More than 294,000 of Maryland’s roughly 507,000 EBT cardholders — 58% — had activated their new, more secure “chip-and-tap” cards as of Aug. 23, according to Gov. Wes Moore’s office, which is now expanding its outreach campaign to reach the remaining households before an approaching deadline.
Customers have until Sept. 30 to activate their new cards; after that date, the old magnetic-stripe-only cards will be deactivated. Officials emphasized that current benefit balances will remain unchanged and transfer automatically regardless of when a customer switches. Since the transition was first announced in May, the Department of Human Services (DHS) says emails, texts, and a new EBT updates landing page have generated more than 3.8 million customer touchpoints.
DHS is now running a targeted “Don’t Wait, Activate” ad campaign across Meta platforms featuring Gov. Moore. “Marylanders have secure access to the vital services they need to put food on the table,” Moore said of the effort. Acting DHS Secretary Stacy L. Rodgers added that the new cards carry updated security features while still accessing the same benefits.
Maryland became the fourth state in the country to adopt EMV chip-and-tap EBT technology when it launched the statewide rollout in July, following a pilot program run with the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Anne Arundel County, Baltimore City, and Dorchester County. That pilot recorded a 92% transaction approval rate across 1,049 activated cards, generating more than $191,000 in retail activity and $130,000 in financial transactions — roughly half of them tap or chip transactions. DHS also found that 98% of Maryland EBT customers live within 10 miles of a chip-enabled retailer.
The chip-enabled cards are designed to guard against “skimming” and other theft tactics that have risen nationally, adding a security layer that legacy magnetic-stripe cards lack.
The activation push is one of several recent DHS efforts around food assistance. Earlier this month, the department launched an interactive tool connecting SNAP customers with what it calls the state’s largest-ever network of SNAP workforce development partners. In late July, DHS also released a data dashboard tracking the impact of new federal restrictions on Marylanders’ SNAP benefits.
Customers can activate their cards, check balances, and manage accounts through the ebtEDGE Cardholder Portal or the ebtEDGE app for iOS and Android, though registration isn’t required for activation. Officials cautioned customers against using third-party apps to manage benefits. Anyone with questions or issues can contact EBT Vendor Services at 1-800-997-2222, or visit dhs.maryland.gov/ebt-updates for more information.
