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Appendix C - eWIC Function and Service Requirements Table of Contents
| 1 General Requirements | 3 |
| 2 Interfaces | 5 |
| 3 Food Maintenance | 9 |
| 4 Account Set Up/Maintenance | 12 |
| 5 Benefit Issuance/Maintenance | 13 |
| 6 Card Productions and Management | 16 |
| 7 Card and PIN Issuance | 19 |
| 8 Transaction Processing | 24 |
| 9 Settlement and Reconciliation | 28 |
| 10 Administrative System Functionality | 36 |
| 11 Vendor Management | 42 |
| 12 Cardholder, Vendor and State Support Services | 61 |
| 13 System Reporting | 72 |
| 14 System Security Functionality | 78 |
| 15 Contract Transition and System Conversion | 83 |
| 16 Testing | 90 |
| 17 Documentation | 95 |
| 18 Service Level Requirements | 112 |
| 19 Remedies / Change Requests | 118 |
| Req. # |
| Function/Service |
| Req’d (R) Pref’d (P) Opt’l (O) |
| Offeror Complies: Y/N |
| Comment |
General Requirements eWIC Standards
| The eWIC system shall meet all applicable federal and state regulations, including WIC Regulations 7 CFR Part 246. |
| R |
| The eWIC system shall conform to the current version of the South Dakota WIC-IT MIS-EBT interface specification based on the FNS WIC Universal MIS-EBT Interface (WUMEI) 2022 specification. https://fns-prod.azureedge.us/sites/default/files/resource-files/WIC-WUMEI-062022.pdf |
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| The eWIC system shall conform to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) Operating Rules for WIC EBT Version 3.0 dated 2025 and future updates. https://fns-prod.azureedge.us/sites/default/files/resource-files/wic-ebt-operatingRules3.0-v6-022525.pdf |
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The eWIC system shall conform to the FNS WIC EBT Technical Implementation Guide (TIG) dated September 2018 and future updates. https://fns-prod.azureedge.us/sites/default/files/wic/WICEBTTechnicalImplementationGuide2018.pdf
R
The eWIC system shall conform to the most recent versions of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) X9.93 - 2022 standards, (ANSI) X9.131-2015 R2022 standards, and future updates as described in the TIG 2018. https://fns-prod.azureedge.us/sites/default/files/wic/WICEBTTechnicalImplementationGuide2018.pdf ANSI X9.131-2015 (R2022) - Financial Transaction Messages - Electronic Benefits Transfer EBT - WIC Retailer Interface R
| The eWIC system and the eWIC Service Provider shall uphold the confidentiality of WIC participant information and WIC Retailer information to the extent required by §246.26 of the WIC Regulations (7 CFR Part 246). At the request of the State Agency, to assist in fraud investigations, the contractor shall provide vendor banking information. |
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In the following order of precedence, the eWIC system shall process transactions in compliance with:
· 7 CFR Part 246 and FNS WIC memos, bulletins, and guidance
· FNS Operating Rules for WIC EBT
· Prevailing industry technical and performance standards R
| The eWIC Service Provider shall provide, at no cost to the State Agency, any eWIC system software enhancements or upgrades developed on behalf of other WIC State Agencies. The eWIC Service provider shall notify the State Agency of these enhancements. The State Agency may at their option elect to implement these enhancements. |
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| eWIC Service Provider shall provide, at no cost to the State Agency, any federal required software enhancements or upgrades (e.g. WIC Online Ordering and Transactions and Food Delivery Revisions to Meet the Needs of a Modern, Data-Driven Program). https://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/fr-022323 |
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| eWIC Service Provider shall be in compliance with the WIC federal procurement clauses as outlined in 2 CFR 200.317, Procurements by States. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-D/subject-group-ECFR45ddd4419ad436d/section-200.317 |
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Coordination with the MIS Contractor
| The eWIC Service Provider shall coordinate interface related design, development, testing, and implementation tasks as needed with the MIS contractor. |
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| The eWIC Service Provider shall schedule and conduct remote meetings with the maintenance and enhancements MIS contractor. This shall include preparation of meeting agenda and provision of meeting summaries. |
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| Req. # |
| Function/Service |
| Req’d (R) Pref’d (P) Opt’l (O) |
| Offeror |
Complies: Y/N Comment
Interfaces
Interface with the MIS
| The eWIC Service Provider shall establish secure, high-performance connectivity between the eWIC system and the MIS to accommodate available and reliable message-based and file-based system interfaces. |
| R |
| The eWIC Service Provider is expected to use SD WIC-IT MIS-EBT interface specification. It is anticipated that there will be no changes made to the SD WIC-IT system to support the interface. The eWIC system shall provide an interface documented by the eWIC service provider in an Interface Control Document and that is in the most current version that is in production and has been accepted for use in other states and is based upon the FNS WIC Universal MIS-EBT Interface. The provided interface may deviate from a published version of the FNS WIC Universal MIS-EBT Interface provided that the deviation has been accepted by other states and approved by FNS, State, and the eWIC Service Provider. |
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| The eWIC Service Provider shall establish secure, high-performance connectivity between the eWIC production and fail over systems and the MIS production system. |
| R |
| The eWIC Service Provider shall establish secure, high-performance connectivity between the eWIC production and fail over system and the MIS disaster recovery system. |
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| In the event of a difference in interpretation in the interface specification, the MIS contractor will make the final determination with consultation with the State Agency. |
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| The eWIC system shall accept and transmit data to and from the MIS in message-based interface or in batch system interface (batch files). The system shall be able to accept batch files 24 x 7 x 365, with the exception of scheduled down time. |
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The following message-based functions shall be supported:
· Add Electronic Benefit Account (EBA)
· Update EBA
· Get EBA Details
· Add or Update Benefits
· Get Benefit Balance
· Get Benefit Maintenance History
· Get Benefit Redemption History
· Add Cardholder/Card function
· Add or Update Personal Identification Number (PIN) function
· Update Card
· Get Cardholders/Cards function
· Get Card History R
The following batch file-based functions shall be supported:
· Report Card File Updates
· Add or Update Vendor
· Add or Update Category /Subcategory Information
· Add or Update Universal Product code (UPC)/ Price Look Up (PLU) Information
· Report WIC Benefit Redemptions
· Report WIC Benefit Changes
· Report Benefits Purged
· Request Automated Clearing House (ACH) Payment (optional)
· Report ACH Payments (optional)
· Batch File Confirmation R
There is potential during the life of this contract, that the SD WIC-IT system will undergo a technology refresh which would include updating the MIS-EBT interface to the version of the WUMEI current at that time. It is expected that the eWIC Service Provider would update their portion of the MIS-EBT interface in conjunction with the SD WIC-IT updates.
