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California first state to issue ChipTap EBT cards; rollout reduces reported thefts but retail updates lag
Summary
CDSS and OTSI told the Senate subcommittee that California has replaced magnetic‑stripe EBT cards with chip‑enabled cards to reduce electronic skimming; officials said about 4 million cards were replaced and early indicators show reduced theft although most retail transactions currently fall back to magstripe until retailers update terminals.
California is the first state in the nation to deliver EBT benefits through chip‑enabled (ChipTap) cards, Department of Social Services officials told the Senate Budget Subcommittee 3 during a hearing on benefits technology and security.
Ryan Gillette, Chief Data Officer and deputy director for CDSS’s Research, Automation and Data Division, said the state completed mass card deployment in late February 2025 and that "as of April 30, all clients have been issued new cards that include chip tap functionality." Gillette said roughly 4,000,000 magnetic‑stripe cards were replaced, and that local county offices can print…
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