Troubleshooting Common EBT Errors

Why EBT Transactions Fail

A common issue occurs when a shopper swipes or inserts their Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card before you (the cashier) select the correct EBT payment type on the POS screen. This premature action confuses the payment terminal and causes the transaction to fail.

Here is how the terminal reacts depending on the card type and how you can resolve the issue.

EBT Cash Errors

1. If a card with a Cash benefit is swiped too early, the terminal will try to run it as a standard debit card.

2. The transaction will be canceled.

3. You must re-select "EBT Cash" from the Complete Payment screen for the shopper to try the payment again.

EBT SNAP Errors

1. If a card for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits is swiped or inserted too early, the terminal may get stuck.

2. The terminal might ask the shopper to do the opposite action (e.g., if they swiped, it may prompt: “Insert Card”).

3. This happens because the terminal doesn't know it’s a SNAP transaction yet.

Best Practice: Preventing Premature Swipes

To prevent these common EBT errors, your store should implement the following steps:

• Wait for the Prompt. Add a sign at the payment terminal instructing shoppers to wait for the cashier's prompt before swiping or inserting their card.

• Use the Keypad Selection. Encourage shoppers to first select their desired EBT option ("EBT SNAP" or "EBT Cash") from the More Options menu on the payment keypad. This automatically notifies your POS screen, ensuring the transaction works correctly the first time.
  
  
  
  

EBT Balance Shown After Insufficient Funds

When a shopper attempts a purchase but the available balance on their EBT card is less than the total transaction amount, an Insufficient Funds error occurs.

The payment terminal system should clearly display the following information to the shopper upon this error:

1. A clear Payment Error message, such as: "Insufficient Funds: 116 (Processor Error)."

2. The exact remaining balance on the EBT card, labeled Available Balance.
   
   

By immediately displaying the remaining balance (e.g., Available Balance: $45.23), the shopper can quickly decide whether to Try Again, Change Payment Method to cover the difference, or remove some items to complete the purchase.