New SNAP restrictions from the USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) are now in effect, introducing important policy changes that redefine how retailers must apply purchase limitations\u2014particularly for items like candy, sugary drinks, and other state\u2011regulated products. If your store accepts SNAP, these updates may require adjustments to your POS system, staff training, and overall compliance procedures in the months ahead.<\/p>\n
Below is a clear breakdown of what\u2019s changing, what retailers must do, and how to stay compliant.
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USDA FNS has issued new guidance clarifying how retailers must apply purchase restrictions in states that have been approved for SNAP Food Restriction Waivers. These restrictions center on certain \u201cunhealthy\u201d or non\u2011nutritive products\u2014such as candy, sweetened beverages, and other items defined by each state\u2019s approved waiver.<\/p>\n
The policy memo<\/a> explains the compliance expectations for retailers and how enforcement will be carried out once waivers take effect.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Retailers serving multiple states\u2014or fulfilling delivery orders across state lines\u2014should pay close attention to this distinction.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n To remain compliant, retailers should begin preparing ahead of enforcement.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n For states with approved SNAP Food Restriction Waivers<\/a>:<\/p>\n Retailers should use the grace period to finalize POS updates, staff training, and internal audits.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n FNS has outlined progressive enforcement measures:<\/p>\n Please review your systems and processes to ensure compliance with new SNAP restrictions. For full details, visit the USDA FNS website<\/a> or refer to the recent NACS article<\/a> on new SNAP regulations.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n States define their own list of restricted products based on USDA\u2011approved waiver guidelines, which can be found on the USDA FNS website<\/a>. Examples include:<\/p>\n Retailers should check the USDA FNS website<\/a> to confirm the exact product list for each applicable state.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n For full details on the new SNAP restrictions, visit the USDA FNS website<\/a> or refer to the recent NACS article.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n Retailers needing help upgrading their POS system or for general questions about the new SNAP restrictions, can contact goEBT by CDE at 877-418-7957<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" New SNAP restrictions from the USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) are now in effect, introducing important policy changes that redefine how retailers must apply purchase limitations\u2014particularly for items like candy, sugary drinks, and other state\u2011regulated products. If your store accepts SNAP, these updates may require adjustments to your POS system, staff training, and overall […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":246,"featured_media":33619,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[240,239,1,237,246,247],"tags":[205,213,202,201,196,200,209],"class_list":["post-34703","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-c-stores","category-grocers","category-important-announcement","category-payments","category-retailer-trends","category-snap-benefits","tag-industry-news","tag-industry-news-payments","tag-retailer-trends","tag-retailer-trends-c-stores-convenience-stores","tag-retailer-trends-for-grocers","tag-retailer-trends-for-qsrs","tag-snap-ebt-tips-for-retailers"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/goebt.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34703","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/goebt.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/goebt.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goebt.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/246"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goebt.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=34703"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/goebt.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34703\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34711,"href":"https:\/\/goebt.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34703\/revisions\/34711"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goebt.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/33619"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/goebt.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34703"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goebt.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=34703"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goebt.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=34703"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}What Do SNAP Retailers Need to Know About the New SNAP Restrictions?<\/h2>\n
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How Can Retailers Prepare for the New SNAP Restrictions?<\/h2>\n
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Enforcement Timeline<\/h2>\n
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Consequences for Non-Compliance<\/h2>\n
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Examples of Common Restricted Items<\/h2>\n
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Where Retailers Can Learn More<\/h2>\n
How goEBT by CDE Can Help<\/h2>\n