The point of sale (POS) and back office management system is a vital tool for growing your business. But without the right capabilities, you may not see the return you were hoping. Use these guides as a resource for making a smart investment in POS software specifically designed for pharmacy, grocery, and health and natural products retailers.
MEDICINE HAT, AB and ANCHORAGE, AK – Auto-Star Compusystems Inc., an innovative developer of grocery software, and Skurla’s POS Solutions, Alaska’s premier POS and IT solution provider, are excited to announce an integration with the Star-Plus point of sale and Alaska eWIC program.
The solution provides retailers an efficient method of accepting eWIC cards, while offering WIC participants a number of benefits including:
- A quick and convenient checkout experience
- Increased privacy and security
- Improved customer service
- Fewer errors and loss due to unsigned or expired checks
- The ability to purchase items over multiple visits
The Alaska eWIC card looks like a debit card and can be used to purchase WIC approved foods. With eWIC integrated directly into the retailers point of sale, the system will automatically check the balance on the customer's card and verify that the purchases are WIC eligible.
The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) provides federal grants to states for supplemental foods, health care referrals and nutrition education for low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and non-breastfeeding postpartum women, infants, and children up to age five. The USDA requires that all states implement electronic benefit transfer (EBT) for WIC program benefits by October 1st, 2020. For more information on the Alaska eWIC program, please visit http://dhss.alaska.gov/dpa/Pages/nutri/wic/eWIC.aspx.
At this year’s Rural Small Business Conference (February 11th-13th), we will be showing off our new Skurla’s Grocery Point of Sale system! In addition, we’ll also be demonstrating its built-in eWIC integration – a first for our systems and one of a few certified to work in the State of Alaska.
We’ll have a demo system setup so you can see exactly how it works. Our software partner for our POS, Auto-Star, will also be in attendance to be able to answer any questions you may have on the software.
We have been keeping in touch with the State of Alaska regarding the new eWIC program and wanted to give you a quick update.
(What is eWIC? EBT stands for Electronic Benefits Transfer. WIC stands for Women/Infant/Children - a program providing nutrition, education and other support. WIC EBT is an electronic process where the food benefits are automatically added onto a card, similar to a debit card. This card, which will be known as the eWIC card, replaces the current paper vouchers/checks.)
Here's a list of roll out dates from the state's WIC website:
