What EBT CAN Buy

SNAP benefits can be used to purchase foods for the household to eat at home. The USDA's approved food categories are broad and cover the majority of items sold in a typical grocery store.

Approved food categories:

  • Fruits and vegetables — fresh, frozen, canned, and dried
  • Meat, poultry, and fish — including deli meat purchased cold
  • Dairy products — milk, cheese, yogurt, butter, eggs
  • Bread and cereals — all varieties including pasta, rice, and oats
  • Snack foods and non-alcoholic beverages — chips, crackers, soda, juice
  • Seeds and plants that produce food — vegetable seeds, fruit-bearing plants, herb starts
  • Baby food and infant formula

One thing that surprises many recipients: snack foods and sodas are allowed. The USDA has historically defined its role as ensuring food access rather than dietary oversight, and requests by states to restrict these items have been consistently denied. If it's sold as food in a grocery store, it can almost certainly be purchased with EBT.

Another category that goes underused: seeds and plants. If you have outdoor space, a balcony, or even a windowsill, you can purchase vegetable seeds, seedling starts, and fruit-bearing plants with your EBT card. Over a season, a small garden can produce significantly more food value than the seeds cost.

What EBT CANNOT Buy

SNAP explicitly excludes the following categories:

  • Alcoholic beverages
  • Tobacco products
  • Vitamins, medicines, and supplements
  • Hot foods prepared for immediate consumption (see exception below)
  • Non-food items: household supplies, paper products, soaps, cosmetics, pet food
  • Live animals (except shellfish, fish removed from water, and animals slaughtered before purchase)

The line between "food" and "supplement" can be unclear. Protein powders marketed as food rather than supplements are sometimes approved. Energy drinks can be purchased if they display a "Nutrition Facts" label rather than a "Supplement Facts" label. When in doubt, the label type usually determines eligibility.

The Hot Food Exception

The rule against hot prepared foods has one significant exception: the SNAP Restaurant Meals Program. This voluntary program allows qualifying SNAP recipients to use their EBT cards at participating restaurants. It is currently available in a limited number of states — primarily California, Arizona, Michigan, Maryland, Virginia, and Rhode Island — and is restricted to:

  • Elderly recipients (age 60+)
  • People with disabilities who are homeless or cannot prepare their own meals
  • Homeless individuals, regardless of age

If you live in a participating state and meet one of these criteria, contact your state SNAP agency to find out whether the Restaurant Meals Program is available in your area and which restaurants participate.

Online Grocery Shopping With EBT

As of 2026, SNAP recipients in all 50 states can use their EBT cards to purchase groceries online. This was a significant expansion from the program's origins as an in-store-only benefit. The following major platforms now participate nationwide:

  • Amazon Fresh — Available at amazon.com with an Amazon account. Prime membership is not required for EBT purchasing, though delivery fee discounts for Prime may not apply.
  • Walmart.com — Full grocery selection available for pickup and delivery. One of the most widely used EBT online platforms given Walmart's nationwide footprint.
  • Instacart — Available through participating retailers including Aldi, Kroger, Costco, and others. Delivery fees apply and cannot be paid with EBT.
  • Aldi — Direct online ordering available in select markets.

To set up online EBT ordering, add your card as a payment method on the retailer's website or app. Enter your card number as you would a debit card. Your PIN may be required at checkout on some platforms.

Remember: EBT cannot pay for delivery fees, tips, or service charges. You will need a separate payment method for those costs. Some platforms offer free pickup options for EBT customers.

EBT at Farmers Markets — Double Up Food Bucks

Many farmers markets across the country accept EBT, and a growing number participate in the Double Up Food Bucks (DUFB) program. DUFB matches every dollar of SNAP benefits spent on fruits and vegetables at participating markets, up to a daily or monthly cap. Spend $10 in SNAP benefits on produce and receive an additional $10 to spend — effectively doubling your purchasing power for fresh fruits and vegetables.

Double Up Food Bucks is administered by Fair Food Network and currently operates in more than 25 states. To find a participating farmers market near you, visit doubleupfoodbucks.org or contact your local SNAP office.

Even markets that don't participate in DUFB often accept EBT. Look for signs at market entrances, or ask vendors directly. Some markets have a central token exchange where you can convert EBT funds into market tokens accepted by all vendors.

Tips for Stretching Your EBT Benefits

SNAP benefits are designed to cover basic nutrition, and stretching them further takes some planning. A few strategies that make a meaningful difference:

  • Shop the perimeter of the store first — produce, meat, and dairy are typically less expensive per serving than packaged goods in the center aisles.
  • Buy store brands — unit price is usually 20–30% lower than name brands for equivalent products.
  • Use unit pricing — the price per ounce or per serving is more informative than the total price, especially for bulk items.
  • Freeze proteins — purchasing meat in larger packages and freezing portions dramatically reduces per-serving cost.
  • Supplement with food pantry visits — SNAP benefits and food bank distributions are complementary, not competing. Many households use both. See How to Find a Food Bank Near You.
  • WIC if you have children — if your household includes pregnant women, new mothers, or children under 5, WIC provides additional food benefits that don't reduce your SNAP. See WIC vs SNAP for how the two programs work together.

Common Misconceptions About EBT

Several widespread misunderstandings about EBT restrict how recipients use their benefits. Clearing these up helps households make full use of what they're entitled to.

Misconception: You can't use EBT at big-box stores. Wrong. Walmart, Target, Costco, Sam's Club, and BJ's Wholesale Club all accept EBT at their physical locations. Costco and Sam's Club accept EBT for eligible food items — the membership fee cannot be paid with EBT, but once you're inside, the card works like any other. If you don't have a membership, most warehouse clubs allow a one-day pass for SNAP purchases.

Misconception: EBT can't be used for seeds or plants. Wrong. EBT can be used to purchase seeds and plants that produce food. Vegetable seeds, seedling starts, herb transplants, and fruit-bearing plants are all eligible. If you have any outdoor space — a garden, a balcony, or even a sunny window — this provision allows you to grow food that multiplies the value of your initial benefit many times over during a growing season.

Misconception: Using EBT online requires a smartphone or data plan. Not entirely true. Amazon's EBT online ordering can be initiated from a library computer or any device with internet access — it doesn't require a personal smartphone. Walmart's grocery pickup through EBT can be arranged via any internet-connected device and picked up curbside without a smartphone at the store.

Misconception: You can't use EBT if your card is damaged or the magnetic stripe doesn't work. You can request a replacement card from your state SNAP agency — most states offer free card replacements with standard processing times, or expedited replacement for a small fee. You can also ask a store cashier to manually enter your card number in most states, though practices vary by retailer.

State-Specific Rules

While SNAP is a federal program, states have some discretion in implementation. A small number of states have petitioned the USDA to restrict certain categories — most commonly energy drinks or candy — but federal law generally prohibits these restrictions for standard SNAP purchases. However, states can set their own rules for locally-funded supplemental programs.

If you are unsure whether a specific item is covered by your EBT card, the most reliable method is to check at the register. EBT-eligible items will process against your food balance; non-eligible items will be declined from the food balance and require another payment method. Most major grocery stores train their checkout staff to help identify eligible items.