Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): Mobile Payment Pilots (MPPs)

FNS must evaluate the data and observations collected and determine whether it is feasible to implement this technology nation-wide, whether further study is required before doing so, or if implementation is not in the best interest of the program, and submit report to report to Congress with the basis of its findings. This information collection is necessary because Congress has specifically mandated that approval and subsequent evaluation of MPPs by State agencies must occur before FNS can fulfill its broader statutory obligations to allow mobile payment technology in SNAP nation-wide. Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) plans to authorize the use of mobile payment technology for accessing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits through smart phones, tablets, and other personal mobile devices in place of Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards. However, in order to implement this statutory requirement, FNS must approve up to 5 proposals from SNAP State agencies (State agencies) to conduct Mobile Payment Pilots (MPPs) that test the use of mobile payment technology in SNAP and meet several sets of requirements outlined in the Code, such as providing protections to participants that is similar to existing EBT technology, providing price parity between foods purchased with mobile payment technology and those purchased by other methods, ensuring adequate documentation and security measures to deter fraud, and other criteria as determined by FNS.

The latest form for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): Mobile Payment Pilots (MPPs) expires 2028-07-31 and can be found here.

Individuals/Households SNAP Recipients (Respondents)

Federal Enterprise Architecture: Income Security - Food and Nutrition Assistance