15 Surprising Things You Can Buy With Your EBT Card (SNAP Benefits)

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is a federal program that helps about 42 million people from households with low incomes buy healthy food each month. SNAP is run by offices in every state, Washington, D.C., and three U.S. territories: Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. (American Samoa and Northern Mariana Islands receive block grants instead of SNAP.)

SNAP enrollees receive a monthly amount, usually via an electronic benefits transfer (EBT) card, that can be used to pay for food. Most people use SNAP benefits, which were previously called food stamps, to buy staple food items. But you may be surprised to find out that these benefits can be used for other products.

How do food stamps work?

If you’re eligible for SNAP benefits, funds are added to your EBT card every month. You can use the money to buy food at grocery stores, farmers markets, and other retail outlets that accept SNAP benefits. Those locations will typically display at least one colorful poster indicating that EBT cards are accepted.

Your EBT card may have a special name in your state, such as the Lone Star Card in Texas, QUEST Card in Arizona, and Golden State Advantage card in California.

You can buy most food meant for human consumption, but there are exceptions. For instance, your EBT card can’t be used to buy ready-to-eat hot foods, vitamins, and alcoholic beverages.

Who is eligible for SNAP benefits?

Your household must meet certain income and resource requirements to qualify for SNAP benefits. People ages 16 to 59 may have work requirements. The income limits are consistent across the 48 contiguous states and Washington, D.C., but higher in Alaska and Hawaii.

It’s important to note that everyone in your household must have or have applied for a Social Security number. Only U.S. citizens and noncitizens who are lawfully present in the U.S. can access SNAP benefits. You can apply for SNAP benefits for children who are citizens, even if you are not and without providing information about your immigration status.

What are some surprising items you can buy with food stamps?

You can use your EBT card to cover most of your basic grocery needs, but you can also use it for some unexpected items. Here are 15 surprising things you can buy with SNAP benefits.

1. Food online

You can use your EBT card to buy eligible items online from participating retailers in your state. But keep in mind that you can use your card to pay for the food only. You can’t use your benefits to pay for delivery, shipping, and other fees.

EXPERT PICKS: WHAT TO READ NEXT

• How to get SNAP benefits. If you need help affording food, you may qualify for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Check out the application process and eligibility requirements.

• Affordable internet: Did you know you may qualify for discounted internet services if you have SNAP, Medicaid, or other benefits? Find out if you’re eligible and how to apply.

• How to find affordable produce. You may save on fruit and vegetables at local farms and farmers markets. Farmers markets and some grocery stores will double your SNAP benefits when you buy produce.

It’s also important to know that being enrolled in SNAP may mean you’re eligible for discounted or low-cost internet service. This could help you access online platforms that you can use to buy food.

2. Plant seeds and seedlings

If you have a green thumb or just love the idea of growing your food, use your SNAP benefits to pick up seeds or seedlings. Seeds and plants that produce vegetables, fruit, and herbs are all eligible items. Items used for gardening, such as soil and fertilizer, are not eligible.

3. Water and bags of ice

You can use your EBT card to pay for bottled water and bags of ice.

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4. Meals at restaurants

Some states participate in the SNAP Restaurant Meals Program (RMP), which allows some enrollees (and spouses) to use their benefits to purchase prepared meals at certain restaurants. To qualify for this program, you must be age 60 or older, have a disability, or be experiencing homelessness.

States that participate in RMP include:

• Arizona

• California

• Illinois

• Maryland

• Massachusetts

• Michigan

• New York

• Rhode Island

• Virginia

5. Fishing and hunting gear

Households that receive SNAP benefits in extremely remote areas of Alaska, where retail food outlets are limited, can use their EBT card to buy hunting and fishing equipment. Eligible items include:

• Bows and arrows

• Fishing rods

• Harpoons

• Knives

6. Coffee and tea

You can’t buy ready-to-sip hot coffee, lattes, or teas, but you can buy brew-it-yourself coffee and tea with SNAP benefits.