To the extent possible, any work already performed for another state agency to update the MIS-EBT interface to be in compliance to the current version of the WUMEI will be made available to the State Agency at no additional cost. The State Agency shall work with the eWIC Service Provider using the change request process to address any additional development costs for the interface update.
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| The eWIC system shall be available twenty-four (24) hours per day; seven (7) days per week for batch file and message transfer with the MIS and retail systems, except during scheduled maintenance. |
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| Scheduled maintenance of the eWIC system shall not exceed two (2) hours per month, unless other timeframes are agreed upon by the State Agency. Advance notice of scheduled maintenance must be provided no less than forty-eight (48) hours prior to the maintenance. |
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| Down time shall be scheduled during periods of low transactions (e.g. between 1 AM and 5 AM State Agency Local Time). This time will be defined by the State Agency with the eWIC processor during the requirements validation phase of the project. |
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| The eWIC Service Provider shall establish an annual routine maintenance schedule with the concurrence of the State agency. Any scheduled outages require 6 months advance notice unless a shorter notice period is approved by the State agency due to the urgency of the maintenance activity. |
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| The eWIC Service Provider shall provide detailed information on the maintenance tasks included in each scheduled outage. |
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Batch Files
| When eWIC system receives a batch file it shall transmit a confirmation to the sending party (MIS, vendor system, etc.) that a batch file was received. |
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| The eWIC system shall accept a confirmation from the sending party that a batch file was received. |
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| The eWIC system shall accept batch level error reports from the sending party. |
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| Batch level errors (e.g. wrong sequence, wrong record count, etc.) shall be reported by the eWIC system to the sending party. |
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| Detail record errors (e.g. provide specific record identifier and indication of specific error) shall be reported by the eWIC system to the sending party. |
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| The eWIC system shall accept detail record error reports from the sending party. |
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| If a batch file is transmitted with no records this indicates that no action is to be taken by the receiving system. |
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| Req. # |
| Function/Service |
| Req’d (R) Pref’d (P) Opt’l (O) |
| Offeror Complies: Y/N |
| Comment |
Food Maintenance
Category/Subcategory Information
| The eWIC system shall accept the initial WIC Category Sub-Category file generated by the MIS. |
| R |
| The eWIC system shall accept WIC Category Sub-Category files containing changes and/or additions to the State Agency WIC Category Sub-Category file from the MIS. |
| R |
| If the begin date is not present, then the eWIC system shall assume the current date as the effective date. |
| R |
| If an end date is not provided, then no end date shall be applied to the record by the eWIC system. |
| R |
| When Category Sub-Category deactivation (end) dates are reached, any UPCs associated with the Category Sub-Category shall also be deactivated. |
| R |
| When an end date is received by the eWIC system for a subcategory records, the eWIC system shall accept no active or future benefits associated with the subcategory on that end date before the subcategory is deactivated. |
| R |
WIC UPC/PLU/NTE Data
| The eWIC system shall accept the initial WIC UPC/PLU/ Not-to-exceed (NTE) file from the MIS that includes peer group pricing for each item following WUMEI standard. |
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| The eWIC system shall accept WIC UPC/PLU file containing changes and/or additions to the State Agency WIC UPC/PLU database that includes brand names and peer group pricing for each item. |
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| Upon receipt of the UPC/PLU, eWIC system shall validate whether the UPC/PLU record already exists for the State Agency. |
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| If the UPC/PLU record does not exist, the eWIC system shall add the UPC/PLU record. The new UPC/PLU record will become active immediately unless there is a future date, begin. |
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| If the UPC/PLU record does exist, the eWIC system shall update the existing UPC/PLU record. The UPC/PLU change will become active immediately unless there is a future date, begin. Changes include NTE updates by peer group, updates to active dates, and changes to descriptions, amounts, unit of measure or category/subcategory. |
| R |
| Upon validation, the eWIC system shall completely replace the existing UPC/PLU record with the data in the most recent UPC/PLU file. |
| R |
| In support of creating multiple Authorized Product Lists (APLs), the UPC/PLU/NTE file shall include indicators for the specific APL type for which the product shall be included. The eWIC system shall process this data and apply the UPCs/PLUs to the appropriate APL. |
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| The eWIC system shall accept the UPC/PLU files containing deactivations of specific UPCs or PLUs. |
| R |
| The eWIC system shall deactivate the existing UPCs or PLUs record on the designated end date or immediately if the designated end date is in the past. |
| R |
Access to APL
| The eWIC system shall provide user and WIC Vendor access to the APL. The MIS will generate the Category/Subcategory file and UPC/PLU file and remit to the eWIC system which will create the APL in X9.93 V4 and V2 format on a daily basis. It is expected that the V4 format will be the default, but if a vendor requires the V2 format eWIC Service Provider shall make that version available. |
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| At a minimum, the eWIC system shall generate the APL on a daily basis. |
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| The eWIC system shall generate the WIC Vendor APL file on-demand as requested by the State Agency. |
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| The APL shall not display nor contain NTE data. |
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| The eWIC system shall make the APL file available on a secure data retrieval site for download by WIC Vendors and third party processors (TPPs). |
