Does Kroger Accept EBT?

Kroger accepts EBT cards in all its stores and locations. The SNAP Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card is a government issued card that’s pre-loaded with funds. It enables low income earners and struggling families to afford food and financial benefits from grocery stores and supermarkets.

As one of the largest retailers in the USA, this is one advantage Kroger has over its competitors. Big names like Starbucks don’t accept EBT, which is a bummer. In this post, you’ll learn whether Kroger accepts EBT online and other stores that do.

Does Kroger Accept EBT Online?

Kroger accepts EBT card payment online. However, you can only use your card to pay for Kroger pickup, and not home delivery. So you’d still need to go to the store to collect your items. 

Pickup at Kroger is free for orders worth $35 or above. If your order is below that, you’d need to pay a $4.95 service fee.

If you’re not sure which products are SNAP EBT eligible on the Kroger online store, just search for the product and click on it. On the product information page, you should see a “SNAP EBT eligible” text on the “Pickup” tab.

Does Kroger accept EBT on Instacart?

Kroger does not accept EBT on Instacart since the grocery delivery service doesn’t own Kroger stores and its inventory. So even though Instacart accepts EBT card payment, you would be able to order only when Kroger supports EBT payment online. 

You can order and pay for home delivery from your favorite stores using your regular credit and debit cards. If you must use your EBT card, then you’d have to use the Kroger pickup option.

Once you’ve chosen the pickup option for your items online, head to the store and a Kroger employee will bring out your order. Then you can pay them with your EBT card using the Payment-on-Service (POS) machine.

Terms and Conditions for Using SNAP EBT at Kroger

You don’t need to meet any major requirements to shop at Kroger with your EBT card. All you need to do is ensure that the food items you’re buying are SNAP eligible. 

That means that the items must fall under the list of food categories that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) approved for purchase.

Eligible food items for SNAP EBT

Food items that qualify for SNAP EBT payment include the following:

• Fruits and vegetables.
• Breads and cereals.
• Dairy products.
• Meat, poultry, and fish.
• Seeds and plants that produce food for you to eat.
• Snacks and non-alcoholic beverages.

Ineligible food items for SNAP EBT

You can’t buy beer, wine, or any form of alcohol from Kroger using your SNAP EBT as they are not qualified items. Other items that are ineligible include:

• Cigarettes and tobacco products.
• Vitamins, supplements, and other medicine.
• Live animals (except shellfish, fish removed from water, and animals slaughtered before pick-up from the store). 
• Hot foods.
• Pet foods.
• Hygiene items, cosmetics, cleaning and other household supplies.

Conclusion 

There you have it! Kroger accepts EBT cards at the brick-and-mortar and online stores. But you can’t pay for home delivery, even with Instacart and other third-party grocery delivery apps. 

If you dread going to the store to shop, then try Amazon instead. Amazon accepts EBT card payment online for eligible items. However, Amazon doesn’t accept these cards from USA residents living in Alaska, Hawaii, Louisiana and Montana.

Other stores that accept EBT include Aldi, Publix, H-E-B, ShopRite, Safeway, and Walmart. You can learn more about them in our post on popular grocery stores that accept EBT online. But we advise that you contact the stores via phone call or any available form of communication to confirm it.

We hope you find this post helpful!