EBT Card Secrets: Surprising Things You Can Buy With Your SNAP Benefits

Fishing and hunting equipment, plants and seeds, and substitute shakes are among those products you can also purchase with EBT

SNAP benefits, also known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, are primarily intended to provide food support to low-income families and individuals. Although it is a federal program, administration falls to the states, which allows the assistance to be tailored according to local needs. This assistance is provided through an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card, which can be used to purchase eligible food at authorized stores.

However, although its primary purpose is to purchase food, there are other items that can be purchased with the funds that most program participants are unaware of.

What can I buy with your EBT card?

• Online groceries: The EBT card allows you to purchase groceries online at certain retailers in the state, excluding delivery charges. In addition, being enrolled in SNAP may offer access to free or low-cost Internet services, expanding online shopping options.
• Plant seeds and seedlings: With SNAP benefits, you can purchase seeds or seedlings to grow your own food. Eligible items are those seeds and seedlings that produce vegetables, fruits and herbs.
• Water and ice packs: EBT cards allow the purchase of bottled water, ice packs, crushed and block ice.
• Restaurant meals: Some states, such as Arizona, California, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Rhode Island, and Virginia, participate in the SNAP Restaurant Meals Program (RMP). This program allows certain beneficiaries to use their EBT card to purchase prepared meals at specific restaurants. Eligibility for this program generally extends to persons 60 years of age or older, persons with disabilities, or homeless persons. Although approved in New York, it has not yet been implemented.
• Fishing and Hunting Equipment: Eligible SNAP recipients in remote areas of Alaska with limited access to retail food establishments may purchase hunting and fishing equipment for food purchases with their card. Eligible items include bows and arrows, fishing poles, spears, and knives.
• Coffee and tea: Hot beverages such as ready-to-drink coffee and lattes are not eligible; the purchase of coffee and tea for self-preparation is allowed with SNAP benefits.
• Cold beverages: Cold beverages such as iced coffees, smoothies and fountain drinks intended for home consumption are allowed for purchase, as opposed to steaming hot beverages.
• Meal replacement shakes: SNAP benefits may be used to purchase meal replacement shakes as long as they carry a Nutrition Facts label instead of a Supplemental Nutrition Facts label.
• Protein powders, bars and shakes: like meal replacement shakes, protein powders, bars or shakes with Nutrition Facts labels are eligible for purchase using SNAP benefits.
• Energy drinks: Eligible energy drinks, indicated by a Nutrition Facts label, may be purchased using your EBT card.
• Infant Formula: SNAP benefits extend to the purchase of infant formula, cereals, juices and baby food to meet the nutritional needs of infants. SNAP enrollees may also be automatically eligible for WIC (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children), which provides additional nutritional benefits and health services.
• Live lobsters and other seafood: SNAP benefits can be used to purchase live seafood, including shellfish such as lobster, shrimp, and clams, as well as live fish. However, due to their high cost, individuals may choose not to use SNAP benefits for such premium items.
• Bakery cakes and edible food decorations: Allow the purchase of bakery cakes and edible food decorations using SNAP benefits, as long as the non-edible decorations do not constitute more than half of the cost of the cake.
• Gift Baskets: The purchase of gift baskets using SNAP benefits is allowed, as long as the eligible food items account for at least 50% of the total cost. For example, a gift basket containing fruit, crackers, cheese and a small toy would probably qualify, since everything except the toy qualifies as eligible food. Make sure that most of the basket is edible and does not include alcohol.
• Military Commissary Items: SNAP benefits can be used to purchase items at military commissaries, similar to grocery stores, located inside military installations in the U.S. and overseas. Purchasers are exempt from the 5% surcharge that normally applies at military commissaries when using SNAP benefits, and no user fee is charged for transactions made with a EBT card.

What can’t I buy with SNAP benefits?

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has a strict policy for items that cannot be paid for with SNAP benefits.

• Beer, wine, liquor, cigarettes and tobacco: SNAP benefits cannot be used to purchase alcoholic beverages, tobacco and related products. This includes low-alcohol beers labeled as non-alcoholic, liquor-filled chocolates, dealcoholized wine, and e-cigarette e-liquid. However, certain items such as cooking wine, wine vinegar and vanilla extract are allowed for purchase as they are used as cooking ingredients.
• Vitamins, Drugs and Supplements: Items bearing a supplemental information label indicating them as supplements are not eligible for purchase with SNAP funds.
• Live animals: With the exceptions described above for live seafood, live fish removed from the water, and animals slaughtered before being picked up at the store, SNAP benefits cannot be used to purchase live animals.
• Hot Prepared Foods: SNAP benefits cannot be used to purchase hot prepared foods such as chili, stew, hot chocolate, or prepared meats.
• Non-food items: Benefits cannot be used to purchase non-food items, including pet food, cleaning supplies, hygiene items, cosmetics and kitchen utensils.