Before discussing the cost of interoperability between EBT projects, it is important to explain the advantages of interoperability. To provide a foundation for the discussion of interoperability between projects, the paper will begin by explaining the advantages of interoperability within a project. Just as commercial debit cards can be used at terminals other than those deployed by the bank that issued the card, EBT cards in an interoperable system can be used at terminals other than those deployed by the issuing financial institution. Most of the volume in EBT systems will be generated by these intraoperable transactions, which are routed, or switched within the EBT project. Software does not have to be reprogrammed to accommodate differences in state programs, and policies and procedures can be followed without having to tailor them to each state.
Standardization helps keep EBT project costs to a minimum.
Retain Benefit Portability - Currently, federal policy assures that food stamp recipients can use their coupons in any state. It is important to ensure that this policy of assuring benefit portability is preserved as governments progress from paper to electronic disbursement. Further, without benefit portability, the cost effectiveness and efficiency of an EBT system is eroded. The Federal Government, for instance, would still have to print food stamp coupons for recipients that move out of a state in the middle of a month to ensure that they have access to their entire monthly benefit. In addition, recipients who must travel out of necessity, to visit a sick relative, for instance, would be at a significant disadvantage without interoperability.