The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) allows recipients to use government benefits to purchase groceries using an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card. Each month, the government will load a set amount of funds onto your EBT card (based on your income level and household size). You can then use your EBT card like a debit card to shop at a variety of stores.

Below, we explain more about how EBT works and list the stores that accept EBT. We collected this information by contacting customer service representatives for each store and viewing the USDA’s list of approved EBT retailers.

What Can You Buy With an EBT Card?

You can use an EBT card to buy any food for home consumption except hot foods ready for immediate consumption (as previously reported). This includes bread, cereal, fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, poultry, dairy products, and seeds or plants that produce food. Your benefits will reload monthly; see our list of EBT deposit times by state.

You cannot use your EBT card to purchase everything that a grocery store sells, however. You cannot use SNAP benefits for beer, wine, liquor, cigarettes, tobacco, pet supplies, household supplies, or hot/prepared foods.

Can You Use Your EBT Card Outside of the Issuing State?

EBT cards are “interoperable” — meaning you can use them outside of your home state. Because SNAP is a federal benefits program, all states must accept it (as previously reported).

One exception is if your issuing state offers the Restaurant Meals Program, which allows certain EBT recipients to buy hot meals at participating restaurants. If you qualify for the Restaurant Meals Program in your state, you may not be able to purchase hot foods outside your county or state. Find out more about this program in our research on restaurants that take EBT.

Can You Use EBT Online?

The USDA has run several pilot programs to test how it can best allow qualified individuals to use their EBT cards for grocery delivery. Though you cannot use EBT online at all of the stores in our list below, your local store may participate in a pilot program. For more information on these pilot programs and other EBT grocery delivery options, see our related research on using EBT online and EBT food delivery (including Schwan’s).

Some stores also accept EBT for curbside grocery pickup. See our list of grocery stores that take EBT for curbside services.

Grocery Stores (& Others) That Accept EBT/SNAP/Food Stamps

The following grocery stores, superstores, and other stores accept EBT. Note that while EBT is widely accepted at grocery stores, select store locations may not accept it; you may want to call the store you plan to visit or bring a back-up payment option. Independently-owned stores and farmers markets may also accept EBT — our list only includes national and regional chains.

Note: This list is long; you can more easily find stores in your state that take EBT by using the Ctrl+F keyboard shortcut to search for your state’s two-letter abbreviation.

99 Ranch Market

Acme Fresh Market

Albertsons

Note: If you have a disability and an EBT card, contact Albertsons’ grocery delivery department. You may be able to arrange delivery and pay with your EBT card.

  • Locations: AZ, AR, CA, CO, ID, LA, MT, NV, NM, ND, OR, TX, UT, WA, WY
  • Find a store

ALDI

  • Locations: AL, AR, CA, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, WI, WV
  • Find a store

See our dedicated research on ALDI’s accepted payment types.

BI-LO

Big Lots

  • Locations: AL, AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, UT, VT, VA, WA, WI, WV, WY
  • Find a store

Big Y

BJ’s Wholesale Club

  • Locations: CT, DE, FL, GA, MA, MD, ME, MI, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, VA
  • Find a store

Braum’s

Bravo Supermarkets

Brookshire’s

Cash Saver

Costco

  • Locations: AK, AL, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, MT, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI
  • Find a store

Country Fair

CVS

  • Locations: All 50 states and the District of Columbia
  • Find a store

Dillons

Dollar General

  • Locations: AL, AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, DE FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MO, MS, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VT, VA, WV, WI, WY
  • Find a store

Dollar Tree

  • Locations: All 50 states and the District of Columbia
  • Find a store

El Super

Fareway Store

Festival Foods

Food 4 Less

Food City

  • Locations: AZ, GA, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, TN, TX, VA, VT
  • Find a store

Food Depot

Food Giant

Food Lion

  • Locations: DE, GA, KY, MD, NC, PA, SC, TN, VA, WV
  • Find a store

Foodland

Fred Meyer

The Fresh Market

  • Locations: AL, AR, CT, DE, FL, GA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MD, MA, MS, NJ, NY, NC, OH, OK, PA, SC, TN, VA
  • Find a store

Fresh Thyme

  • Locations: IA, IL, IN, KY, MI, MN, MO, NE, OH, PA, WI
  • Find a store

See our dedicated research on Fresh Thyme’s EBT policy.

Fry’s Food

Giant Eagle

Giant Food

Giant Food Stores

Gordon Food Service

  • Locations: FL, IL, IN, KY, MI, OH, PA, TN, WI
  • Find a store

Grocery Outlet

See our dedicated research on Grocery Outlet’s EBT policy.

Hannaford

Harp’s Food Store

Harris Teeter

Harvey’s Supermarkets

H-E-B

Hmart

  • Locations: CA, GA, IL, MA, MD, MI, NJ, NY, PA, TX, VA
  • Find a store

Hy-Vee

Ingles Markets

Jewel-Osco

King Soopers

Kmart

  • Locations: CA, FL, MD, MA, MI, MN, MT, NH, NJ, NY, NC, ND, PA, VA
  • Find a store

Kroger

  • Locations: AL, AR, GA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MI, MO, MS, NC, OH, SC, TN, TX, VA, WV
  • Find a store

Lowes Food Store

Lidl

Lucky’s Market

See our dedicated research on the Lucky’s Market EBT policy.

