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How to Buy Groceries Online with Arizona EBT Card

This post is about how to buy groceries online with Arizona EBT Card. There is great news for all Arizona SNAP EBT Cardholders! All Arizona SNAP EBT recipients can now use their EBT cards to purchase groceries online through Walmart and Amazon.

The state of Arizona was recently approved by the United States Department of Agriculture to start a pilot program to allow food stamps to be used online.

As a result, the Arizona Department of Economic Security (DES) will soon launch the program statewide, allowing food stamps benefits to be used online at Walmart and Amazon for delivery and pick-up.

This is done to reduce the risk of SNAP EBT cardholders from getting the Coronavirus by reducing grocery store visits.

In this post, we will walk you through how the program is going to work and how you can buy groceries online with Arizona Quest EBT cards.

We will also cover:

  • EBT Online Purchasing Pilot Program
  • Arizona’s EBT Online Program
  • How to Buy Groceries Online with Arizona EBT
  • Arizona EBT Card FAQs

To learn more about the Arizona EBT online grocery purchase program, continue reading below.

"Buy Groceries Online with Arizona EBT"

EBT Online Purchasing Pilot Program

In 2017, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a pilot program for online EBT purchases. The program allows EBT Cardholders to purchase groceries online for delivery or pick-up.

Additionally, the program was only launched in select states. These states include:

In April 2020, the USDA expanded its Online Purchasing Pilot for Arizona EBT Cardholders. The state’s SNAP participation has close to 800,0000 individuals, about 11% of the state’s population. 

EBT Online Pilot Rollout

The first state to actually launch an online EBT program was New York, starting in 2019.

Since New York launched its program, more states have followed.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, several states, including Arizona petitioned the USDA to be added to the pilot program to allow SNAP recipients the option to shop online with their EBT cards for delivery or pickup.

Arizona’s EBT Online Program

Arizona Governor Doug Ducey announced on April 9, 2020, that the state has received approval from the USDA that allows Arizona food stamps recipients the ability to use their benefits for online food purchases with Walmart and Amazon.

The change is intended to help limit social interaction for Arizona’s most vulnerable de to COVID-19 while ensuring food stamps recipients receive needed food assistance.

As a result, food stamps recipients can purchase food online and pay using their Arizona Quest EBT card for delivery and pick-up.

Other changes made to Arizona SNAP

In addition, there are other changes that have been made at the Federal level to help Arizona Quest EBT Cardholders during this time of need.

If your Arizona food stamps is about to expire or expired in March or April, there’s good news. You do not have to do anything to renew your benefits.

Due to COVID-19, the USDA is extending all food stamps recertification periods by an additional 6-months for those due to renew their benefits in March, April, and May.

This means that if your benefits are expiring between March and May 2020, you will continue to receive your food stamps benefits for an additional 6 months before you have to renew.

In addition, all Arizona food stamp recipients are going to receive the maximum benefit amount for there household size for March and April.

To find out the maximum benefit amount for your household size, please refer to the chart below.

People in Household Maximum Monthly Allotment
1 $194
2 $355
3 $509
4 $646
5 $768
6 $921
7 $1,018
8 $1,164
Each additional person +$146

Additional Help for Seniors and Low-Income Families

There are also additional benefits to low-income families, including seniors as announced by the governor in the tweet below:

This funding is focused on emergency food and nutrition assistance at no cost to families that qualify, including senior citizens, as part of The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP).

TEFAP is a federal program that helps supplement the diets of low-income Americans by providing them with emergency food assistance at no cost.

Of the funding, $7.34 million will be dedicated to purchasing food, and $2.5 million will be used to help food banks to store and distribute the food to TEFAP Distribution Sites.

Eligible low-income individuals and families can access the food at the Distribution Sites and will need to bring photo identification and proof of address.

To find TEFAP distribution site near you, click here.

"Where can I use my Arizona Quest EBT card Online for Delivery"

How to Buy Groceries Online with Arizona EBT

Here’s how to buy groceries online for delivery or pickup with Walmart and Amazon.com.

Buy Groceries on Walmart with Arizona EBT

How to Buy Walmart Groceries Online with Arizona EBT Card

Currently, Walmart only offers online grocery purchases with EBT for pick-up and not for delivery.

If you have an Arizona Quest EBT Card, you will now be able to use your cards to buy groceries and select curbside pick-up.

You can only use your EBT card to buy eligible grocery items and you cannot use your food stamps dollars to pay for delivery.

Step 1 – Go to the Walmart Grocery website

The first step to purchasing groceries online at Walmart is to go to the Walmart Grocery website at www.grocery.walmart.com.

"How to Buy Groceries Online with Arizona EBT Card"

Step 2 – Find Walmart Store Near You

Next, enter your zip code to find the Walmart store location near you. This is the location you will pick-up your online grocery order from.

"How to Buy Groceries Online with Arizona EBT Card - 2"

Step 3 – Shop for Groceries Online 

Once you have selected your Walmart location, begin shopping for grocery items online. Add EBT eligible items to your shopping cart.

