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SNAP EBT cards, formerly known as food stamps, are the perfect solution for low income earners. You don’t need to break the bank to get decent meals in stores and restaurants anymore. Sadly, EBT cards are not accepted everywhere.
Does this also apply to online stores? The answer is no. Some stores accept EBT cards, both in-store and online. But the question is, “where can I use EBT online?”
To answer that, we compiled a short list of grocery stores that accept EBT online.
What is an EBT card?
A Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) EBT card is a special debit card. The EBT stands for Electronic Benefits Transfer card.
SNAP EBT cards are issued by government assistance programs to low income earners or families. This card is pre-loaded with some funds to enable such families afford food and financial benefits.
EBT cards are not accepted in every store. Some grocery stores like Trader Joe’s accept it, although they don’t offer delivery services. So you’d have to use a third-party food delivery app or service.
8 grocery stores that accept EBT online
Popular stores like Starbucks don’t accept EBT cards, both online and in-store. But licensed Starbucks stores do. By licensed, we mean stores that own rights or licenses to offer Starbucks services. E.g. Safeway.
This must be confusing. To bring some clarity to the “where can I use EBT online?” question, here’s a short list of popular grocery stores that accept EBT online:
1. Amazon
Amazon accepts both SNAP EBT cards and P-EBT cards. Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) cards are similar to SNAP EBT cards. The difference is that the P-EBT cards are issued to eligible school children. The card is to provide financial support to children in need of nutritional and health benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic.
All residents of the United States of America can use their SNAP and P-EBT cards on Amazon. However, Amazon doesn’t accept these cards from residents in Alaska.
To use your SNAP or P-EBT cards on Amazon, create an account. If you already have an account, go to the “Add your SNAP EBT card“ page and enter your card number.
After adding an EBT card to your Amazon account, you can begin shopping items online. Not all products are SNAP EBT eligible, so you should look out for the “SNAP EBT eligible” label on the product information page.
2. Walmart
Walmart accepts SNAP EBT cards in over 40 states in the USA. In Alaska, you can use your card when you arrive at the store for curbside pickup.
To use your SNAP EBT card online at Walmart, first create an account. If you already have one, go to the “Payment Methods” menu. You should see an option there to add your EBT card. Once you update your payment information, you can begin shopping with the card.
3. Kroger
Kroger accepts SNAP EBT cards at all its pickup stores or locations and online. But 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.
4. Safeway
All Safeway stores in the USA accept SNAP EBT cards. You can make both in-store and online pickup purchases.
You can make both in-store and online pickup purchases. Safeway also has its own Starbucks cafes within their buildings. So you can use your EBT card to buy coffee and snacks there. But you should know that the regular Starbucks cafes don’t accept EBT payment. Safeway only has the permission to sell Starbucks items because it has the license to do so.
5. ShopRite
ShopRite accepts EBT cards online for both home delivery and pickup orders. But this doesn’t apply to every state. Both services are only available to residents of New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania. They are the only states in the USA where Shoprite exists.
6. H-E-B
H-E-B accepts SNAP EBT cards for both delivery and curbside pickup orders. The store will charge you 10% extra for weighted items. These are items that are priced according to weight. For example, meat and fresh produce. The purpose of the charge is to cover the costs if the item you receive weighs more than what you ordered. If it weighs less, you can report this to the store and they’ll refund your EBT card.
7. Publix
Publix now accepts SNAP EBT cards for all delivery and pickup orders. The store’s delivery system is powered by Instacart, so you’d need to place your orders using the grocery delivery service. After that, Instacart drivers will deliver your items to your apartment.
8. Aldi
Aldi accepts SNAP EBT cards for both home delivery and curbside pickup orders. Aldi also makes delivery via Instacart, so you can pay for your groceries with the official Instacart app or website. The store charges a service and fee for every curbside pickup order. It costs $3.99 if your order is below $35, and $1.99 if your order is worth $35 or above. There’s also an extra charge for bags since Aldi shopping bags aren’t free. You can purchase all USDA eligible items through Aldi’s website. That includes fresh produce, meat and dairy products, snack foods, non-alcoholic beverages, seeds and plants that yield edible food.
What can I buy with my SNAP EBT card online?
You can buy fresh fruits and vegetables, meat, poultry and fish, dairy products, or breads and cereals with your EBT card. But you can’t buy liquor, cigarettes, medicines, live animals, or cosmetics. Basically, you can buy all food items in compliance with the U.S. Department Of Agriculture (USDA) guidelines. Here’s a full list of what you can and can’t buy with your EBT card online. Sometimes, your SNAP EBT balance won’t be enough to cover your total bill. In such cases, some grocery stores offer options to add additional payment methods. So you can add a debit, credit or gift cards to cover the expenses.
Now you know the best grocery stores that accept EBT online. If you’d like to know about payment methods in other stores, hit the links below:
- Grocery stores that accept PayPal
- What time does Walmart Money Center close?
- Does Kroger accept Apple Pay?
Irene is a Freelance content writer who helps professionals and startups build an audience with original content online. She has written over +100 articles, and is backed up by 3 years experience. She loves gaming and listening to music, while she’s not tapping furiously on her laptop.