Market Basket

  • Locations: AZ, LA, MA, ME, MI, MT, NC, NH, OH, TN, TX, WA, WI
  • Find a store

Meijer

Owen’s Market

Pay Less Super Markets

Pick ‘n Save

Piggly Wiggly

  • Locations: AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MN, MS, NC, OH, OK, SC, TN, VA, WV
  • Find a store

Price Chopper

  • Locations: AR, CT, IA, KS, MA, MO, NH, NY, PA, VT
  • Find a store

Publix

QFC

Raley’s

Ralphs

See our dedicated research on Ralphs’ EBT policy.

Randalls

Rite Aid

  • Locations: CA, CO, CT, DE, ID, MA, MD, MI, NH, NJ, NV, NY, OH, OR, PA, TX, VT, VA, WA
  • Find a store

Safeway

  • Locations: AK, AZ, CA, CO, DC, DE, FL, HI, ID, IN, MD, MT, NE, NM, NV, OR, SD, VA, WA, WY
  • Find a store

Sam’s Club

  • Locations: AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, WI, WV, WY
  • Find a store

Save A Lot

  • Locations: AL, AR, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MD, ME, MI, MO, MS, NC, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, WI, WV
  • Find a store

Schnucks

Shaw’s

ShopRite

Smart & Final

Smith’s Food and Drug

Sprouts Farmers Market

  • Locations: AL, AZ, CA, CO, DE, FL, GA, KS, MD, MO, NC, NJ, NM, NV, OK, PA, SC, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA
  • Find a store

See our dedicated research on the Sprouts Farmers Market EBT policy.

Stater Bros. Market

Stop & Shop

  • Locations: AL, CA, CT, DE, FL, GA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MA, MS, NC, NJ, NY, RI, TN, TX, VA, WA
  • Find a store

Target

 

  • Locations: All 50 states and the District of Columbia
  • Find a store

 

Tom Thumb

Tops Friendly Market

Trader Joe’s

  • Location: AL, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI
  • Find a store

Vons

See our dedicated research on the Vons EBT policy.

Walgreens

  • Locations: All 50 states and the District of Columbia
  • Find a store

Walmart

  • Locations: All 50 states and the District of Columbia
  • Find a store

See our research on Walmart’s accepted payment types. Bonus: You can get $10 off your first grocery pickup order of $50 or more when you use our referral link. A member of the FQF staff will also receive $10 off their grocery pickup if you sign up with our link. Once you sign up, you can also refer friends, and you’ll each earn $10.

Wawa

Wegmans

Weis Markets

Whole Foods

  • Locations: AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA, WI
  • Find a store

Find out more in our research on the Whole Foods EBT policy.

WinCo Foods

  • Locations: AZ, CA, ID, NV, OK, OR, TX, UT, WA
  • Find a store

Find out more in our research on WinCo’s WIC and EBT policies.

Winn-Dixie

Grocery Stores That Don’t Accept EBT

Most grocery store chains accept EBT; we found no major national or regional grocery store chains that do not accept EBT. However, EBT policies do vary among smaller grocers.

Grocery stores must apply for SNAP program approval and must submit to monitoring to ensure that they follow federal EBT rules. Approved stores must also have the appropriate equipment to process EBT cards. For larger stores, the extra business outweighs the costs associated with becoming an EBT-approved retailer, but smaller grocers may choose not to participate.

Note that discount and closeout stores that do not have a particular focus on groceries, such as Ollie’s Bargain Outlet, do not accept EBT.

More Information

Looking for other types of stores that accept EBT? See our lists of bakeries that take EBT and gas stations that accept EBT. If you’re in need of additional food assistance, we also have the list of food banks local to most.


This Season

10 comments


  • Chloe

    Does Ranch99 accepts EBT card?

    • First Quarter Finance logo
      First Quarter Finance | Laura Bachmann

      Hi Chloe,

      Did you mean 99 Ranch (that’s the closest that came up in my searches)? Yes, 99 Ranch does take EBT cards.

  • B.B.

    Does the new Lidl grocery stores accept EBT cards?

    • First Quarter Finance logo
      First Quarter Finance | Laura Bachmann

      Hi BB,

      Lidl accepts EBT cards at all of our store locations when swiped as a Debit Card during purchase.

  • Jeanie

    can my ebt card be used at Costco?

    • First Quarter Finance logo
      First Quarter Finance | Kathleen Wilson

      Hi Jeanie,
      You’re in luck. Looks like you can indeed use your EBT card at Costco. You can’t use it at costco.com or the Costco car wash or gas station though.

  • Oliver

    Does Price Rite and Hannaford Food accept EBT?

    • First Quarter Finance logo
      First Quarter Finance | Rebecca Turley

      Hi Oliver,

      Yes, both Price Rite and Hannaford accept EBT.

  • Patty

    Can you use EBT at Whole Foods to purchase a cold food platter in Georgia? I’ve used the card before at another grocery store.

    • First Quarter Finance logo
      First Quarter Finance | Laura Bachmann

      Hi Patty,

      You can see this article on Whole Food’s EBT policies for more info. Whole Foods takes EBT in every state. There are certain departments at Whole Food you cannot use EBT to purchase from. These are: beer, flower/floral, wine, whole body, and pets. I’d guess your cold food platter is not from one of those, so yes, you should be able to use EBT for it.