SNAP and Work First New Jersey recipients have 90 days to activate replacement cards, while existing cards expire 60 days after the new cards are issued.
MORRISTOWN, NJ – New Jersey has begun statewide distribution of chip-enabled Electronic Benefit Transfer cards to residents enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or Work First New Jersey, expanding a security upgrade first tested in Cumberland, Essex and Mercer counties.
The new cards can be inserted or tapped at compatible payment terminals, reducing reliance on magnetic-stripe transactions that are more vulnerable to skimming. Skimmers are illegally installed devices that capture card information and personal identification numbers, allowing stolen data to be used to drain benefit accounts.
The change is especially important because federal authority and funding to replace electronically stolen SNAP benefits ended in December 2024. A household whose benefits are stolen may therefore face a loss that cannot be reimbursed under the former federal replacement program.
Benefits will transfer automatically to the new card. Recipients have 90 days from receipt to activate it. If the replacement card is not activated within that period, the recipient must request another card before using benefits.
The existing card expires 60 days after the new card is issued, which creates a shorter practical deadline for households that want uninterrupted access. The state’s current card-information page says old cards for recipients outside the three pilot counties will stop working on October 20, 2026. Once the new card is activated, the old one should be destroyed.
The expiration date printed on the replacement card applies to the card, not to benefits already in the account. The new design also moves the cardholder’s name and card number to the back and adds a three-digit security code.
The Department of Human Services said the earlier three-county pilot produced more than 100,000 chip transactions, 41,000 tap-to-pay transactions and 56,000 online purchases. Those figures show that the cards can be used across several payment methods, although some retailers may still require a swipe when newer readers are unavailable.
Cardholders can lock and unlock a card through NJ Families First or the ConnectEBT app. Human Services says ConnectEBT is the only app approved for New Jersey EBT accounts. Recipients should be cautious of similarly named apps, check balances regularly and avoid sharing a PIN by phone, text or email.
Account notices and some case actions are also available through MyNJHelps. Residents who have not received a replacement card, whose card was sent to an old address or who miss the activation window should contact their county social-service agency rather than relying on an unsolicited message or link.