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BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) – Louisiana is one of five states chosen to be a part of a pilot program from the USDA Food and Nutrition Service and Louisiana. SNAP Mobile Payment Pilot will let those that receive SNAP and D-SNAP benefits access EBT benefits as soon as they’re approved without waiting on a card in the mail.

The Department of Children and Family Services is looking for retailers who would like to help put this program into service. According to a DCFS news release, the new technology would allow EBT benefit recipients to “use mobile payment methods like tapping or scanning their personal mobile device.” You can learn more about the mobile payment pilot program here.

“We are thrilled to be chosen to participate in the SNAP Mobile Payment Pilot,” said DCFS Secretary Terri Ricks. “Over the past few years, we’ve focused on ways of using technology to make SNAP applications and purchases easier for the families we serve, including through text messaging reminders, a mobile app for managing benefits, online SNAP purchasing and even a virtual D-SNAP process following disasters. The goal of the Mobile Payment Pilot is to build on these efforts by making purchases more convenient and reducing the time involved in receiving access to benefits.”

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