7. Cold drinks 

Even though you can’t buy a steaming cup of coffee or another hot beverage with your benefits, it’s OK to purchase cold drinks — like iced coffees, smoothies, and fountain drinks — if they're intended for home consumption.

8. Meal replacement shakes

As long as your meal replacement shake has a Nutrition Facts label and not a Supplement Facts label, you can use your EBT card for the purchase.

9. Protein powders, bars, and shakes

Like meal replacement shakes, you can use SNAP benefits to pay for protein powders, bars, or shakes that have Nutrition Facts labels — but not ones with Supplement Facts labels.

10. Energy drinks

You can use your EBT card to buy energy drinks as long as you choose beverages that have a Nutrition Facts label. 

11. Baby food

In addition to infant formula, you can also use SNAP benefits to buy cereals, juices, and other baby food to feed your little one. If you’re enrolled in SNAP, you may be automatically eligible for WIC — short for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children — which provides additional nutrition benefits and health services.

12. Live lobsters and other seafood

You can buy live seafood with your SNAP benefits. This includes live shellfish — such as lobster, shrimp, and clams — as well as live fish removed from water. Because these items are typically costly, most people can’t or choose not to spend their SNAP benefits on live seafood. Paying for premium items leaves less money on your EBT card for other purchases.

13. Bakery cakes and edible food decorations

If you’re throwing a party, you can use your EBT card to pay for edible food decorations as well as a cake from a bakery — as long as nonedible decorations account for no more than half the cake’s cost. 

14. Gift baskets

You can use your SNAP benefits to pay for gift baskets, as long as eligible food items make up at least 50% of the cost. For example, a gift basket of fruits, crackers, cheeses, and a small toy would likely be eligible because everything but the toy is an eligible food item.

15. Military commissary items

Military commissaries are similar to grocery stores, except that you find them within military installations in the U.S. and overseas. The goods are often sold at a discounted rate, but shoppers pay military commissary surcharges, which are fees that go toward building, repairing, and maintaining these facilities. These surcharges can be paid with your SNAP benefits.

What can’t you buy with food stamps?

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) oversees SNAP benefits. And the agency’s website is clear about which items you can’t buy with these funds:

• Beer, wine, liquor, cigarettes, and tobacco: This includes low-alcohol beers labeled as nonalcoholic, liquor-filled chocolates, dealcoholized wine, and e-liquid for electronic cigarettes. But you can use your EBT card to buy cooking wine, wine vinegar, and vanilla extract because they are used as cooking ingredients.

• Vitamins, medicines, and supplements: An item with a Supplement Facts label is considered a supplement and not a food item, and is not eligible for purchase with SNAP funds.

• Live animals: There are exceptions, as noted earlier, for live shellfish and live fish removed from water, as well as animals slaughtered before pickup from the store.

• Hot, prepared foods: These items include chili, stew, hot cocoa, and cooked meats.

• Nonfood items: This includes pet food, cleaning supplies, hygiene items, cosmetics, and cooking utensils.

How do you apply for SNAP benefits?

You can apply for SNAP benefits at any SNAP office or Social Security office in your state or territory. And some states let you apply online or over the phone. If you are also applying for or already receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments, your Social Security office can help you complete your SNAP application. And they’ll submit it for you.

Once a SNAP office receives your application, you’ll need to do an interview — often over the phone — and submit documents to confirm your identity and income. You should find out if you’re eligible for SNAP benefits within 30 days (or 7 days if your household qualifies for expedited service). 

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Written by:

Lorraine Roberte

Lorraine has been writing in-depth insurance and personal finance content for 3 years. She has written hundreds of articles on these topics, with her work appearing on such sites as the Balance, the Simple Dollar, ConsumerAffairs, and I Will Teach You To Be Rich.

Edited by:

Cindy George, MPH

Cindy George is the senior personal finance editor at GoodRx. She is an endlessly curious health journalist and digital storyteller.

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