her EBT account(s). Account balances should be provided on EBT transaction receipts. Balances can also be accessed for free through the Citicorp Helpline, and cash EBT balances can be accessed for a $ 0.25 transaction fee at participating ATMs. EBT cardholders will not receive a monthly statement.

Additional Cardholders are permitted for other adult household members and for persons outside the household who are designated by the recipient to receive their own EBT cards and PINs. The additional cardholder will have complete access to the recipient's specified benefit type. Designated cardholders outside of the household are called Authorized Representatives (for food stamp benefits) and Designated Alternate Cardholders (for cash benefits).

Advisory Committee is a group consisting of advocates, county officials, and recipients that some counties have developed as a way to ensure community input and a successful transition to EBT. The Alameda County Board of Supervisors has applauded the use of advisory committees for successful EBT transition.

Authorized Representative (AR) is a person that is given full access to a recipient's EBT food stamp account with the authorization of the recipient. The AR will receive his or her own EBT card and PIN. The State recommends use of an AR if a person is homebound or is unable to use the EBT system.

Automated Response Unit (ARU) is an automated phone system that recipients with touch-tone phones can use to access information about their EBT accounts. The responses to recipients' inquiries will be given by a recorded voice. The ARU is used in conjunction with live Customer Service Representatives. A toll-free Training ARU (1-866-328-4208) is also available for recipients in counties choosing mail-based conversion.

Automated Teller Machine (ATM) is a cash machine found at banks, stores, and many other places that allows a recipient to access cash benefits and check the balance of his or her EBT cash account.

Case Number is the number assigned by a county welfare department to an individual or family receiving benefits. This number determines which day of the month an individual's or family's food stamp and/or cash benefits will become available.

Cash (Benefits) Stagger refers to the three-calendar-day period at the beginning of each month in which recipients' cash benefits will become available with EBT cards, in counties that are participating in cash EBT. The first day of availability of a recipient's benefits will be based on the last digit of his or her case number.

CBO is the acronym for community-based organization. The CBOs referred to in this Guide are primarily those that serve low-income clients.

Citicorp Electronic Financial Services, Inc. (aka Citicorp or CEFS) is the commercial institution that the State has contracted with to provide EBT services in California. It was the only company to bid on the California project and is currently providing EBT services in over 30 other states. Citicorp subcontracts with several other companies to provide many EBT-related services.

Citicorp Helpline is a toll-free customer service number available for use by recipients to ask questions about their EBT accounts. The majority of calls to the Helpline will be answered by an ARU. The toll-free number is 1-877-328-9677.

Conversion is the term that describes the initial process of transitioning recipients from paper food stamp coupons and checks (in cash EBT counties) to the EBT system. The two types of conversion in EBT are "mail-based" and "over-the-counter."

County Readiness Guide is a document prepared by the State EBT Project to assist counties in the EBT implementation process. Valuable information can be found in this document for advocates, as well. The Guide can be found at the State's EBT Project website at www.ebtproject.ca.gov.

County Welfare Department (CWD) is the primary county entity that will implement EBT in a given county. Official names of CWDs vary by county (e.g., Alameda County Social Services Agency, Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services, Solano County Health & Social Services, Yolo County Department of Employment & Social Services, etc.).

Customer Service Representatives (CSRs) staff the Citicorp Helpline for some of the "supported" languages.

Designated Alternate Cardholder (DAC) is a person chosen by a recipient to receive an EBT card and PIN to access the recipient's cash benefits.

Direct Deposit of a recipient's cash benefits into his or her personal bank account is a recipient option available in most counties. Cash aid recipients in most counties may choose this as an alternative to receiving their cash benefits through the EBT system.

Eligibility Systems are the computer systems used by counties to determine eligibility for cash assistance and Food Stamp programs. Examples of eligibility systems
are LEADER, C-IV, ISAWS, and WCDS.

Ethnic Retailers are retailers that serve ethnic communities and are most often owned and operated by limited English proficient (LEP) speakers. These retailers may need additional outreach and assistance in transitioning to the EBT system.

Exemption is an option available in cash EBT counties allowing a person to request not to use EBT for cash benefits due to hardship. An exemption for hardship can also be requested from the cash stagger so that a recipient may receive all of his or her cash benefits on the first day of the month, instead of the second or third day of the month. Another term used for an exemption to cash EBT (not the cash stagger) is "opt-out."
Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is the branch of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) that administers the Food Stamp Program and certifies retailers to participate in the program. Only FNS certified retailers are authorized to accept and redeem food stamp benefits.

Food Stamp Program is a federal nutrition assistance program that provides households with incomes equal to or less than 130% of the poverty level (based on the federal poverty guidelines) with assistance to purchase food. The USDA administers the program.

Food Stamp (Benefits) Stagger refers to the 10-calendar-day period at the beginning of each month in which a recipient's food stamp benefits will become available through the EBT card. The first day of availability of a recipient's benefits will be based on the last digit of his or her case number.

Golden State Advantage Card is the official name of California's EBT card.

"Go-Live" Date was the term used to refer to the first day of the month that benefits would be available through EBT in a given county. This led to confusion for some retailers in the pilot counties who were not EBT-ready in the month before conversion when new applicants (and some others) were receiving EBT cards to access benefits. Now see "'Soft Go-Live' Date.'"