You will be asked to sign in to your Walmart Account or Create an Account once you place an item in your shopping cart.

Proceed to sign in to your Walmart account if you have one or create a new account. Once you have successfully signed in, you can continue adding items to your cart.

"How to Buy Groceries Online with Arizona EBT Card - 3"

Step 4 – Checkout and Choose Delivery Option

Next, click the “Checkout” button. There is a $30 minimum for Walmart online grocery shopping. You will not be able to proceed to checkout until you reach this limit.

How to Buy Groceries Online with Arizona EBT Card - 4

Once you hit the checkout button, you will be taken to a page where you can “Reserve a time” for pickup.

You will be provided available times when you can pick up your order. Select a pickup time that is convenient for you as shown in the image below.

"How to Buy Groceries Online with Arizona EBT Card - 5"

Step 5 – Checkout with your EBT Card

Next, you will be taken to the payment page where you will select EBT card option for pickup as shown below.

"How to Buy Groceries Online with Arizona EBT Card - 6"

Step 6 – Enter your Phone Number and Place Your Order 

The final step is to enter your phone number, review your order to make sure everything looks good, then click on the “Place Order” button to complete your order as shown below.

"How to Buy Groceries Online with Arizona EBT Card - 7"

Step 7 – Pick up and Pay with EBT Card

"Pay and pickup Walmart Online Groceries with EBT"

The final step in the process is to pick up your order and pay for it with your Arizona EBT Card. You need to bring your EBT card with you when you pick up your order at the Walmart location you selected.

Be sure to follow the pick-up instructions included in the text or email instructions.

Designated Pick-up Locations

Some Walmart locations now have designated pickup locations, as shown above.

When you arrive at the pickup location, you will park in a reserved parking space marked in orange for Grocery Pickup customers.

Once in the spot, call the designated number to alerts an associate of your arrival.

You can also check-in through the Walmart Grocery app. An associate will quickly retrieve the prepared order and load it into your car.

The Walmart Associate will know that you are an EBT customer and will swipe your EBT card to pay for those items that are EBT-eligible.

For any items that are not EBT-eligible, the Associate will then take payment with another credit/debit card.

You will be required to enter your EBT pin to complete the pickup process.

"Pay and pickup Walmart Online Groceries with EBT"

How to Buy Amazon Groceries Online with Arizona EBT Card

EBT cardholders in Arizona can now use their SNAP benefits to shop and purchase food online on Amazon for delivery. 

"Buy Groceries online on Amazon with Arizona EBT Card"

How it Works

To shop online for groceries with your Arizona EBT card, follow the instructions below.

Step 1 – Login your Amazon account

The first step to purchasing groceries online at Amazon is to go to the website and log in to your Amazon account. To log in, click here.

If you do not have an Amazon account, click on the “Create your Amazon account” as shown in the screenshot below.

"Login Amazon Account"

Once you have created your account, proceed by entering your email and password to sign-in.

Step 2 – Add your Arizona EBT Card

Once logged in, enter your Arizona food stamps card to your Amazon account here. Type in your complete SNAP EBT card number and submit.

Next, enter your delivery zip code. This will tell you whether or not your zip code is eligible for delivery on purchases using your Arizona EBT card. 

Click the “Add your SNAP EBT Card” button, as shown in the screenshot below.

"Use Arizona SNAP EBT Card online on Amazon"

Step 3 – Shop for Amazon Groceries Online

When your EBT Card is added you can begin shopping for your groceries online. You can use Amazon Grocery, Amazon Fresh, or Amazon Grocery to purchase groceries online.

As an EBT cardholder, you have FREE access to Amazon Fresh when you add your SNAP EBT card. To learn more about Amazon Fresh, Grocery, and Prime Pantry, click here.

Step 4 – Enter your PIN to Checkout

When you are done shopping and are ready to checkout, proceed as usual. At checkout select “EBT” as payment. After that, enter your 4-digit PIN for your Arizona EBT Card to place your order. 

For help, see our screenshot below.

"Use SNAP EBT Card Online"

Please note, you cannot use your food stamp benefits or EBT Card to pay for shipping or delivery fees. If you do not have Amazon Prime and would like free delivery, be sure to meet the free shipping minimums for each program.

Get Amazon Prime Discount for EBT Cardholders

Did you know you can also shop online on Amazon for essential home items with your EBT card through Amazon Prime?

Here’s some GREAT NEWS!!

If you are not an Amazon Prime member, you can sign up with your EBT Card and get 50% OFF a membership. To learn how to sign up, continue reading below.

"Amazon Prime Discount for EBT Recipients"

Discounted Amazon Prime Membership

As an Arizona EBT Cardholder, you can get over 50% OFF Amazon Prime when you sign up with your EBT Card. With the Amazon Prime EBT discount, you can get all the great benefits of Prime at a fraction of the cost.

