In this article we are going to address what you may or may not know about how easy it is to increase your sales using State run programs WIC and EBT. If you think about it, these are customers who have a limited area they can spend money, and for what they can spend it on. If you are a bakery or provide services that fall within these guidelines, you can increase your sales just by accepting WIC and EBT payments, with just a little marketing
WIC is a Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). They provide Federal grants to States for supplemental foods, similar to SNAP or food stamps. These public assistance food supplementation programs are redeemed and reconciled using an EBT card. Food products can then be purchased with an EBT card. In this article we will explore how accept WIC EBT will increase your bakery sales.
When considering accepting WIC EBT at your business, it is important to note that only specific food products are eligible for this program. Additionally, your bakery must be approved to accept these payments. Fortunately, the EBT acceptance program is easy to sign up for and straightforward. Essentially, your bakery must do at least 50% of its sales of EBT eligible foods or you must offer three of the four food categories eligible on a daily basis: grains and bread; fruits and vegetables; dairy; and meat, poultry and fish.
WIC EBT benefit holders frequently research locations they can redeem these benefits at. By accepting WIC EBT at your bakery, you will open the door to more business that you otherwise wouldn’t have received. Additionally, your current customers who have EBT cards will then be able to use these benefits with you as well. Which means they may end up spending more at your bakery and inspire their loyalty to your business. These chances will go up if you place signage at your bakery and list online that you accept WIC EBT.
At first glance, these supplemental programs are only seen as programs for the needy in the community. But what most business owners don’t realize is how these platforms provide a large amount of revenue for retailers that accept these programs. Bakeries that accept EBT cards are essentially receiving payment from customers who aren’t paying - so this will increase the likelihood of higher ticket sales and revenue that they otherwise wouldn’t have gotten.
Now that we know that accepting WIC EBT will increase sales and is relatively easy to sign up for, the next topic to review would be what accepting them at your bakery would actually look like. With Cafe Cartel, WIC EBT payment options are assigned to the eligible items in inventory. Then, once a cashier rings an order up, they can select the payment option button in CCS. From here, cashiers will see the total of the order and the amount eligible for WIC/EBT. By selecting the WIC button for example, it would then allow the cashier to accept the WIC payment via the terminal or it will just apply a payment on the transaction. This will then apply the amount and update the balance due. From here, the cashier will accept payment as usual.
As you can see, Cafe Cartel provides an easy system for accepting and remaining compliant with WIC and EBT payments. Below is a video detailing the step-by-step process for setting this up in CCS. For more information on industry related features or to speak with an industry consultant, please call 866-973-8099 or request a quote today.