PRESS RELEASE
June 26, 2012, 7:45 a.m. EDT
The Mobile Market+ solution enables farmers markets to accept electronic benefit cards (EBT), making fresh, nutritious, local produce accessible to families receiving food assistance
AUSTIN, Texas, Jun 26, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Novo Dia Group, Inc., a software development firm specialized in the health and human services industry, today announced that 325 iPod touch devices with the Mobile Market+ point-of sale (POS) application have been deployed at 26 farmers markets in Michigan, enabling participating vendors to accept several types of benefits cards, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Women, Infants and Children (WIC), Electronic Benefits Transfer Cash Value Benefits (WIC EBT CVB), Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP), and Summer EBT for Children (SEBTC). Additionally, vendors can process debit and credit card transactions with the same device, providing even more sales opportunities with no extra hardware investment. This effort is part of an initiative, making fresh produce, from farmers markets, more readily available to low-income families.
Before implementing Mobile Market+, farmers markets had very limited ability to accept electronic benefit cards. Often, vendors shared one EBT terminal to process transactions, thus unable to process payments on the spot making it inconvenient and time consuming.
Now sales transactions are processed on an iPod touch, which has a snap-on magnetic card reader attached. Customers swipe their benefit cards, enter their personal pin codes, and are able to view the card balance and all approved items purchased directly on the screen. The customer has the option of receiving the receipt by email, in a text message or an optional printed receipt. Market managers and vendors can access transaction reports directly from the iPod touch or through an internet portal.
"Before, our vendors missed out on most WIC and SNAP purchases since they had no equipment to process electronic benefit cards within their stands. Thanks to the Mobile Market+ solution, vendors can process card transactions on the spot. And a new group of customers are finding their way to the farmers markets and more money will be spent on locally grown produce," says Joe Lesausky, assistant market manager at the Fulton Street Farmers Market. "Many farmers are technology resistant but they have quickly adopted the new payment device. It is very easy and intuitive to use and there is almost no set up involved."
"Mobile Market+ is the only mobile solution that can process all types of benefits cards, across all states with the same device," explains Josh Wiles, president of Novo Dia Group. "We have run pilots in several states already, but this is the first large-scale deployment. It validates that our solution is not only cutting-edge, but that it is becoming the standard for farmers and other small independent retailers that need a cost-efficient way to process benefit cards."
The Mobile Market+ solution is specifically developed for places with no access to phone lines, networks or electricity. The handheld device is battery operated and communicates wirelessly via Wi-Fi or the cellular network. The Mobile Market+ application is approved by Apple and USDA. Approved vendors can download the app directly from the App Store.
Novo Dia Group is a full-service software development and consulting firm based in Austin, Texas. It specializes in the Health and Human Services industry with focus on processing benefit delivery systems for the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and debit transactions.
Please visit www.novodiagroup.com for more information.
SOURCE: Novo Dia Group, Inc.
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