For just $5.99 per month you get all these EBT Amazon Prime benefits:

  • One-Day FREE Shipping on millions of eligible Amazon items
  • Two-Day FREE Shipping on millions of eligible Amazon items
  • Access to instantly stream thousands of FREE Movies & TV Shows
  • Access to Unlimited FREE Prime Music streaming
  • FREE 2-Hour Delivery on Prime Now items

To learn more about the Amazon Prime EBT Discount and the benefits and perks you get with Amazon Prime membership, click here.

CLICK HERE to Sign up and Save with the Amazon Prime Discount for EBT Cardholders.

Arizona EBT Card FAQs

Here is a list of our most frequently asked about the Arizona EBT Card and online shopping on Amazon and Walmart.

Walmart FAQs

Can I make changes to my Walmart online grocery order?

Yes. Changes to your online grocery order can be made at any point before your cutoff time. After the cutoff time, your order will be submitted to the store so they can begin picking your order.

Unfortunately, changes cannot be made after your cutoff time.

If you would like to change your order, sign in, click Your Account, and then Recent Orders.

  • To update your pickup or delivery timeslot, click Change Time.
  • If you would like to increase, decrease, or remove items or to update your substitution preferences, click Edit Items.
  • To add more items to your order, click Keep Shopping, add items to your cart, and complete checkout. Your bank statement will reflect a second authorization amount which may vary depending on the item weight and/or type.

Can I pay using multiple forms of payment?

Yes. You can pay for your order using your EBT card and another form of payment at pickup.

If you ordered non-SNAP eligible items, the Walmart associate at the pick-up location will swipe your EBT Card for EBT-eligible items. You can then provide another form of payment  (credit, debit card, etc.) for items that are not on the EBT approved list.

However, you can only use one SNAP EBT card per order.

Amazon FAQs

Do I need to have Amazon Prime Membership to use my AZ EBT on Amazon?

No. Shopping with a valid AZ, AL, FL, IA, NE, NY, OR, or WA-issued SNAP EBT card allows you to access Amazon Fresh without Amazon Prime.

However, order minimums still apply to Amazon Fresh and Amazon Pantry to receive free shipping.

What items are eligible for purchase with the Arizona SNAP EBT Card on Amazon?

Arizona SNAP EBT funds can only be used for SNAP-eligible food items that are shipped and sold by Amazon.com.

You can identify which items on Amazon are eligible for purchase with SNAP by looking for the “SNAP EBT eligible” label near the product name.

Can I buy non-SNAP eligible items with an alternative form of payment?

Yes, you can buy non-SNAP-eligible items (or SNAP-eligible items) with other forms of payment.

Simply add an additional payment method, such as a gift card, credit card or debit card, at checkout.

Customers can also add cash to their Amazon Balance at any participating Amazon Cash location.

Arizona EBT FAQs

Arizona EBT Card FAQs

Will more grocery stores be added to the list from the pilot?

The Arizona Department of Economic Security (DES), which is in charge of running the pilot program plans to add more grocery stores to the online list in the coming months. 

How do I check my Arizona EBT Card balance?

You can check your Arizona balance online, in-person, or by phone. To complete your Arizona EBT Card balance check, please call 1-888-997-9333 or visit the Arizona ebtEDGE website.

For help checking your Arizona EBT balance, click here.

Can I have someone else help shop with my EBT Card?

Ask your local county food stamps caseworker about setting up an Authorized Representative (AR). The AR will have a separate card with his or her own account number and PIN. The AR will have access to your entire EBT benefit account.

When are my Arizona Quest EBT benefits deposited into my account?

In Arizona, Food Stamp Benefits are deposited into EBT Card accounts during the first 13 calendar days of the month. When your payment is deposited depends on the first letter your last name. Here is the schedule:

If the First Letter of your Last Name is Benefits are deposited on the
A or B 1st of the month
C or D 2nd of the month
E or F 3rd of the month
G or H 4th of the month
I or J 5th of the month
K or L 6th of the month
M or N 7th of the month
O or P 8th of the month
Q or R 9th of the month
S or T 10th of the month
U or V 11th of the month
W or X 12th of the month
Y or Z 13th of the month

Buy Groceries Online with Arizona EBT Summary

We hope this post on how to buy groceries online with Arizona EBT Card was helpful to you.

If you have additional questions or need help using your Arizona EBT Card, leave those in the comments section below.

Did you know that over 670 Restaurants and Fast Food Locations accept EBT in Arizona?! Check out the list complete list here!

To find out how you can save even more with your Arizona EBT card, be sure to check out our Arizona EBT Discounts. You can save on things like phone service, museum admission, and much more!

Kwame Kuadey

Kwame Kuadey writes about personal finance and the social safety net. His career started in banking but he caught the entrepreneurial bug and has spent the last decade building successful businesses, including an Inc. 500 Company. Kwame believes everyone has the power to improve their quality of life by seeking knowledge and taking action. In 2012, Kwame founded Empower Media to help low-income households improve their financial situation. His expertise is in topics relevant to low-income households, including government benefits and assistance, banking products, access to credit, plus tools & resources to help reduce income volatility and build wealth. Kwame has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Entrepreneur, Inc. Magazine, Washington Post, ABC, and NPR.

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