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| The eWIC system shall provide the State Agency with user view of APL data (current and previous), including the ability to view APLs by specific dates. |
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| If multiple APLs are used by the State Agency, eWIC system shall be able to limit vendor access to specific APLs. For example, if there is a full APL and a limited APL for pharmacies, pharmacy vendors shall only be able to access the pharmacy APL. |
| R |
| The eWIC Service Provider shall provide reporting and query functionality that shall identify when a vendor last downloaded the APL. |
| R |
| The eWIC Service Provider shall provide reporting and query functionality that shall identify vendors who have not downloaded the APL within a designated period of time (i.e., have not downloaded the APL in five (5) days or more). |
| R |
| Req. # |
| Function/Service |
| Req’d (R) Pref’d (P) Opt’l (O) |
| Offeror Complies: Y/N |
| Comment |
Account Set Up/Maintenance
Create EBA
| The eWIC system shall process account set-up messages from the SD WIC-IT MIS. |
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| The eWIC system shall validate the uniqueness of the economic unit number (no duplicate IDs allowed). |
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| At a minimum, the eWIC system shall accept the type of account (e.g., household, training, compliance) and the economic unit number. |
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| The eWIC system shall be able to limit access or view of account information for user profiles based on account type. For example, a clinic user would not be able to view training or compliance accounts based on their user profile. |
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| The eWIC system shall support segregation of reporting by account type. For example, training and compliance accounts may be excluded from certain reports or reports may only include data for a specific account type. |
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| The eWIC system shall accept demographic data (if included in the account set up message). |
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| The eWIC system shall establish an EBA for the household, and assign a unique EBA identification (ID). |
| R |
Maintain EBA
| The eWIC system shall accept messages from the MIS to change the household demographic data. |
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| The eWIC system shall validate the economic unit number exists. |
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| The eWIC system shall update household demographic data. |
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| The eWIC system shall provide via message data detailed EBA information upon request from the MIS using the economic unit number or a cardholder’s primary account number (PAN). |
| R |
| Req. # |
| Function/Service |
| Req’d (R) Pref’d (P) Opt’l (O) |
| Offeror Complies: Y/N |
| Comment |
Benefit Issuance/Maintenance
Issue/Credit Benefits to the EBA
| The eWIC system shall receive and process message data of benefit issuance (credit) from the MIS in real time. |
| R |
| The eWIC system shall validate that the economic unit number and the EBA exist and are active. |
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| The eWIC system shall validate that the benefit issuance records are formatted correctly, including a valid combination of category and sub-category codes and include unique benefit IDs. |
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| The eWIC system shall, to the extent possible, reject duplicate benefit issuance and remit a message to the MIS informing the MIS of the reject and reason for reject. |
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| The eWIC system shall validate that the benefit quantity (units available) for the category code and sub-category code on a given date does not exceed the maximum balance (999.99). |
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| The eWIC system shall reject benefits whose dates are not synched with other benefit availability dates. |
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| The eWIC system shall allow an unlimited number of issuances to a household for a single month. |
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Void/Debit Benefits from the EBA
| The eWIC system shall receive and process message data of benefit voids (debits) from the MIS in real time. |
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| The eWIC system shall validate that the economic unit number and EBA exist and are active. |
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| The eWIC system shall validate that the Benefit ID, beginning benefit date and ending benefit date exactly matches the benefit information in the EBA for the categories and sub-categories to be debited. |
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| If the transaction is a void of the entire benefit then the eWIC system shall only void the benefit if there is sufficient balance to post the entire void. |
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Maintain EBA Benefits and Benefit Availability
| The eWIC system shall maintain the WIC benefit account structure, to include benefit beginning and end dates. |
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| The eWIC system shall accurately maintain EBA balances by category/sub-category. |
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| The eWIC system shall ensure that benefits being purchased are drawn from the appropriate category/sub-category. |
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| The eWIC system shall ensure that benefit accounts are not overdrawn. |
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| The eWIC system shall store and manage benefits based on the availability dates received from the MIS. |
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| The eWIC system shall ensure benefits are made available on their availability date and time (midnight). |
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| The eWIC system shall ensure that unused benefits are expired on their expiration date and time. Expiration time shall be 11:59 PM local time of the State Agency. |
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| The Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system (the automated customer service line) and cardholder portal, and Mobile App (if one is provided) must reflect accurate benefit availability based on local time of the participant based on the zip code associated with their account. |
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| Upon request from the MIS, the eWIC system shall provide to the MIS via message data the benefit balance information for a specific EBA. |
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| If benefit begin and end dates are not provided in the request, the eWIC system shall only return records where the current date is between the begin and end benefit dates. |
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Benefit History
