Overview 

A federal mandate has been put in place by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the federal office that funds WIC Services, for all WIC agencies across the nation to be Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) compliant by the year 2020. In order to meet this mandate, South Carolina WIC has been working to implement a new eWIC card system into the state.

What does this mean?

By the year 2020, all participants in the South Carolina WIC program will no longer receive paper vouchers. All WIC families will receive an eWIC card to use at participating stores to receive their food items prescribed by WIC. This transition will make it easier for both grocery store staff and WIC participants to use their benefits at check out and help remove confusion about what is WIC approved.

When will you receive your eWIC card?

Once the transition period begins from paper vouchers to eWIC cards, participants will receive their card at their first visit to the clinic after eWIC is implemented in their region. Participants will automatically be issued a card during their visit and will keep the same card while certified with the WIC program.

Do you need to replace your card at each visit?

No. Once your family has received their eWIC card, there is no need to have it replaced unless it is lost or stolen. Each time a new set of food benefits are issued, the computer system will automatically update your card. It's similar to a debit card and a direct deposit. Each family will have one card eliminating the need to keep up with multiple participants' food vouchers. If a new person joins the family, they will be added to the existing family's eWIC card.

Benefits of eWIC for the WIC Customer

• Only one card per family
• No more keeping track of paper vouchers 
• Automatic benefit updates
• Participants can purchase items over multiple visits each month 
• More secure; eWIC card is PIN protected
• Ease at checkout; WIC approved items are pre-loaded into the store's system and will be taken off of your card automatically
• No need to separate transactions of WIC approved foods and your other purchases 
• Mobile app will soon be available to track your used and remaining benefits

For updates on when eWIC is coming to your area, please see below.