GRANT PROGRAMS AND EQUIPMENT OPTIONS
Grant Programs There is a nationwide USDA-funded grant program that connects Maryland farmers markets and direct-marketing farmers with free SNAP/EBT equipment to process SNAP/EBT, P-EBT, eWIC, MMM e- incentives (if applicable) and credit/debit transactions. MarketLink, a program of NAFMNP contracted by USDA to provide SNAP/EBT acceptance equipment and technical assistance, offers direct-marketing farmers and farmers markets a "bring your own device" mobile app-based system for accepting SNAP/EBT, eWIC, credit/debit, and MMM e-incentives. MarketLink provides a free one-year subscription to TotilPay Go, a mobile app-based SNAP/EBT processing platform and costs $19.95/month or $191.40/year (20% savings vs month- to-month) after that. There are never any per-transaction fees for SNAP/EBT, eWIC, or e-incentives sales, but there are fees for credit/debit, which can be processed through Square or Worldpay. The MarketLink program offers extensive technical assistance, including with the USDA SNAP Retailer Authorization application. Learn more at MarketLink. Note: Those who do not qualify for MarketLink's free equipment program have the option to lease MarketLink's app-based equipment and enjoy MarketLink's no per- transaction fees for SNAP/EBT sales and other nationally negotiated benefits.
SNAP/EBT Equipment Options To spend their benefits, a SNAP recipient swipes their SNAP/EBT card on a SNAP-authorized retailer’s Point-Of-Sale (POS) device. A POS can be obtained in multiple ways. As an authorized SNAP retailer, you have the option of obtaining your equipment through available grants which can offset the cost for you, or you can choose to procure a POS through the merchant services department of your bank or other companies that sell POS equipment. Make sure if you choose to obtain your equipment outside of the available grant opportunities, that the POS device option you choose is already enabled to accept SNAP/EBT transactions. Online SNAP for Farmers Markets and Direct-Marketing Farmers MarketLink has also been contracted by USDA to pilot an online SNAP acceptance platform. As of the date of publication of this guide, MarketLink is in the final testing phase with USDA FNS’s Online Purchasing Pilot. Online SNAP acceptance will be available through the eCommerce platform GrownBy. The MarketLink and GrownBy teams will provide technical assistance in getting set up and similar to the mobile SNAP equipment grant funded by USDA, the online SNAP grant will cover one year of the processing and eCommerce platform fees. Learn more at Marketlink.
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