Protecting what matters most: data security and privacy at Propel
Propel is a trust-based business. Over 5 million people use our app each month to manage their EBT benefits. As a regulated entity, Propel is obligated to adhere to high standards of data protection. This practice is critical to maintaining the trust of our users.
Building Security Into Our Foundation#building-security-into-our-foundation
From day one at Propel, we designed our systems around simple, essential principles: collect as little data as possible, and use industry leading security measures to protect what we do collect.
Propel has always operated on a consumer consent model. The service we’re offering is optional, and consumers need to trust us enough to help them. When someone provides consent to use Propel to view their EBT information, we only ask for information required to connect to their state’s EBT portal. Even this minimal information can be sensitive, and so we treat it with great care.
We don’t store PINs, full EBT card numbers, or Social Security Numbers on our servers. We intentionally avoid storing this data in order to minimize risk to our users.
All data sent between our app and a state's EBT portal is encrypted end-to-end. Propel’s encryption technology ensures that no one else can see or tamper with people’s data when we’re communicating with the state’s EBT portal.
We never sell data. We make money by helping EBT cardholders find money-saving offers through vetted partners. We do not currently, and have never in the past, earned revenue from selling data.
Why Theft Doesn't Happen Through Our App#why-theft-doesnt-happen-through-our-app
EBT theft is a crisis and Propel is dedicated to fighting back with every tool we have. I want to be clear about something: theft is not possible through the Propel app. In order to spend EBT benefits you need a full EBT card number and PIN. Propel never comes into contact with this data for the vast majority of EBT cardholders. In the few instances where we do, we never save the information. Propel can't move or spend your benefits because we simply don't have access to that information.
Many people discover their benefits have been stolen when they check their balance in Propel—and because Propel is often the first place people look, sometimes people mistakenly think the Propel app was involved. But EBT theft happens primarily through card skimming and phishing scams, not through the Propel app. The magnetic stripe technology on EBT cards is outdated and vulnerable, which is why we've been deeply engaged in promoting new tools to help secure EBT cards and keep money where it belongs–in the accounts of people who receive EBT.
Propel is the national leader in EBT security feature adoption#propel-is-the-national-leader-in-ebt-security-feature-adoption
Propel doesn’t just protect data—we actively help prevent theft. We've built security features like suspicious transaction monitoring (exclusive to our app), and we help consumers adopt security tools enabled by their state, including out-of-state transaction blocking, online transaction blocking, and card locking.
Our suspicious transaction monitoring tool reviews past EBT transactions and sends alerts when we notice anything unusual, like zero-dollar balance checks that often happen before benefits are stolen. We also analyze transactions to identify suspicious retailers and flag purchases made at those locations. We share suspicious patterns with law enforcement to help identify skimming locations, while empowering users to report issues on their individual accounts.
According to a recent GAO report, the security features states have invested in “are not widely used. Specifically, many of FNS’s recommended card security tools rely on EBT recipients to opt-in to use them.” At Propel, we’ve made significant investments in increasing adoption of these tools. As I write this, 48% of Propel users have at least one security feature enabled. We estimate that Propel users are 5 times more likely to enable anti-theft features than people who don't use Propel. In fact, the majority of anti-theft protection nationwide happens through the Propel app.
Our Commitment to Transparency#our-commitment-to-transparency
Security is an ongoing commitment. We're always working to improve our protections and expand our security features to more states.
That's why Propel is committed to transparency. In the coming weeks, we'll be publishing more blog posts that share our approach to ensuring trust and security for our customers. We'll dive deeper into our specific practices and continue the conversation about what it means to be a responsible steward of sensitive information.
Our company is built on earning and keeping the trust of people who use our app. Every decision we make about data and security starts with that responsibility.
If you have questions or feedback about our security practices, we want to hear from you. Reach out to us at gov@propel.app.
