EBT Food Delivery: Can I Order Food Online With EBT?
Yes, you can order food online with an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card through various grocery stores and major retailers like Walmart. These EBT food delivery options enable you to have groceries delivered directly to your home.
When using SNAP benefits for EBT food delivery, you can purchase a range of food items, including:
- Bread and cereals
- Dairy products
- Fruits and vegetables
- Snack foods
- Non-alcoholic beverages like juices and lemonades
- Seeds and plants that produce food
- Red meat, poultry, and fish
However, it’s important to note that EBT cards cannot be used to buy alcohol or tobacco products, vitamins, medicines, cleaning supplies, hygiene products, cosmetics, household supplies, or other non-food items.
Food Delivery Apps That Accept EBT Cards
Most restaurant food delivery services, like DoorDash, GrubHub, and Uber Eats, don’t accept EBT payments. However, several online grocery delivery apps do accept EBT cards.
For example, Amazon allows EBT payments for services like AmazonFresh and AmazonPantry. SNAP recipients can also benefit from discounts on Amazon Prime.
Remember, these purchases are limited to food items only. You can also use EBT for online food orders from Walmart and Whole Foods.
This service is especially beneficial for those who are disabled or prefer to avoid in-person shopping due to concerns like COVID-19, ensuring access to necessary food items through EBT food delivery services.
Instacart
As of late 2020, Instacart started accepting SNAP benefits and EBT cards for their food delivery services. Retailers on InstaCart that accept SNAP benefits include Whole Foods, Walmart, and ALDI.
Through the app, you can buy almost any food item, except for prepared foods like rotisserie chicken or other hot, cooked items, as these are typically not eligible for purchase with an EBT card.
Food Delivery Apps That Don’t Accept EBT Cards
You will find food delivery apps that provide restaurant-made meals are not able to accept EBT cards.
Only retailers that provide uncooked food items can accept payment via SNAP benefits.
Food delivery apps like GrubHub, Uber Eats, Postmates, and DoorDash cannot take payment through EBT cards.
However, certain states allow hot meals and restaurant-prepared foods to be delivered and paid for via EBT cards.
You can check out the USDA website to see if your state qualifies.
In addition, whether you are having uncooked groceries delivered or you qualify for hot meal delivery, it is important to note that delivery fees cannot be paid through the EBT card and must come out of your own pocket.
Major Retailers That Accept EBT Cards and Provide Online Food Delivery
The good thing about EBT food delivery is that a large number of retailers and major grocery stores now accept SNAP benefits for those who qualify.
We describe these retailers and their services below.
Walmart
Walmart offers curbside pickup for groceries and grocery delivery services for SNAP recipients.
All you need to do is pay online with your EBT card at checkout.
Walmart accepts EBT card payments in 44 states across the country.
Amazon
AmazonFresh and AmazonPantry apps accept EBT card payments in all states except for Montana, Louisiana, Alaska, and Hawaii.
You can shop for fresh produce, meat, beverages, and pantry staples on Amazon.
Furthermore, you can even qualify for free delivery when you make a minimum amount of purchase.
Check it out to find sales and deals on foods for your household.
ALDI
More than 1,700 ALDI stores from 37 states and the District of Columbia allow SNAP beneficiaries to use their EBT card to pay for online grocery orders, which can be delivered to their home.
In fact, you can use the Instacart app to use the ALDI retailer for grocery deliveries.
BJ’s Wholesale
While BJ’s Wholesale Club accepts EBT cards in-store across all states, online EBT food delivery ordering is only available in North Carolina, Florida, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island.
However, EBT payment is not currently available on the BJ’s Wholesale app.
You should be able to make an online grocery delivery order on their website or through the Instacart app.
Food Lion
The retailer Food Lion is accepting EBT card payments for online grocery deliveries as well as curbside pickup.
More than 350 Food Lion stores across North Carolina are now accepting SNAP benefits to pay for online grocery orders.
Hy-Vee
The retailer Hy-Vee offers curbside pickup of groceries for SNAP beneficiaries.
As of August 2020, all Hy-Vee stores that provide Hy-Vee Aisles Online grocery pickup accept SNAP or EBT card payments.
Orders can be made through Hy-Vee.com or their app.
You’ll need to choose a day and time to pick up your groceries and pay with your EBT card.
Kroger
Kroger offers free curbside pickup for groceries that cost $35 or more.
In addition, Kroger accepts EBT card payments when you order online.
All you’ll need to do is pick out your groceries and choose a time when you can pick up your food items.
Publix
You can use Instacart to order food from Publix to be delivered to your home.
In 2021, Publix began accepting EBT card payments from SNAP beneficiaries when purchasing food online via Instacart.
Safeway and Albertsons
At Safeway, you can use EBT payments in 10 states and Washington DC for curbside pickup when ordering groceries online.