| Upon request from the MIS, the eWIC system shall provide to the MIS via message data the benefit maintenance history for a specific EBA. |
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| The eWIC system shall validate that the economic unit number and the EBA exist. |
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| If the economic unit number is sent, then the eWIC system shall return the benefit maintenance history for the household. If a PAN is sent, then the eWIC system shall return the benefit maintenance history for the PAN. |
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| Upon request from the MIS, the eWIC system shall provide to the MIS via message data the benefit redemption history for a specific EBA. |
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| The eWIC system shall validate that the economic unit number and EBA exist. |
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| If the economic unit number is sent, then the eWIC system shall return the benefit redemption history for the household. If a PAN is sent, then the eWIC system shall return the benefit redemption history for the card. |
| R |
| Req. # |
| Function/Service |
| Req’d (R) Pref’d (P) Opt’l (O) |
| Offeror Complies: Y/N |
| Comment |
Card Productions and Management
Produce Magnetic Stripe Cards
| The eWIC Service Provider shall provide the eWIC card. |
| R |
| The eWIC card shall be compliant with International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 7810:2003, (or the most recent version of the ISO standard applicable for WIC) Identification cards - Physical characteristics. |
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| The eWIC Service Provider shall support one (1) card design change during life of the contract. |
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| As an option, eWIC service provider shall support an additional card design change during the life of the contract. |
| O |
| The eWIC Service Provider shall support updates to card language requirements as directed by FNS at no additional cost to the state. |
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| The State Agency shall either provide their own card design or work with the eWIC Services Provider to design their card. |
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| The obverse graphics of the eWIC card shall be produced using a four (4) color printing process. |
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| The eWIC card shall contain a mark, brand or wording that identifies it as being associated with the State Agency. Such identification is to be agreed upon with the State Agency. |
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| The eWIC card shall not contain the mark or brand of any debit/credit network. |
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| The reverse of the eWIC card shall have a tamper-evident signature panel. |
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| The reverse of the eWIC card shall have a high coercivity magnetic stripe. |
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| The reverse of the eWIC card shall have printed information as specified by the State Agency. It may also include the short version of the USDA FNS non-discrimination statement at the State Agency’s discretion. |
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| Track two (2) of the magnetic stripe shall be encoded according to ISO standard for financial cards: ISO 7811, 7812 and 7813. |
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| The eWIC card shall contain a 16- digit PAN to identify the cardholder. |
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| The PAN printed on obverse of the card shall be in a contrasting color. |
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| The PAN of the eWIC card shall use the State Agency’s Issuer Identification Number (IIN). For South Dakota the IIN is eight (8) digits. . |
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| The PANs for new cards shall not duplicate any eWIC Service Provider’s card numbers already in use. |
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The PAN layout shall be as follows:
· Position 1-8: IIN
· Position 9: Discretionary
· Position 10-15: Cardholder ID
· Position 16: Check Digit R
| Provision of eWIC Cards |
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| The eWIC card provider shall maintain card inventory controls for printed card stock prior to delivery to the State Agency. |
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| The eWIC card provider shall distribute/deliver eWIC cards to the State Office and/or designated Local Agencies directly. |
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| eWIC cards shall be shipped with logical numbering and inventory lists. |
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| eWIC cards shall be packed in sealed boxes, not to exceed 250 cards/box. |
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| eWIC cards shall be packed in numeric sequence from lowest to highest. |
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| eWIC card boxes shall be shipped in cartons, not to exceed eight (8) boxes/carton. As few as one (1) box may be included in a shipment. |
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| A log of all shipments and shipping tracking information shall be maintained. |
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| The eWIC Service Provider will alert the State Agency when eWIC Service Provider’s inventory of cards has dropped below 10,000. |
| R |
| The State Agency shall retain ownership of all State Agency eWIC cards produced and not issued at the end of the contract term. |
| R |
Card and PIN Issuance
Add Card/Cardholder
| The eWIC system shall receive and process card issuance message data from the MIS. |
| R |
| The eWIC system shall validate that the household account exists and is active. |
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The eWIC system shall validate that there is not already an active primary cardholder associated with the account.
The State Agency intends to issue only one card per household, but reserves the right to choose to issue multiple cards at a future date.
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| The eWIC system shall accept demographic data for a cardholder. Personally identifiable information (PII) shall be limited to date of birth (DOB) and Zip Code for use with the IVR and Cardholder Portal identity validation. All PII shall be secured by the eWIC Service Provider. |
| R |
| The eWIC system shall create a new cardholder record and associate the cardholder with the given card and the household EBA from the MIS. |
| R |
Update Card/Cardholder
| Local clinic staff will issue card replacements through the MIS. The eWIC system shall receive and process eWIC updated card message data from the MIS to change card status (active/deactivated), update cardholder demographics, and replace a card. |
| R |
| The eWIC system shall validate that the card is active and assigned. |
| R |
| The eWIC system shall update demographics to the new value(s). |
