Does Target accept EBT? As one of the nation’s largest retailers, Target is authorized to accept EBT at its authorized store locations and even on its website. Depending on the source of your EBT funds, you may be able to purchase food and non-food items using these benefits.
Does Target accept EBT?
Although Target does accept EBT, your ability to purchase certain items or shop online depends on the source of your EBT funds. That’s because EBT food benefits and EBT cash benefits are processed very differently, and the pilot programs that allow SNAP EBT benefits to be used online don’t always apply to EBT cash benefits.
I know this is all very confusing, so let’s break it down in more simple terms.
Does Target accept EBT SNAP for food purchases?
Yes! You can use Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food benefits to purchase eligible food items in-store and online in eligible states. If you place your order online, you may be able to purchase your items for pickup or delivery using your EBT benefits.
Unfortunately, at the time of this writing, you cannot use SNAP EBT benefits in the Target app yet. They intend to update this but the development has not been completed yet.
Does Target accept EBT cash for non-food purchases?
Yes! You can use TANF, RCA and other cash benefits to purchase eligible non-food items in-store. It does not appear that you can use EBT cash benefits to purchase items online or through the app yet.
Although this is very inconvenient, many experts are optimistic that EBT cash will be accepted for online purchases in the near future.
How do I use EBT at Target?
How you use EBT when shopping at Target will depend on how you’re shopping. The process is obviously different for in-store and online purchases.
If you are shopping in-store, it’s as easy as swiping your EBT card at checkout. You can choose to checkout at a staffed register or at self-checkout. Just pile up all your purchases and the EBT card will cover any eligible items up to the available balance on your card. Anything that is not EBT-eligible will have to be paid with an alternate payment method, like cash.
If you’re shopping online, you’ll need to add your EBT card as a payment method before you checkout. The process for this is very straightforward:
- Go to your Target account page.
- Select Add Payment Card.
- Click EBT Card as the payment type.
- Add your EBT card number.
- Set your EBT card as the default payment method, if you wish.
- Click save.
After you’ve finished adding items to your cart and navigate to the checkout page, you’ll be able to edit the amount that will be applied to your EBT card. You’ll have to enter your EBT PIN and then click Confirm.
Unfortunately, you cannot use SNAP EBT in the Target app yet. That is something that will hopefully be deployed soon.
What can I buy with EBT at Target?
Of course, there are limitations on what you can buy with EBT at Target. These rules are set by the federal government and are different for the food and cash programs.
What does Target accept EBT SNAP benefits for?
You can use SNAP food benefits to purchase eligible food items at Target. The USDA sets strict guidelines about what you can and cannot purchase with EBT at Target, but you may be surprised by what is allowed!
The USDA has stated that SNAP EBT funds can be used to purchase the following:
- Beverages (non-alcoholic only)
- Breads
- Cereals
- Dairy products
- Fruits and vegetables
- Meat, poultry and fish
- Seeds and produce-bearing plants
- Snack foods
However, the USDA has also advised that SNAP EBT benefits can be used to buy
- Birthday cakes
- Gift baskets (at least 50% of the value must be food)
- Live lobsters & shellfish
With the gift basket loophole, you may be able to buy some really interesting things especially around Easter and Christmas. As long as eligible food accounts for at least 50% of the value of the item, the item can be considered EBT eligible.
Users often take to social media with their EBT-eligible finds. There are many groups that feature these finds, including EBT Eligible Items & EBT Deals on Facebook.
When you look online for EBT-eligible gift sets at Target.com, there are a number of fun finds that you can purchase with your SNAP food benefits. Here are a few of my favorites:
- Games for Motion Holiday Milk Chocolate Monopoly
- Games for Motion Holiday Candy Land Chocolate Edition
- Hickory Farms Charcuterie Gift Set
- Hickory Farms Tree Board Gift Set
- Holiday Hot Chocolate Bomb Gift Set
- Oreo Holiday Milk Shake Bar Gift Set
- Starbucks Tall Travel Mug with Coffee
As you can see, there are many exciting things that you can buy with SNAP EBT benefits both in-store and at Target.com.
What does Target accept EBT cash for?
EBT cash benefits can be used to purchase food, as well as other non-food essentials like hygiene items, cleaning supplies, household goods, diapers, clothing, shoes, and other items. Most items inside a Target store can be purchased with EBT cash benefits.
However, EBT cash benefits cannot be used to purchase alcohol, cigarettes, tobacco or other prohibited items.
What can’t you buy with EBT at Target?
Regardless of the source of your EBT funds, you cannot use EBT to purchase:
- Alcohol (beer, wine, liquor, etc)
- Cigarettes
- Lottery tickets or gambling
- Tobacco
If you use SNAP EBT, then you also cannot use those funds to purchase:
- Cleaning supplies
- Cosmetics
- Hot foods
- Hygiene items
- Live animals (except shellfish and animals slaughtered prior to pickup)
- Pet foods
- Vitamins, medicines and supplements
- and any other non-food items
Does Target accept EBT returns?
Yes, Target accepts returns for items purchased with EBT. Any item purchased with an EBT card must be returned within 90 days. The purchase price will be refunded to the EBT card. Target must refund the original payment method and cannot give you cash for EBT returns.
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.