USDA Information

United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service Resources (USDA FNS) eWIC Requirements

USDA FNS provides two publications that govern WIC EBT processing standards for all entities involved. These are the Operating Rules Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) and the WIC EBT Technical Implementation Guide (TIG). The guidelines establish a framework for consistent procedures and implementations by State agencies and their participating retail vendors.

The guidelines have been developed at the request and input of WIC State agencies, food retail vendors, EBT processors, third party processors, payment terminal device manufacturers and cash register software manufacturers.

The Operating Rules provide a framework for the initiation and continuing operation of a WIC EBT program. It lays groundwork to provide services consistently regardless of the Processor or location of the WIC vendor. It addresses the operation of WIC EBT for all entities, including: WIC Authorities, WIC Cardholders, retail system providers, WIC Vendors, Acquirers and the Processors for these entities.

The TIG consists of the specific implementation guidelines of the X9.93 standards for parties processing a specific subset of EBT Transactions. The TIG applies to retail merchants, POS system integrators, cash register vendors, POS terminal vendors, third party processors and EBT Card Issuer processors.

If you are an authorized Alabama WIC Vendor your cash register system/point-of-sale representative will be familiar with these documents. They will utilize these documents to integrate eWIC into your existing system.

These documents are available on the USDA FNS website: WIC Operating Rules and Technical Implementation Guide.