| R |
| The eWIC system shall change the card status to the new value. |
| R |
| 7.2.1.4 |
| If a card is being replaced, the eWIC system shall validate that the replacement card number exists and has not previously been issued. |
| R |
| 7.2.1.4.1 |
| If the cardholder currently has an active card, then the eWIC system shall change the existing active card status to deactivated. |
| R |
24x7 Card Deactivation
| To support the ability for a cardholder to deactivate their card 24x7, the eWIC Service provider or eWIC system shall allow a cardholder to deactivate a card through at least one (1) of the following services: self-service functionality in the IVR, cardholder portal or mobile app, or through a live customer service agent (CSA). |
| R |
| Whether the deactivation occurs through a self-service function or by a CSA, the following shall occur: |
| R |
| The eWIC system/CSA shall validate that the card is active and assigned. |
| R |
| The eWIC system/CSA shall validate the identity of the individual requesting a card status change. |
| R |
| A cardholder may deactivate their card and provide a reason such as lost, stolen, or damaged. No cardholder may re-activate a card in a deactivated status. |
| R |
| The eWIC system/CSA shall change the card status to the deactivated with a reason associated. |
| R |
| If the cardholder currently has an active card, then the eWIC system/CSA shall change the existing active card status to deactivated. |
| R |
| The eWIC system shall provide a daily batch file to the MIS of card status changes. |
| R |
Card Hold
| The State Agency is interested in enhanced functionality that would allow a cardholder to place a hold on their card in the event the card is misplaced, but they do not know yet if it is missing or stolen. |
| P |
| The hold function would be available as a self-service function through the IVR, cardholder portal and/or mobile app. |
| P |
| When initiated, the eWIC system places the card in a hold status. |
| P |
| While in the hold status, any attempts to process transactions using the card will be rejected. |
| P |
| The hold status is maintained by the eWIC system until the cardholder removes the hold via the IVR, cardholder portal or mobile app, or the card is replaced at which time the card that had been on hold is deactivated. |
| P |
| This feature shall be turned on or off at the discretion of the State Agency. |
| R |
Maintain Card History
| The eWIC system shall maintain a history of cards assigned to households and cardholders. |
| R |
| The eWIC system shall provide message data in response to a request from the MIS for a history of all eWIC cards that have been assigned to a household. |
| R |
| The eWIC system shall remit card history message data to the MIS (e.g., card activation date, card status changes, cardholder changes, card deactivation date). |
| R |
| On a daily basis, the eWIC system shall transmit a file of all card updates initiated through the eWIC system that have occurred in the previous 24 hours. This file will be used to update card status information in the MIS. |
| R |
PIN Selection
| The eWIC system shall receive and process PIN selection or change (update) message data from the MIS. |
| R |
| The eWIC Service Provider shall provide, as an option, a PIN select device consistent with current industry standards for hardware encryption as defined in ISO 9564 standard for participants to set their PIN in the clinic. |
| O |
| The eWIC system shall provide functionality for a cardholder to select or change (update) a PIN remotely by phone call to the eWIC cardholder IVR system and through a cardholder portal. The functionality can also be provided through a mobile app. |
| R |
| For all PIN selections and changes: |
| R |
The eWIC system shall validate that the card number is active and associated with a valid EBA.
| The eWIC system shall validate that the identity of the person requesting the PIN change by requesting DOB and zip code. |
| R |
| The eWIC system will require that the cardholder enter their PIN twice to ensure accuracy. |
| R |
| Neither entry point (IVR, portal or mobile app) nor the eWIC host system will limit the number of times a PIN can be changed by a cardholder. |
| R |
| The eWIC Service Provider shall support the transfer of PINs associated with existing eWIC cards to the incoming eWIC Service Provider at the conclusion of its contract. |
| R |
PIN Lock and Unlock
| The eWIC system shall lock an EBA from access if a cardholder has exceeded a State Agency-specified number of consecutive invalid PIN attempts. |
| R |
| The State Agency within the eWIC system shall be able to configure the number of consecutive invalid PIN attempts allowed as well as view for a given card’s invalid PIN attempt count as well as if the card is locked. |
| R |
| The eWIC system shall provide functionality to unlock on demand an EBA that has been locked for exceeding invalid PIN attempts. |
| P |
| The eWIC system shall provide functionality to unlock on demand from the MIS an EBA that has been locked for exceeding invalid PIN attempts. |
| R |
| The eWIC system shall provide functionality to unlock the PIN lock after a successful PIN change. |
| R |
| The eWIC system shall automatically unlock an EBA at 11:59 PM in the local time zone on any day that an EBA has been locked for exceeding the allowed number of invalid PIN attempts. When there are multiple time zones, participants shall be able to use their card after 12:00 AM in the local time zone of the vendor at which they are attempting to complete a transaction. |
| R |
| The eWIC Service Provider shall provide a card reader, consistent with current industry standards, for use in the clinics when issuing cards. South Dakota WIC requires 63 card readers; one for each of our 62 office sites and one for the state office. |
| R |
| Req. # |
| Function/Service |
| Req’d (R) Pref’d (P) Opt’l (O) |
| Offeror Complies: Y/N |
| Comment |
Transaction Processing
Processing Day
| The eWIC system shall process redemption transactions from authorized WIC vendors according to the WIC Operating Rules and Technical Implementation Guide (TIG). https://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/ebt/technical-implementation-guide-operating-rules |
| R |
| The eWIC system shall maintain a 24-hour business day processing cycle. |
| R |
| The eWIC Service Provider shall operate on a standard daily cutoff time for transaction processing (6 PM CST). |
| R |
| The standard daily cutoff time shall occur at a time of day that shall allow the origination of wire transfer payments for next day settlement. |
| R |
Transaction Processing
| The eWIC system shall provide real-time transaction processing of message data or file transmissions received from WIC Retailers, WIC Retailer’s corporate representatives (agents) (for aggregated data/file transfer) or their third-party processors (TPP). |
| R |
| The eWIC system shall support online, commercial network and direct connect communication with WIC Retailers. |
| R |
