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Retailer Participation

All authorized Food Stamp Program retailers may participate in EBT. J.P. Morgan EFS is the only company officially providing free equipment on behalf of the State of California. Sales representatives from other companies providing POS equipment and transaction processing services may contact you. You are free to evaluate all commercial options and select the vendor of your choice.

If a retailer already has POS equipment, EBT transactions can be processed through the retailer’s existing equipment once the hardware is set up / programmed to accommodate EBT transactions. This can be done without any prior authorization or approval from either the State or federal government.

If a retailer does not currently have POS equipment, options include:

• Commercial POS equipment – Equipment that can process debit cards and credit cards in addition to EBT cards. Retailers make arrangements with commercial providers for this type of equipment. Retailers are responsible for all costs associated with operating commercial POS equipment.
  
  
• EBT-only POS equipment – Equipment provided by J.P. Morgan EFS on behalf of the California EBT Project that processes food stamp and cash assistance EBT transactions ONLY. Retailers authorized to participate in the Food Stamp Program may select this option at no cost for equipment or training.
  
  

For a list of cash access at ATMs and retailers, click here.