Does Popeyes Take EBT?

Does Popeyes take EBT? Yes, at 15 specific locations around the United States! In order to be able to use your food benefits at Popeyes, you need to make sure that you are eligible for the Restaurant Meals Program and buy your food from a participating location.

That’s important, so don’t skip it! If you rush out right now to buy your chicken and biscuits, you may end up disappointed at the register. This program is only available to certain people in certain areas, as described below.

Does Popeyes take EBT?

Popeyes takes EBT at 15 locations across California. These locations, which are listed by address below, are uniquely authorized to accept SNAP EBT benefits through the Restaurant Meals Program.

However, there is hope for users in other states! Many other areas are currently piloting and developing their own RMP. That means that Popeyes locations in other states may be able to start accepting EBT soon. We will update this list as the expansion continues.

What can you buy with EBT at Popeyes?

Obviously, you should only use your food benefits to purchase food items. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) was designed to help low income households afford food for their households. You won’t be able to buy any merchandise or other non-food items with your SNAP EBT benefits.

However, almost everything sold by Popeye’s Louisiana Kitchen is food so you should be able to buy just about anything on the menu. This includes:

• Chicken sandwiches
• Chicken tenders, wings and nuggets
• Seafood
• Mac & Cheese
• Cajun fries
• Mashed potatoes and gravy
• Red beans and rice
• Coleslaw
• Biscuits
• Desserts
• Lemonade
• Sodas
• Sweet tea
• and more!

It’s important to always remember that you don’t get any extra money through the RMP, so your benefits may not go very far when you’re purchasing restaurant meals. Budget accordingly! Don’t forget to check their mobile app and mailed coupons for deals that can help you stretch your benefits farther.

Who can buy Popeyes with EBT?

In order to purchase Popeyes meals with EBT, you need to be eligible for the Restaurant Meals Program. To be eligible, ALL THREE of the following must be true for you:

1. You must live in a state with a Restaurant Meals Program.
2. You must be unable to cook your own meals at home because you are elderly, homeless or disabled.
3. You must purchase food from a restaurant that has been approved to take EBT.

If you meet all three of those criteria, then your caseworker should automatically opt you into this program. Once they check the box in the system, your card is automatically approved for use at restaurants that have registered with the state.

Which Popeyes locations take EBT?

This is where it gets complicated. Every single Popeyes location has to register independently, which means that only a few of them have been approved to process SNAP EBT benefits. If your town has more than one location, you may find that only one of them accepts these benefits. You need to make sure you’re going to the right place when you plan to pay with EBT.

To make this easier for you, we’ve organized all of the participating locations into one easy-to-use document. It’s alphabetical by state, county and city to help you find a Popeyes that takes EBT near you.

Please view the following PDF for a list of exact addresses.

Why doesn’t every Popeyes take EBT?

Currently, SNAP EBT is accepted at around 15 of all 3,705 Popeyes locations nationwide. That’s a great start, but it’s still frustrating for people who don’t have a participating location nearby..

Opposition from politicians and health care advocates have prevented the Restaurant Meals Program from expanding to more areas of the country. Even in areas that have approved it, some restaurant owners are intimidated by the paperwork and compliance requirements that the government demands. Some may not know that they have the option to accept EBT and others may decide that it’s too much work to go through the approval process.

Ultimately, there are many reasons why most locations cannot process these transactions.

How do I pay with EBT at Popeyes?

When an eligible customer visits an eligible Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, the checkout process is actually very easy. Just swipe your card, exactly the same way you do at grocery stores. The process works exactly the same.

There’s one important catch that you need to be aware of, though. The card has to be physically swiped at the store. You cannot order Popeyes for delivery through any apps if you want to pay with EBT. You will have to pay in person at the restaurant, for either pickup or for in-restaurant dining. If you have an authorized user on your account, they can pick up the meal for you and bring it to you.

After you pay, always check your receipt. The receipt should state your balance. You should also make sure that you weren’t charged taxes or gratuity, as Popeyes cannot charge those things to people who pay with EBT benefits.

FAQs about Popeyes EBT Policies

I know it’s confusing, especially because most EBT users have always been told they cannot buy hot food or restaurant meals with EBT. We get a lot of questions about how this works, so let’s answer the most common ones.

Nicole Thelin

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.