What are Double Up Food Bucks?

Double Up Food Bucks program doubles the value of food stamps benefits spent at participating markets and grocery stores.

The program is run by Fair Food Network, a national nonprofit on a mission to connect people to the power of food to grow community health and wealth.

The goal of the program is to help people on SNAP EBT bring home more healthy fruits and vegetables while supporting local farmers.

This provides a win-win situation all around. Low-income consumers on food stamps eat more healthy food, local farmers gain new customers and make more money, and more food dollars stay in the local economy.

Other EBT Card Discounts You Should Know About:
Get 50% OFF Amazon Prime Membership with EBT Card
Get Free or Discounted Cell Phone with EBT Card

This Post on Double Up Food Bucks will cover:

History of the Double Up Food Bucks Program
How “Double Up Food Bucks” Works at Farmers Markets

How “Double Up Food Bucks” Works at Grocery Stores
Double Up Food Bucks By State

History of the Double Up Food Bucks Program

The Double Up program began at five farmers markets in Detroit in 2009 and has since grown to more than 250 sites across Michigan.

Double Up also expanded to grocery stores in 2013 in one of the first pilots in the nation.

The program has achieved great success in connecting low-income families to fresh fruits and vegetables.

In five years, it has benefited more than 300,000 low-income families and more than 1,000 farmers.

The program has since expanded nationwide.

In 2020, Double Up Food Bucks programs will be active in nearly 30 states at farmers markets, farm stands, Community Supported Agriculture locations (CSAs), grocery stores, and other retail locations.

How “Double Up Food Bucks” Works at Farmers Markets

Here’s how the Double Up Food Bucks Program works at farmers markets.

Step 1 – Go to the market information booth

Go to the market information booth or farm stand. The market staff is there to help.

Step 2 – BUY SNAP-eligible foods

BUY SNAP-eligible foods with your Bridge Card.

Step 3 – GET FREE Double Up Food Bucks tokens

GET FREE Double Up Food Bucks tokens for Michigan grown fruits & veggies, up to $20 a day.

The video below shows how the program works in Michigan, using the Michigan EBT Card (Michigan Bridge Card). It explains how easy it is to get your EBT dollars matched.

It works the same way across the country at all Double Up Bucks locations nationwide.

How “Double Up Food Bucks” Works at Grocery Stores

Here’s how the Double Up Food Bucks Program works at grocery stores.

Step 1 – SHOP for fruits & vegetables

SHOP for fruits & vegetables at a participating grocery store.

Step 2 – BUY $1 fresh fruits & vegetables

BUY $1 fresh fruits & vegetables with your Bridge Card

Step 3 – GET $1 FREE Double Up Food Bucks

GET $1 FREE Double Up Food Bucks for any fresh fruits or vegetables, up to $20 a day

Double Up Food Bucks By State

Double Up Food Bucks programs are active in 27 states and counting.

Click on your state below to see how you can double your EBT Card spending at farmers markets and grocery stores listed in your state.

AL – Double Up Alabama
AZ – Double Up Arizona
AR – Double Up Arkansas
California
Colorado
Hawai’i (Big Island)
Hawai’i (Moloka’i)
Idaho
Iowa
Kansas
Massachusetts
MI – Double Up Michigan
Mississippi
Missouri
Nebraska
Nevada
NH-New Hampshire
NJ-New Jersey
NM-New Mexico
NY-New York (Western NYS)
NC-North Carolina (Asheville)
NC-North Carolina (Boone)
ND-North Dakota
Oklahoma
Oregon
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Wyoming

Frequently Asked Questions

Here is a list of the most frequently asked questions about the Double Up Food Bucks program.

How does Double Up Food Bucks work at farmers markets?

For every $2 of SNAP benefits (food stamps) customers spend at participating token-based farmers markets, customers get $2 of free Double Up Food Bucks to spend on any fruits and vegetables – up to $20 per day the market is open.

Your EBT Card benefits can be spent on any SNAP-eligible items at the farmers market including fruits, vegetables, bread, eggs, and meat.

Is there a limit on how much I can spend from my EBT at a farmers market?

There is no limit on how much money customers can spend from their EBT cards each day.

However, Double Up Food Bucks only matches SNAP/EBT purchases up to $20 per market day.

For example, if you spend $30 in SNAP benefits at the market, you will receive $20 in free Double Up Food Bucks every day the market is open throughout the Double Up season.

Does every farmers market run the Double Up program the same way?

The majority of markets run the Double Up program the same way by matching what customers spend in SNAP benefits with free Double Up Food Bucks silver tokens (each worth $2).

Some sites run an electronic payment system rather than tokens.

Before shopping, stop by the farmers market office or information booth, where market staff can help you get started.

When can I use Double Up Food Bucks at my farmers market?

Food stamps EBT Cardholders can use the program every day that participating locations are open during the Double Up Food Bucks program season, which runs from June 1–October 31 in most locations.

How does Double Up Food Bucks work in grocery stores?

The Double Up Food Bucks program works slightly differently at grocery stores than at farmers markets.

First, at all participating grocery stores, you will get your matching bucks. This means for every $1 you spend on fresh fruits and vegetables, you will earn $1 in Double Up to buy additional fresh fruits and vegetables in the same grocery store.

However, there are a few different ways the program works in grocery locations:

Gift Certificate: When you use your EBT to buy fresh fruits and vegetables at some grocery stores, you get a gift certificate with matching Double Up Food Bucks (in $5 increments) to spend on ANY produce at that store.

So if you buy $5.60 of fresh cherries at a participating grocery store, you would get a free $5 gift certificate that you can use at the store to buy more fresh produce.

Coupon: At these stores when you buy fresh fruits and vegetables with your EBT, you get a coupon at check out with the same amount you spent.

This coupon has free matching Double Up Food Bucks to spend on fresh produce at that store.

Loyalty card: At some grocery stores, when you buy fresh fruits and vegetables with your EBT card and swipe your store loyalty card at the register, you receive matching Double Up points.

The points are stored on your loyalty card and can be used the next day on fresh fruits and vegetables at that store.

Double Up Food Bucks Summary

We hope this post about Double Up Food Bucks was helpful to you. If you have questions about EBT Discounts or the Double Up Food Bucks, please let us know in the comments section below.

Be sure to check out our other articles about EBT Discounts, including EBT Discounts by State, 50% OFF Amazon Prime for EBT and Medicaid Cardholders, Lifeline Discounted Phone Program for EBT Cardholders.

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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