| The eWIC Service Provider shall establish a direct (direct connection between a store and the eWIC host processing system) or indirect (store connection to the WIC host through the use of a TPP) telecommunications connection for the routing of transactions and retrieval from and delivery of files to WIC Retailers, their agents, or TPPs. |
| R |
| Transactions accepted by the eWIC system from the WIC Retailer or its TPP shall be in the ANSI X9.93-2:2014 Financial Transaction Message - EBT - Part 1: Messages (and future updates) for messages. https://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/ebt |
| R |
The eWIC system shall accept the following minimum transaction set:
· Balance Inquiry
· WIC Purchase
· WIC Void/Reversal R
Online Transaction Processing
| The eWIC system shall conduct checks and processes to determine if a transaction is approved. |
| R |
| The eWIC system shall ensure the transaction originates from an approved WIC authorized Vendor by validating the WIC Vendor's identification number. |
| R |
| The eWIC system shall verify the EBA is active. |
| R |
| The eWIC system shall validate that the card is active. |
| R |
| The eWIC system shall verify the PIN associated to the card, or verify the card number, birthdate, and zip code if a PIN-less solution is used, such as online shopping. |
| R |
| The eWIC system shall verify that the number of consecutive failed PIN tries has not been exceeded. |
| R |
| The eWIC system shall verify that the UPC or PLU code presented for each purchased product is an authorized UPC or PLU for the State Agency through comparison to the APL. |
| R |
| To the extent possible, produce should be identified by its specific PLU. However, the eWIC system shall allow the fresh fruit or vegetables to be mapped to a single generic PLU (i.e., 4469 for fresh fruits and vegetables). |
| R |
| The eWIC system shall validate the Categories and Sub-Categories of the food items presented against the current list of WIC approved Categories and Sub-Categories. |
| R |
| The eWIC system shall validate the products and units are available within the EBA benefit balance. |
| R |
| The eWIC system shall validate the products for appropriate availability dates in the EBA benefit record. |
| R |
| For void transactions, the eWIC system shall verify an existing benefit record so that the transaction can be properly posted. |
| R |
| The eWIC system shall process transactions in real time as transactions occur. |
| R |
| The eWIC Service Provider shall not charge fees to WIC vendors for WIC transactions and must comply with Section 750 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018 - Implementing Memorandum for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Supplemental Nutrition, and Safety Programs, and Child Nutrition Programs which prohibits State EBT processors, their contractors, subcontractors, or Affiliates from charging routing and switching fees for intra or interstate transactions. |
| R |
| Interchange fees may not be applied to eWIC transactions. |
| R |
| The eWIC transaction date and time shall be the date and time the purchase is approved by the eWIC system. It shall be able to be displayed and reported as to the local date and time of the WIC Vendor location. |
| R |
| The eWIC system shall ensure the purchase quantity redeemed from the EBA benefits shall be obtained from the benefit quantity associated with the UPC in the APL. |
| R |
| The eWIC system shall provide an approval or a denial for each transaction. |
| R |
| The eWIC system shall provide an appropriate reason code as set by ANSI X9.93: Part 1 (2014) for all rejected transactions. |
| R |
| The eWIC system shall compare the product price against the NTE for the UPC. (NTEs will be established by each State Agency MIS). |
| R |
| If the product price is equal to or less than the NTE for the WIC Retailer's peer group, the eWIC system shall approve the purchase of the product at the WIC Vendor’s product price. |
| R |
| If the product price is greater than the allowable price for the WIC Vendor’s peer group, the eWIC system shall approve the purchase of the product at the NTE price. |
| R |
| The eWIC system shall provide a return message to the WIC Vendor electronic cash register (ECR) system or POS, or the TPP, that contains the amount paid for the product. |
| R |
| The eWIC system shall deduct benefits from Specific Sub-Categories with values greater than "000" before deducting benefits from the Broadband Food Sub-Categories for food item UPCs/PLUs that can be redeemed from Broadband and Specific Sub-Categories. |
| R |
| If a food item UPC/PLU is allowed to use a Broadband Food Sub-Category, then the eWIC system shall allow the food item to be redeemed with the units remaining in the Broadband Food Subcategory once all units in the Specific Food Sub-Category have been decremented. |
| R |
| The eWIC system shall allow the redemption of a single food item in part from a specific food Sub-Category and in part from the Broadband Food Sub-Category. |
| R |
| The eWIC system shall have the capability to process up to 50 unique UPCs and PLUs in a single purchase transaction. |
| R |
| The eWIC system shall provide the data required for the WIC Retailer to print receipts according to the requirements of Section 12.1 of the TIG and Section 5.5 of the Operating Rules. This includes the opening and/or ending EBA benefit balance, and benefit balance end date, as applicable, to support receipts printed by the WIC Vendor system or POS. (Note - Opening benefit balance applies to balance inquiry transactions, ending benefit balance applies to the balance after the purchase transactions.) |
| R |
| Req. # |
| Function/Service |
| Req’d (R) Pref’d (P) Opt’l (O) |
| Offeror Complies: Y/N |
| Comment |
Settlement and Reconciliation
Account Reconciliation
| The eWIC system shall reconcile each EBA and all eWIC data on a daily basis. |
| R |
| For each EBA, the eWIC system shall verify that the quantity of each Category/Sub-Category end of the processing day net position is equal to the benefits (units) at the beginning of the processing day plus the net sum of benefits credited and debited as contained in the transaction history detail for that processing day. |
| R |
| For all State Agency eWIC data, the eWIC system shall verify that the quantity of each Category/Sub-Category end of the processing day net position is equal to the quantity at the beginning of the processing day plus the net sum of benefits credited and debited as contained in the transaction history detail for that processing day. |
| R |
| The eWIC system shall reconcile the value of the business day transactions against the funds settled to each WIC Vendor, its designated agent and TPPs, as applicable. |
| R |
| The eWIC system shall validate that the sum of the amounts paid to WIC Vendors, agents, and TPPs, as applicable, is equal to the total payments calculated as due to these entities. |
| R |
| The eWIC Service Provider shall verify that the amount drawn from the settlement account is equal to the amount indicated in the reconciliation file. |
| R |