Shopping online will help you save time instead of wandering through a store.
However, Safeway does not provide EBT food delivery.
Albertsons has a similar system in place as Safeway.
The company also offers grocery delivery through their DoorDash Albertson’s delivery program.
ShopRite
ShopRite will accept EBT payments for both food delivery and grocery curbside pickup options.
However, this program is only available at ShopRite stores in Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, and New York.
You can purchase your groceries either via the Shoprite.com website or through the ShopRite mobile app.
Frequently Asked Questions
How did Schwans accept food stamps when other online food delivery services didn’t?
Schwans chose to accept EBT payments, recognizing the extra effort and expense of applying for this capability. This decision contrasts with other retailers who may not target SNAP customers, who are less likely to make high-value purchases.
Schwans’ unique infrastructure, including freezer trucks where drivers can process payments including EBT, facilitated this choice, a system not readily adopted by other retailers.
Can you use EBT food stamps for a wedding cake order from a bakery if they offer delivery?
Yes, you can use EBT food stamps to order a wedding cake from a bakery, as well as other bakery items like birthday cakes, cookies, and baked goods. However, it’s important to note that non-edible decorations on the cake should not exceed 50 percent of its total cost, so choosing a less elaborately decorated cake is advisable.
While EBT can cover the cost of the cake itself, delivery fees must be paid separately. Both bakeries and grocery stores that offer standard catalog wedding cakes may accept EBT food stamps. You can locate bakeries that accept EBT using the SNAP Retailer Locator on the USDA website.
How can we get the USDA to expand EBT benefits to cover online ordering in every state?
To encourage the USDA to extend EBT benefits for online ordering to all states, activists in areas without this option should communicate their views. This can involve writing letters and arranging meetings with USDA officials.
The Biden-Harris administration has already made strides in increasing online grocery ordering access for EBT users, significantly expanding the program during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Currently, over 1.5 million households in 46 states and D.C. benefit from this, and there are plans to further modernize EBT payments and online access.
Why are some food items not eligible for SNAP EBT delivery?
Some food items are ineligible for purchase with SNAP EBT because the program is designed to support the purchase of essential groceries.
Excluded items include alcohol, tobacco products, vitamins, supplements, over-the-counter medicines, and any prepared or hot foods like deli sandwiches or restaurant meals.
While you can buy essentials like bread, meats, fruits, and vegetables with EBT, be prepared to pay out of pocket for any ready-to-eat items from grocery store counters, like sandwiches or pizzas.
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Wrapping Up
The EBT program and SNAP benefits have undergone several changes in recent years due to the COVID-19 pandemic with more states offering EBT food delivery services than ever before.
A pandemic EBT program was also extended to help more families overcome the economic downturn and ensure they had enough food to eat.
EBT online orders can cover the majority of foods families need such as fruits, vegetables, bread, dairy products, red meat, and poultry.
You can use Instacart, AmazonFresh, or AmazonPantry apps to order foods online and have them delivered right to your door.
However, you’ll need to remember that GrubHub, Uber Eats, and DoorDash do not accept EBT payments.
Unfortunately, EBT cards cannot cover restaurant-prepared food.
If you’re looking for a retailer who takes EBT card payments and provides food delivery, you can check out Walmart, Kroger, ShopRite, BJ’s Wholesale, and more.
You can get started by using the Instacart app and paying with your EBT card.
You can buy cold sandwiches at wawa with ebt
You can at Publix & 7/ 11 a also
Do you know if you can use EBT with gopuff
You can use EBT cards at Papa Murphy’s Take & Bake Pizza if you have one where you live. Because the pizza is not cooked, they qualify and it’s a nice treat! Plus, I’ve gotten them for birthday parties without anyone knowing I paid with my EBT card.
(I hope they are still doing it.. I haven’t ordered for a few years so double check first)
You are correct.
However, it feels ethically strange to buy what’s essentially an uncooked pizza from Papa Murphy and pay 2-3x the price of just getting Digiorno from whatever other store.
You can also buy food seeds, fruit trees, and any plant that produces food with EBT as well even at Lowes and Home Depot
Thank you for leaving this comment. It gets confusing of who accepts EBT & who doesn’t. There can be a thin line which I’m sure you already know about.
Anyways, thank you for clarifying this question I’ve had.
Alot of restaurants accept ebt. Both fast food and restaurant cooked food. I don’t understand why everyone is saying they don’t. I guess the problem is with the companies that are delivering. As long as you leave another form of cash payment why don’t they? ? I presume we all have got to send complaints to the delivery company we use. But yes you would have to cover your delivery payment+ tip. And taxes. Where do I sign ? Does someone know how to do a mass complaint? ?? There’s millions of us that use ebt only.
You’re exactly right, that’s what I’ve been saying all along. Money is money I don’t see what the big deal is about