More than 820 Catapult retail locations are now live with integrated Health Benefit Card acceptance, as ECRS continues expanding direct access to supported Health Benefit processors for retailers. The company has added 146 locations with Health Benefit acceptance in 2026 year to date.
Expanding beyond pharmacy
Health Benefit Cards are becoming an increasingly important tender in grocery, retail and pharmacy environments. Depending on the shopper’s plan, benefits may apply to produce, healthy foods, personal-care products, OTC medications and other qualified everyday items, extending well beyond the pharmacy department.
Accepting the cards can help retailers serve existing customers more completely while capturing benefit-funded purchases that might otherwise go to another retailer. Participating locations may also appear within a benefit provider’s store locator or member application, helping eligible shoppers identify nearby retailers where their benefits can be used.
ECRS works with retailers to evaluate Health Benefit opportunities using provider-supplied funding information by ZIP code, giving operators visibility into available benefit dollars within the communities they serve before pursuing implementation.
Direct processor integrations
Catapult supports integrated Health Benefit Card processing through InComm OTC, FIS Filtered Spend, Optum S3 and NationsBenefits Direct. By connecting directly with supported processors rather than relying on additional third-party gateways, ECRS says it provides Catapult retailers with one of the most affordable approaches to integrated OTC processing in the industry, removing additional processing layers and their costs while keeping acceptance integrated with the technology already powering the store.
Smart Tendering at checkout
Through Catapult Smart Tendering, the system can automatically identify a supported Health Benefit Card and route eligible purchases through the appropriate integration, reducing checkout complexity for employees and shoppers. Eligible benefit amounts are applied based on the benefit provider’s response, and shoppers can complete any remaining balance with another supported tender, with Health Benefits usable alongside other tenders in the same transaction.
Program availability, eligible products, health-plan participation, reimbursement, certification requirements and transaction terms vary by processor and plan.
Family-owned since 1989, Boone, North Carolina-based ECRS provides retail transaction and AI solutions for independent retailers; its Catapult POS platform connects point of sale, back office, self-checkout, deli scale, fuel pump, pharmacy, inventory, loyalty and e-commerce touchpoints on a single transaction logic.
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