| The eWIC system shall provide audit reports, automated and on-demand, demonstrating the sum of activity equals payments made to the WIC Vendor, its agent and TPPs, as applicable, and in total. |
| R |
| The eWIC system shall notify appropriate State Agency WIC users of any detected anomalies in daily reconciliation. |
| R |
| The eWIC system or Service Provider shall provide an alert or a report within one hour of when an anomaly is detected. |
| R |
| The eWIC Service Provider shall provide the State Agency with the corrective action to be taken. |
| R |
| The eWIC system shall provide appropriate tools to correct errors in the settlement process. |
| R |
Issuance Reconciliation
| The eWIC system shall verify that all message data benefit issuance/voids sent from the MIS are processed and posted to EBAs in the eWIC database. |
| R |
| The eWIC system shall verify issuance by Category, Sub-Category and Benefit Quantity. |
| R |
| The eWIC system shall verify issuance for both current and future months’ benefits. |
| R |
| The eWIC system shall return data or response to the MIS providing notification of any detected anomalies in issuance reconciliation via alert and/or report. |
| R |
Daily Reconciliation Data Files
| WIC Benefit Redemption File |
| R |
| The eWIC system shall transmit a daily file that provides a detailed record of all benefit redemption activity. |
| R |
| The eWIC system, at a minimum, shall include all WIC Vendor transactions in the daily file. |
| R |
| The information transmitted shall be based on the eWIC system processing day or a time frame specified by the State Agency during system design. |
| R |
| The information transmitted shall be a full historical, clearly labeled account (audit trail) of the transaction and the information (e.g., date, time, Category, Sub-Category, benefit quantity, item description, benefit begin date, benefit end date, WIC Vendor number, WIC Vendor terminal, WIC Vendor peer group, originating clinic ID) that was current and used at the time of the transaction. |
| R |
| The eWIC system shall report reversals as two (2) separate transactions, the original transaction, and the subsequent reversal. |
| R |
| Adjustments to benefits requested by the MIS and completed by the eWIC system shall be included in the daily benefit changes file. |
| R |
| The eWIC system shall report transactions with discounts and coupons as specified in the TIG and MIS-EBT interface specification in compliance with the WUMEI. |
| R |
| The eWIC system shall report details on transactions using multiple benefit IDs or where redemption straddles the sub-category code and broadband category code for each item redeemed. |
| R |
| WIC Daily Benefit Reconciliation file |
| R |
| The eWIC system shall transmit a daily file that provides a detailed record of WIC benefit changes. |
| R |
| The eWIC system shall report the MIS -initiated Add or Update Benefit transactions (issuances, updates, and voids) that were accepted and approved by the eWIC system. |
| R |
| The information transmitted shall be based on the eWIC system processing day or a time frame specified by the State Agency during system design. |
| R |
| WIC Benefits Purged File |
| R |
| The eWIC system shall transmit a daily file that provides a detailed record of all benefits purged. |
| R |
| A benefit is eligible to be purged or expunged when the benefit expiration date is reached. A WIC MIS may receive this information for reporting, reconciliation, and program management. |
| R |
| After a period designated by the State Agency, the eWIC system shall expunge benefits after they have reached their expiration date. However, this period shall not be less than five (5) business days following the expiration date. |
| R |
| The information transmitted shall be based on the eWIC system processing day or a time frame specified by the State Agency during system design. |
| R |
Daily Settlement
| The eWIC system shall support a daily cut off at 6:00 PM CT |
| R |
| The information generated during system cutoff and balance processing shall be used by the eWIC Service Provider to generate the daily settlement files. |
| R |
| A settlement day is a 24-hour period that begins at the previous day’s cut off until the following day’s cut off. Transactions occurring after the current day’s cut off will be settled the next day. |
| R |
| Settlement will occur for all Federal Reserve banking days. |
| R |
| The eWIC system shall initiate settlement to WIC Vendors, agents, and TPPs. |
| R |
| The eWIC system shall reimburse WIC Vendors for the sale of approved food items purchased at either the requested food item price or NTE price, whichever is lower. |
| R |
| The eWIC system shall initiate settlement to direct connect WIC Vendors, agents, or TPPs on the next business day. |
| R |
| The eWIC Service Provider shall own and reconcile a clearing account for daily settlement. |
| R |
| The eWIC system shall calculate the amount due to each WIC Vendor, agent, or TPP based on transactions approved to that entity within the settlement window. |
| R |
| The eWIC system shall create ACH transactions to move funds from the eWIC settlement account to the appropriate WIC Vendor, designated agent, or TPP financial institution account. |
| R |
| The eWIC system shall transmit ACH transactions to its bank on a daily basis to meet the performance standards for settlement that WIC vendors receive payment for approved, cleared transactions within two (2) processing days of the settlement day of the transaction. (WIC-EBT Operating Rules Version 3.0, Section 12.3b). |
| R |
| The eWIC system shall comply with FNS policy for unsettled funds (i.e., ACH rejects). The eWIC Service Provider shall attempt to pay unsettled funds first to the original payee and if unsuccessful, shall return funds to the State Agency. |
| R |
| The eWIC Service Provider shall notify the State Agency of funds to be transferred that day for government authorization prior to executing settlement. The State Agency reserves the right to designate the window for notification, which shall be during normal business hours. |
| R |
| Payments transmitted to the financial institutions of WIC Vendors, their agents or their TPPs shall be reconciled to the settlement bank's report of payments submitted to the Federal Reserve for the State Agency. |
| R |
| The settlement process shall conform to the National Automated Clearing House Association (NACHA) Operating Rules and Guidelines wherever possible. |
| R |
| The total daily settlement amount shall be reported to South Dakota Department of Health by 9:00 AM CT. |
| R |
| Following the receipt of the settlement amount total, the State Agency shall transmit by wire transfer the funds to the eWIC Service Provider’s clearing account to support settlement for that settlement day no later than 3:00 PM CT. |
| R |
| On state holidays or regular work days where the state office is closed due to inclement weather or natural disaster, the State Agency may be unable to wire funds. The State Agency will wire funds to the eWIC Service Provider on the next business day when the state office is open to cover settlement for the previous days’ settlement amount. These processes will be discussed and defined at project initiation. |
