MARYLAND - The state of Maryland is officially rolling out new "Chip-and-Tap" Electronic Benefit Transfer cards, Governor Wes Moore announced on Thursday. The new cards will be equipped with Europay, Mastercard and Visa chip-and-tap technology from the Maryland Department of Human Services.
The new cards will have secure chip-and-tap technology. (Office of Governor Moore)
Maryland is officially the fourth state in the country to try this new security protocol, the office of Governor Moore says. Amid a national rise in credit card scams, chip-enabled cards give customers an extra layer of security and prevents unauthorized parties from access.
"We are laser focused on providing accessible and secure relief to hardworking families,” said Gov. Moore. “These fraud-resistant ‘chip-and-tap’ cards are a major step towards that goal, as our administration works tirelessly to make life more affordable for Marylanders and leave no one behind.”
Current EBT holders will automatically receive their new chip-enabled cards in the mail over the course of the next three weeks. DHS encourages customers to activate new cards immediately upon arrival. Once a customer activates their new card, their previous magnetic stripe card will automatically deactivate. Benefit balances will remain untouched and transfer automatically.
All current EBT magnetic stripe cards will be deactivated on Sept. 30.
