Does Sam’s Club accept EBT?

Sam’s Club accepts Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) payments in all the warehouses. Unfortunately, the store doesn’t accept EBT for website purchases. If you must pay for your groceries online, you’ll need to use your Sam’s Club credit card, a digital wallet service, MasterCard or Visa cards, and other accepted payment methods at Sam’s Club.

That said, you can’t pay for online and curbside pickup orders with your EBT card since you need to use Sam’s Club website for that. If you didn’t know it already, you must pay for a membership plan to shop at Sam’s Club.  Sam’s Club is a collection of membership-only warehouses, so you can’t just walk in there and buy anything you want like at Walmart and other stores.

The membership plan presents a problem, since the whole point of having an EBT card is so you don’t spend more for groceries. But there’s a lot to enjoy with your EBT card when shopping at Sam’s Club. Keep reading to learn more.

You can use EBT with Sam’s Club Scan & Go feature

Sam’s Club Scan & Go helps you skip those long checkout lines. It’s a feature on the Sam’s Club application that enables you to scan the barcode of store items with your phone, then make payment for them within the app. 

After payment, you can present the barcode receipt the app generates to a Sam’s Club associate on your way out. So while you dread going all the way to the warehouses, you don’t have to be there for long. The Scan & Go feature will help you shop faster and conveniently.

How to add your EBT card to the Sam’s Club app

Note: The steps in this walkthrough may look different on your phone, depending on what version of the Sam's Club app you're using.

• If you haven’t already, download and install the Sam’s Club app from your Apple or Play Store. You’ll need to sign into your account as it’s the first time you’re running the app. 
• Tap Scan & Go to begin scanning items and adding them to your virtual cart.
  
• Once you’ve scanned your items, tap Checkout then select Add an EBT card. You might need to do this for every transaction as the app selects your debit or credit card by default.
  
• On the new page, enter your card details, then tap Use this card. 
  
• On the Checkout page, select your EBT card as the payment method before you Slide to Pay. You’ll need to verify your PIN to continue.

Once you complete the above steps, you can begin paying for items with your EBT card.

What can you buy with your EBT card at Sam’s Club?

You can buy all approved food items by the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). They include fruits and vegetables that are fresh or frozen, meat, fish (freshly cut or frozen, but not alive), dairy products, breads, snacks, and non-alcoholic beverages.

You can also buy plants and seeds for growing your own food at home. As for what you can’t buy with your EBT card, the SNAP doesn’t approve of alcohol purchase. We explain why the sale of liquor is banned in most stores in one of our posts.

You also can’t buy tobacco-based products, diapers, live seafood, hot food like soups, pet foods, cleaning supplies, medicines, and other health-related items. 

Can I shop at Sam’s Club without a membership?

You may be looking for a loophole to using your EBT card without a membership plan at Sam’s Club. The sad news is that it’s not possible. Even if you had a friend or family member with membership there, you can’t use their subscription to shop at Sam’s Club. 

Sam’s Club policy states that, “Membership cards are non-transferable and are inclusive to card and household cardholders 18 years old and older” to protect shoppers from cases of identity theft.

The best you can do is get the cardholder to include you as an Add-on member. Sam’s Club Members are allowed to add up to eight people to their membership plants. But it comes at a price of $40 for each add-on. 

How much is a Sam’s Club membership now?

Currently, Sam’s Club offers two membership plans; Club and Plus. Club costs $45 for one year while Plus costs $100 for one year. 

Club membership includes access to curbside pickup for $4, instant savings offers, 1% cashback on purchases, and more.

Plus membership includes everything that Club does, but with the addition of optical savings where you get 20% off a complete pair of eyeglasses. You’ll also enjoy pharmacy savings and free shipping. 

Can I make returns with my SNAP EBT card at Sam’s Club?

You can make returns to Sam’s Club if a product is not to your satisfaction. But before you get excited, you won’t get cash back. Rather, the Member Services desk agents will refund you based on whatever payment method you used. So the money will go back to your EBT card. 

Before you return any item to Sam’s Club, ensure that you have the receipt as it’s your proof of payment. If you’ve lost your receipt, Sam’s Club’s Help Center explains how you can retrieve it.

In most cases, you’ll need to return the product the way you bought it to get a full refund. That means packaging it in the box with accessories, if there are any. 

Typically, you can process returns on the Sam’s Club website. But since the warehouse doesn’t accept EBT online, you can’t send your items back through delivery.

Conclusion 

We have confirmed that Sam’s Club accepts EBT, but only in its physical warehouses. If you’re not a fan of going to brick-and-mortar stores to shop, you can check out these grocery stores that accept EBT payment online. More importantly, they don’t require you to purchase a membership plan.

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FAQs

What is the use of EBT?

The Electronic Benefits Transfer is a digital system that allows members of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to access benefits through an EBT card. 

The card works like an electronic version of a food stamp where low income earners can use it to shop at eligible locations for groceries with funds that are pre-loaded into the card by the state.

What payment methods are accepted at Sam’s Club?

Besides EBT payment, Sam’s Club accepts the Sam’s Club Credit, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, Prepaid credit cards, debit cards, Walmart Credit, Walmart & Sam’s Club gift cards, American Express, checks, and cash. 

Can you bring someone with you to Sam’s club?

Though Sam’s Club is a membership-only retail chain, that doesn’t stop you from bringing guests along while you shop.

The policy states that members are welcome to bring their children or guardians, along with a maximum of two guests per visit to any Sam’s Club warehouse. You’re responsible for any damage your guests cause to themselves or products in the warehouses.