Reduced Cost and Increased Competition for Printing Food Stamp Coupons

Ways to explore the possibility of reducing costs and increasing competition for printing food stamp coupons have been suggested. In order to minimize the risk of counterfeiting food coupons, a relatively sophisticated and high cost printing process has been employed that provides a high level of coupon security but offers limited opportuntiy for competition. Over the past 8 years, redemptions of counterfeit coupons have averaged about $6,000 annually. The Secret Service believes that an alternate printing process would be acceptable as long as security needs are met and the alternative offers sufficient savings on printing costs to offset potential counterfeiting risk. Such savings could be 30 percent or more of the present coupon printing cost.