Where Can You Shop with EBT?

You can use SNAP EBT at many grocery stores, supermarkets, warehouse clubs, discount grocers, convenience stores, farmers markets, farm stands, and approved online retailers. You may even be able to use your EBT card at some unexpected places, like you-pick farms, Community Supported Agriculture programs, military commissaries, and restaurants in certain states.

However, the store has to be approved to accept SNAP before your card will work there. That’s why one store may accept EBT while another similar store does not. We’ll dive into those requirements here in just a moment.

Quick note: This article is about SNAP EBT, which is used to buy eligible food. Some EBT cards also include cash benefits, such as TANF or state cash aid. Those benefits follow different rules. If you are trying to understand cash benefits, see our guide to What You Can Buy with EBT Cash.

Where You Can Shop with SNAP EBT

There are a ton of stores that are primed to accept EBT — but you can often use EBT even in places you wouldn’t ordinarily expect!

Online Retailers: Some approved retailers let you use SNAP EBT online for grocery pickup, grocery delivery, or shipped food. Amazon, Walmart, Target, Kroger, Safeway, and other retailers may accept EBT online in some areas, but you usually need another payment method for fees, tips, and non-food items.

Grocery Stores: Most grocery stores and supermarkets like Walmart, Aldi, Kroger, Safeway, and Publix accept SNAP EBT. These are usually the easiest places to use your card because big grocery chains are often set up to process SNAP correctly.

Big Box Stores: Supercenters like Walmart, Target, and Meijer often accept EBT in their grocery sections. These stores can be convenient because you can buy food and other household items in one trip, but SNAP will only pay for eligible food.

Warehouse Clubs: Costco, Sam’s Club, and BJ’s Wholesale Club accept SNAP EBT at many locations. You still need a membership, and SNAP cannot pay for the membership fee, delivery fees, service fees, tips, or non-food items. (If you get an executive membership at Costco, you can earn 2% back on your SNAP purchases, too!)

Discount Grocery Stores: Discount stores like Grocery Outlet, Save A Lot, Food 4 Less, and local salvage or scratch-and-dent grocery stores may accept EBT. These stores can help stretch your benefits, but check packaging and dates carefully before you buy.

Dollar Stores: Some Dollar General, Family Dollar, and similar discount stores accept SNAP EBT. These can be helpful for quick grocery basics, but prices and selection vary.

Convenience Stores: Many convenience stores like 7-Eleven, Circle K, Wawa, Sheetz, and Kwik Trip accept EBT at participating locations. These stores can be useful when you need food nearby, but they are often more expensive than grocery stores.

Gas Station Markets: Some gas station markets, including certain Pilot Flying J, QuikTrip, Cumberland Farms, and RaceTrac locations, accept SNAP EBT. Your card may work for eligible food inside the store, but it will not pay for gas.

Farmers Markets: Many farmers markets accept EBT. Some markets ask you to swipe your card at the information booth first, then use tokens, vouchers, or market currency with participating vendors.

Farm Stands: Some farm stands accept EBT, especially if they sell fruits, vegetables, eggs, meat, or other staple foods. Since these are often small or seasonal businesses, ask before you shop.

CSAs and Farm Boxes: Some Community Supported Agriculture programs, food co-ops, and farm box programs accept EBT. Look for programs that offer weekly or monthly payments, low-income shares, or EBT-friendly checkout options.

You-Pick Farms: Some you-pick farms accept EBT during harvest seasons for berries, apples, peaches, pumpkins, or other local produce. Always ask before you start picking because some farms accept EBT at the farm stand but not in the fields.

Military Commissaries: Many military commissaries accept SNAP EBT for eligible food purchases. If you have commissary access, this can be a helpful way to stretch your benefits.

Garden Centers and Nurseries: You may be able to use EBT at some farmers markets, big-box garden centers (like Walmart) and online retailers to buy seeds, plants, berry bushes, or fruit trees that grow food. The item must produce food for your household, and the store must be approved to accept SNAP.

Other Places to Use Your EBT Card

Why Some Stores Accept EBT and Others Don’t

Stores have to be approved before they can accept SNAP EBT.

Most stores qualify in one of two ways:

1. They stock enough staple foods. These stores carry a variety of foods across major categories like protein, grains, fruits and vegetables, and dairy.
2. Most of their food sales come from staple foods. This is how some specialty stores may qualify. For example, a butcher shop may qualify because most of its food sales are meat, and a produce stand may qualify because most of its food sales are fruits and vegetables.

This is why a regular grocery store usually accepts EBT, but a gift shop with a few snacks probably does not. It also explains why some farm stands, butchers, and other specialty food retailers may accept EBT even if they do not look like traditional grocery stores.

These rules are about whether the store can participate in SNAP. They do not change what you can personally buy with your EBT card. For that, see our guide to What You Can Buy with EBT.

How to Find EBT Stores Near You

If you want to know whether a specific store accepts EBT, use the official USDA SNAP Retailer Locator. You can search by address, city and state, or zip code.

The locator is helpful because EBT participation can vary by location. A national chain may accept EBT at many stores, but that does not always mean every location is approved.

If you are traveling far, shopping at a small store, or trying to use EBT at a farmers market, it is still a good idea to call ahead or check their website.

Where You CANNOT Use EBT

There are strict laws and regulations about where EBT cannot be used. No matter what program provides your EBT funds, it is important that you understand these rules and abide by them. The rules sometimes vary by state, so it’s always important to read your paperwork carefully.

However, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, you typically cannot use your EBT card in the following locations:

• Adult venues
• Casinos and gambling establishments
• Gun stores
• Liquor stores
• Smoke shops

There are certain things that you are never allowed to buy with EBT under any circumstances. You cannot use EBT to buy alcohol, tobacco, cigarettes, pet food, soap, household supplies or vitamins.

Failure to follow the rules of your EBT program could result in the loss of benefits. You could even be prohibited from receiving those benefits in the future. If you have questions about what is or isn’t allowed in your area, please contact your Social Services department. You may also want to talk to legal aid.

Relief Recap

The easiest way to check a specific store is to use the USDA SNAP Retailer Locator. You may also be able to stretch your benefits with Double Up Food Bucks or similar produce incentive programs, and you can use SNAP to buy food-producing seeds, plants, berry bushes, and fruit trees from approved retailers.