Hawaii’s statewide DA BUX program helps low income residents get more locally grown Hawaiian fruits and vegetables with their SNAP benefits. This program works at grocery stores, food hubs and more.
What is DA BUX?
DA BUX is a double up food program that allows SNAP shoppers to get a discount on fresh, locally grown fruit and vegetables. Since a lot of people receive a relatively small amount of benefits, these programs really help people get a lot more healthy food for their money.
The DA BUX program was created through a partnership between The Food Basket and The Hawai’i Good Food Alliance.
Who is eligible for DA BUX?
In order to be eligible for this program, you need to be receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits from the state of Hawai’i. All Hawaiians who are currently receiving these benefits are eligible for this program.
Tourists who are visiting Hawai’i cannot get the discount with their out-of-state EBT cards.
How do you sign up and use it?
You will need to register for an Access Card before you shop. You can sign up online or in-person. The process only takes about 5 minutes. In-person sign up is available at certain Foodland and KTA Super Stores, as well as other locations.
When you have your card, you can visit a participating retailer (listed below) and pick out eligible food products. Those products will be marked with a DA BUX logo so that you can easily tell what is eligible and what isn’t.
At checkout, you’ll need to present your Access Card to get the 50% discount on your eligible products. There is a limit of one discount per transaction per day.
After you swipe the card, you’ll need to pay with your EBT card. At least one penny of your transaction has to be paid with SNAP EBT in order for you to get the DA BUX discount. If you need to use other payment methods to complete your order, that’s okay.
What can you buy with a DA BUX discount?
The discount is specifically designed to help people buy locally grown fruits and vegetables. Anything you buy must meet specific limits on sugars, salts, oils and fats. Canned products are NOT eligible.
Each participating store can decide what food is eligible for this program. Some retailers may choose to offer poi as a qualifying produce item.
Although most retailers do not provide a list of eligible products, KTA Super Stores publishes their list of eligible items:
- Alfalfa Sprouts
- Arugula
- Avocado
- Apple Banana
- Broccoli Sprouts
- Cabbage (including Chinese and Mustard)
- Chard
- Choy Sum
- Cilantro
- Clover Sprouts
- Corn
- Cucumber (including Japanese and Minis)
- Daikon
- Daikon Sprouts
- Kale
- Lettuce (including Butter, Green Leaf, Hydroponic Leaf, Romaine, Red Leaf, and other varieties)
- Mixed Sprouts
- Mung Beans
- Mushrooms (including Oyster)
- Pak Choy
- Papaya
- Parsley
- Pineapple
- Poi
- Snow Pea Sprouts
- Soybean Sprouts
- Sunflower Sprouts
- Sweet Potato
- Tomato
- Taro
- Taro Leaves
- Watermelon
Certain frozen products are also eligible, including:
- Hawai‘i ‘Ulu Coop Kalo, Frozen
- Hawai‘i ‘Ulu Coop Pala‘a, Frozen
- Hawai‘i ‘Ulu Coop ‘Uala, Frozen
- Hawai‘i ‘Ulu Coop ‘Ulu, Frozen
Where can you shop with DA BUX?
There are many different stores that work with this program, including:
- Big Save Markets
- Foodland
- KTA Super Stores
- Mālama Markets
- Nanakuli Super
- Shima’s Super Market
- Times Super Market
- Waianae Store
Other participating retailers include:
- Farm Link Hawaii
- Friendly Market Center
- Hawai’i’Ulu Cooperative
- Hale Puna Farmers Market
- Hāna Farmers Market
- Kahumana Organic Farms Farmers Market
- Kaka’ako Farmers Market
- Kahumana Organic Farms CSA
- Keauhou Farmers Market
- Lanakila Meals on Wheels
- Mākeke Waiʻanae Farmers’ and Green Market
- Malama Kauaʻi
- Maui Hub
- Okoʻa Farms
- Roots Market
- Sustʻāinable Molokai
- The Food Basket CSA
- Waianae Store
FAQs about DA BUX
With all the changes to EBT lately, it’s natural to have questions. Let’s talk about a few things you need to know.
Can you get a DA BUX discount when you shop with P-EBT?
Yes! You can get a DA BUX discount when you shop with P-EBT as long as you have signed up for your Access Card in advance.
Are there any limits to the DA BUX program?
The program is limited to one transaction per day. You cannot receive more than one discount per day.
Nicole Thelin
Nicole is the owner and lead researcher for Low Income Relief. She has over 20 years of professional research and writing experience, and she has been solely dedicated to investigating low income topics for the last 10 years. Nicole started Low Income Relief after a personal experience with poverty. When her husband was medically discharged from the US Army, their family experienced tremendous financial hardship. Nicole was able to gather help from multiple community agencies and move into a nearby low income housing unit in just two weeks! Since then, Nicole has been dedicated to helping low income families in crisis. She regularly spends hundreds of hours combing through countless resources to make sure that Low Income Relief has the most comprehensive and complete resource directories on the internet today. Prior to starting Low Income Relief, Nicole worked as a novelist, journalist, ghostwriter and content creator. Her work has been featured in various print and online publications, including USA Today, The Daily Herald, The Chronicle and more. Her work has also been featured by Google for Publishers and other leading industry publications.