WIC Direct - The EBT Solution

WIC Direct is the groundbreaking, online WIC EBT system developed by CDP, Inc. in partnership with the United States Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service and the Kentucky WIC Program. WIC Direct streamlines the existing WIC paper food instrument system for participants, retailers, and program staff through the use of modern, web-based technologies. Instead of paper benefit instruments, WIC participants use magnetic stripe cards in the checkout lane to obtain food benefits. The system improves in-lane flow at retail locations, provides better tracking of WIC benefit balances, and reduces paperwork for program staff. Additionally, WIC Direct expedites end-of day, electronic reconciliation and enhances reporting capabilities for retailers and WIC program staff on both the state and national levels.
Transferrable and Affordable
Now in pilot for almost eleven months, the WIC Direct System is meeting one of the primary goals of the Kentucky project—to be a transferrable, affordable online WIC EBT system that other states or WIC authorities can operate—either in-house or outsourced—within their NSA grant. Recent statistics from the Kentucky pilot area indicate that program food costs have been reduced by almost $10 per participant. This reduction of food costs can largely be attributed to the fact that the WIC Direct System allows participants to shop as often as they wish and purchase as many or as few food products as they wish.
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