| R |
System Adjustments
| The eWIC Service Provider shall have in place a process such that a vendor, TPP, the eWIC Service Provider, or the WIC State Agency can initiate an adjustment to resolve errors and out-of-balance issues related to the eWIC system problems or other transaction-related errors. |
| R |
| The eWIC Service Provider shall ensure that any requests it receives from cardholders or vendors are first presented to the WIC State Agency for approval. |
| R |
| The eWIC Service Provider shall also initiate adjustments based on State Agency request. The eWIC administrative system may also include the capability for the State Agency to perform adjustment transactions. |
| R |
| All adjustments will reference an original transaction, which is partially or completely in error. |
| R |
| The eWIC system shall have the capability to process the adjustment and have this reflected in the cardholder's account. |
| R |
| Adjustments shall be processed in accordance with Federal regulations regarding the recording, tracking, and processing of these types of adjustments and must be in accordance with Section 14: Dispute Resolution requirements in the FNS WIC EBT Operating Rules. |
| R |
| Adjustments and variance corrections shall be incorporated in and clearly reflected as part of the daily settlement to the WIC State Agency complete with an explanation of the source and impact of these actions upon the outstanding balance the State Agency owes to settle for the prior day’s transactions. |
| R |
| Adjustments shall not result in a variance between the eWIC system host and gateway totals. |
| R |
| The eWIC Service Provider shall provide the capability to process payment amount adjustments for individual retailer accounts. |
| R |
| The capability shall include an appropriate comment area that must be completed in order to process the adjustment. |
| R |
| This area shall include adjustment authority, reason and date and where appropriate any work ticket number supporting the request for future research and audit. |
| R |
Audits
| An audit of the eWIC Service Provider shall be performed in accordance with Service Organization Controls 1 (SOC1), or another audit similar in scope, and a report based on that audit shall be issued to South Dakota WIC every year after the start of the contract. The scope of the audit must cover a one (1) year period. The audit shall be specific to the operation of the eWIC system. All costs associated with the SOC1 audit will be borne by the eWIC Service Provider. |
| R |
| The eWIC Service Provider shall deliver a detailed scan report from a web application vulnerability scanner to South Dakota WIC every year after the start of the contract. The scope of the audit must cover a one (1) year period. |
| R |
| The eWIC Service Provider shall work with each State Agency in providing and compiling data requested for federal audits, such as management evaluations, in a timely manner. |
| R |
1099 and Tax Withholdings
| The eWIC system shall generate and remit 1099's to participating WIC Vendors following the completion of each calendar year. It is the responsibility of the eWIC Service Provider to generate 1099 for the year. This would be expected only for vendors using stand-beside devices. |
| R |
| The eWIC Service Provider will withhold taxes for any vendor for which the eWIC Service Provider does not have on file a valid federal tax ID. This would be expected only for vendors using stand-beside devices. |
| R |
| Req. # |
| Function/Service |
| Req’d (R) Pref’d (P) Opt’l (O) |
| Offeror Complies: Y/N |
| Comment |
Administrative System Functionality
User Security Profiles
| The eWIC system shall allow the definition of user profiles based on the user’s job requirements as directed by the State Agency. |
| R |
| User profiles shall support State Agency user activities such as financial management, vendor management, food management (cat/subcat/UPCs), account management and cardholder management. The user roles will be agreed upon at project initiation. |
| R |
| The State Agency requires a user role for local agency staff with defined access which will be identified at the start of the project. |
| R |
| The eWIC system user profiles shall be parameter driven. |
| R |
| The eWIC system shall allow the State Agency's designated security personnel the capability to set up new users, change user passwords, and manage user profiles. |
| R |
Query Functionality
| The eWIC system shall allow the appropriate state staff, determined by user profiles, to have access to eWIC system query functions. |
| R |
| The eWIC system shall support view and queries of all transactions. Query functionality should not negatively impact system response time. |
| R |
| Transactions are defined to include, but are not limited to vendor transactions (i.e., balance inquiries, purchases, voids and reversals), clinic transactions (i.e., account add/update, benefit add/adjustments, and card/cardholder add/updates), and administrative transactions (i.e., user adds/updates, adjustments, and add/updates of cat/sub-cats and UPC/PLU/NTEs). |
| R |
| Queries of transaction data will allow users to filter and sort based on the data displayed in the query as well as extract query data to Microsoft Excel. |
| R |
| The eWIC system shall allow authorized users to search EBAs by name, economic unit number, PAN, or eWIC account number to access account, benefit, or transaction history. |
| R |
| The eWIC system shall allow authorized users to search for WIC Vendors by Vendor name, Vendor ID, or X9 number to access transaction history. If not currently available, the eWIC system will provide a field that may provide such information in the future. |
| R |
| The eWIC system shall provide functionality to query benefits posted to a household account. |
| R |
| The eWIC system shall allow authorized users to conduct summary queries into transaction activity by economic unit number, card number, and Vendor and provide print and export functionality. |
| R |
| The eWIC system shall allow detailed queries into household or cardholder redemption activity and provide print and export functionality. |
| R |
The eWIC system shall provide navigation between queries:
· Between WIC Vendor and household queries;
· From summary to detail and back; and
· From reconciliation and exception reports R
| The eWIC system shall support view and update of household accounts. |
| R |
| The eWIC system shall provide the queries by household account. For each household account, once selected the user will be able to view household and cardholder demographic data, current balance, future benefits, a history of all account activity such as credits, debits, card changes (issuance, replacement, and card status changes), card history and statuses, invalid PIN count, and PIN changes and status. |
| R |
| The eWIC system shall allow users to update card status. |
| R |
This is the start of the file's text. The full file is on GovTribe.