Demonstrating ROI in Snap Through The EBT Card / Chip Card Use Case

SNAP fraud and benefit theft create costs that extend far beyond the value of fraudulent transactions. This ATARC white paper examines how chip-enabled EBT cards, stronger point-of-sale controls, identity verification, and analytics can reduce fraud while maintaining access for legitimate beneficiaries. It presents an ROI framework covering prevented, detected, and recovered losses, operational efficiencies, public trust, and participant experience. Drawing on state implementation examples, including California, the paper explores measurable benefits, implementation barriers, privacy and accessibility considerations, and policy options for modernizing SNAP card security nationwide.