Invitation to Partner (ITP) refers to the document used by the State EBT Project to solicit bids from private contractors to implement and run the EBT system in California. Valuable information is contained in this document about the details of the EBT system. Part of the ITP can be found on the State EBT Project's website at www.ebtproject.ca.gov.

"Kid Card" or "Kiddie Card" refers to a secondary EBT card that can be used by a recipient to give to a child (or other person) to access a limited amount of benefits. No state, including California, has yet adopted this concept.

Language Line refers to the AT&T Language Line service that Citicorp will use on its Helpline to assist some LEP recipients.

Limited English Proficient (LEP) refers to people with limited English skills. Many issues involving EBT implementation and usage require special consideration for LEP recipients and merchants.

Mail-Based Conversion refers to the process of distributing EBT cards, PINs, and training materials to recipients through the mail, rather than in the benefits office, as is done in "over-the-counter" conversion. Each county must choose which conversion method it will use to transition its caseload to the EBT system.

Manual Transaction refers to a food stamp EBT transaction using a paper (manual) voucher. There are no manual transactions for cash EBT.

Mobile Vendors are usually small non-FNS certified retailers who sell groceries in various neighborhoods.

MPP stands for the Manual of Policies and Procedures of the California Department of Social Services. The MPP contains the state regulations governing EBT.

Non-Use Reports are reports provided by Citicorp to the State and counties to identify which recipients have not used their new EBT cards within the first 10 days and then again within the first 30 days after conversion. This list helps the county to follow up with these recipients and might help identify recipient populations not being served well by the new system.

Ongoing Issuance refers to the procedures that will be used after EBT conversion to issue new and replacement EBT cards, provide training, and offer ongoing support for recipients using the EBT system.

"Opt-in" and "Opt-out" are terms coined by advocates to refer to the choice of a cash aid recipient to receive his or her benefits through the EBT system or not. Advocates asked that the choice be given to some recipients to "opt-in" to the cash EBT system, rather than be automatically moved to the EBT system. The request was denied. Instead, recipients can request to "opt-out" of the system for their cash benefits if they can show hardship. To do so, a recipient must request an "exemption" from the county welfare department.

Over-the-Counter Conversion refers to the process of distributing EBT cards and PINs to recipients by requiring them to come into a benefits office, rather than receiving the cards and PINs through the mail, as is done in "mail-based" conversion. Each county must choose which conversion method it will use to transition its caseload to the EBT system.

Pilot Counties for California are Alameda County and Yolo County. These counties were used to "pilot" or "test" the EBT system for California. Recipients in the pilot counties began using EBT in the summer of 2002.

PIN (Personal Identification Number) is a four-number secret code that a recipient must use with his or her EBT card to access benefits. The PIN is not required for manual voucher transactions. A recipient may call the Citicorp Helpline to change his or her PIN, but must give his or her Social Security Number and date of birth to do so.

POS (Point-of-Sale) Machine is a device that reads EBT cards and allows recipients to buy food with food stamp benefits or make purchases with cash benefits. Some stores may also allow recipients to get cash at a POS machine with or without a purchase.

Primary Account Number (PAN) is an individualized number that will appear on each EBT card, in addition to a recipient's case number.

Protective Payee is a person who acts on behalf of a recipient and receives the recipient's cash aid payment.

Quest Group is the name of the company that has been subcontracted by Citicorp to provide some EBT conversion-related services. In particular, this company is responsible for providing EBT training to recipients and county staff. This is entirely separate from the Quest Mark.

Quest Mark refers to the sign recipients should see on store doors/windows, check-out lanes, POS machines, and ATMs to indicate that EBT cards can be used at that store or machine. There are special pictures on the Quest sign that tell recipients which benefits can be used at that location: food stamps only, cash benefits only, or both.

Replacement Cards are available to recipients who lose or have their cards stolen. There is no cost to the recipient for the replacement card, however, any benefits lost or stolen from the recipient's account, using the PIN, prior to the recipient reporting the card lost or stolen to the Citicorp Helpline, will not be replaced. Damaged cards will also be replaced at no cost to the recipient.

Roll-Out is a term used to describe when a given county is transitioning to EBT.

"Soft Go-Live" Date refers to a day in the month before a county's conversion to EBT when it will start to issue EBT cards to certain recipients, such as new applicants.

Stagger see "Cash (Benefits) Stagger" or "Food Stamp (Benefits) Stagger."

"State" is used throughout this Guide to refer to the California EBT Project and/or the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) and/or the Health and Human Services Data Center (HHSDC). The California EBT Project consists of staff from both CDSS and HHSDC.

Surcharge is a fee that recipients will pay at some ATM and POS machines. Each bank or store has the option of whether to provide EBT recipients with free cash withdrawal service or to charge a surcharge for this service. The average ATM surcharge is $1.50. Retailers are not supposed to charge a surcharge greater than what they charge regular debit cardholders for using their POS machines. A surcharge for using food stamp benefits is never allowed.

Third Party Processor (TPP) is a company that some stores will contract with to process their POS transactions and settle their EBT accounts.

Transaction Fee is an $0.85 fee that recipients will pay to Citicorp when using an ATM to access cash, if they make more than four cash-only withdrawals from ATMs or POS machines within the month. This fee will be in addition to any surcharge.

Walk-In Training Centers are training locations in counties choosing mail-based conversion. For a short period during the conversion process, each mail-based county will offer "hands-on" training at walk-in training sites to recipients who desire such training.