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Can You Buy Flowers with EBT?

Can You Buy Flowers with EBT?

Can you buy flowers with EBT? That’s a great question that many people who are new to EBT benefits have asked. Let’s talk about the different ways you can get EBT benefits and what they can be used for.

What is EBT?

Although many people use “EBT” as a substitute for “SNAP” or “food stamps,” that’s not exactly what it is. EBT is an acronym for the Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) system.

This is the method that the government uses to disburse money from different benefit programs, including:

  • Aged Blind Disabled (ABD) benefits
  • Refugee Cash Assistance (RCA) benefits
  • Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits
  • Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits

More people receive SNAP benefits than any other kind of EBT benefit, so a lot of people use EBT like a synonym for SNAP or food stamps. Since SNAP also has the most strict rules about what you can and can’t buy, it’s important to understand the distinction.

Can you buy flowers with EBT?

The answer to whether or not you can buy flowers with EBT depends on where your EBT benefits come from. If you receive cash benefits, you may be able to buy flowers with EBT. If you receive food benefits, you can only buy seeds and live plants that produce food for human consumption.

Can you buy flowers with food stamps?

The USDA has declared that SNAP shoppers can use their EBT benefits to purchase seeds and plants that produce food for human consumption. If you want to buy flowers that will eventually turn into strawberries or tomatoes, then you’re able to do that with your SNAP benefits.

However, you need to make sure that you are buying an item that will produce food for human consumption. This could include seeds, plants or even fruit trees.

You also need to make sure that you’re purchasing from a retailer that accepts EBT benefits. Not all stores that sell flowering produce plants are set up to accept EBT benefits. For example, Home Depot can’t accept EBT. You’ll need to make sure that you’re shopping from an eligible retailer like Walmart or Amazon.

Can you buy flowers with EBT cash benefits?

There are a lot fewer restrictions on EBT cash benefits. Those benefits are still intended to cover your necessary living expenses.

Necessary living expenses include:

  • Clothing
  • Employment costs
  • Fuel
  • Food
  • Housing
  • Home Maintenance
  • Hygiene
  • Transportation

Depending on the purpose of the flowers, they may or may not count as necessary living expenses. However, it does appear that you can legally buy flowers with EBT cash benefits.

If you want to buy flowers with EBT, try this!

There are several alternatives if you want to buy flowers with EBT. The right choice for you will depend on the reason you want to buy the flowers in the first place.

Buy an EBT-eligible gift basket with flowers.

If you want to buy flowers with EBT because you want to buy a gift for someone in your household, consider one of these EBT-eligible gift baskets from Amazon!

We’ve found beautiful photo boxes, baskets, and even artificial flowers in these gift baskets. There’s a wide selection available, so there’s something for every occassion!

Check your local farmer’s market.

Many farmer’s markets are set up to process EBT payments. They still can’t accept food benefits for inedible flowers, but you may be able to get a great deal on some locally grown flowers there.

Pick your own.

Although picking flowers on private property without permission can get you into legal trouble, there are places that you can pick wildflowers without fear of penalty. You’ll need to check with your local and state regulations to make sure that you’re following the law.

Check with your local florist.

There’s a florist near our house that offers free flowers every day to people with different names. It’s a fun promotion that brings people into the store who may not visit otherwise. The sign out front always shows the name and anyone with that name can stop in for a free flower.

You can always check with your local florist to see if they have any promotions like that.

Nicole is the founder and lead researcher of Low Income Relief. After a personal experience with poverty and homelessness following her husband's sudden medical discharge from the U.S. Army, Nicole discovered the life-changing impact of community resources. This experience ignited her passion for empowering others to navigate similar crises. Nicole launched her writing career at age 16, working for various newspapers and publications. Her commitment to in-depth research and accessible content has been recognized by Google for Publishers and other industry leaders. For over 20 years, she has applied her investigative skills to uncover the most helpful, up-to-date information on benefits programs and community resources, ensuring Low Income Relief maintains the most extensive resource databases available.