Food Lion is one of the retailers approved by the United States Department of Agriculture to accept Food Stamps (SNAP benefits) online. In this post, we will provide step-by-step instructions on how to use SNAP EBT online at Food Lion to shop for groceries for pickup and delivery.
Table of Contents:
- Food Lion Now Accepts SNAP EBT Online
- States where you can use EBT Online at Food Lion
- How to Use SNAP EBT Online at Food Lion
- SNAP EBT Card FAQs
Food Lion Now Accepts SNAP EBT Online
Since March 2020, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has added more grocery stores to the Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) online pilot program.
In May 2021 Food Lion went live chain-wide with acceptance of EBT payments for online orders from Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) customers.
Food Lion accepts EBT online in 9 states for delivery and pickup, as listed below.
States where you can use EBT Online at Food Lion
There are currently 9 states where Food Lion allows SNAP EBT Cards to be used online for delivery and pick-up.
Below is the list of States:
- Delaware
- Georgia
- Kentucky
- Maryland
- North Carolina
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Virginia
- West Virginia
If you currently receive SNAP benefits, you can now purchase groceries online with your EBT card from Food Lion – for delivery or pick up.
The delivery service is offered in partnership with Instacart.
You can only use your EBT card to buy eligible grocery items. You will have to add a credit or debit card to pay for non-EBT-eligible items.
How to Use SNAP EBT Online at Food Lion
Follow the steps below to use your EBT card on shop.FoodLion.com on Instacart for delivery or curbside pickup.
Step 1 – Sign in or sign up for a Food Lion account
The first thing you want to do when using your SNAP EBT Card online at Food Lion is to sign-in or sign-up for an online account.
To do this, please visit shop.FoodLion.com.
Step 2 – Access your Profile
Once signed in your Food Lion online account, click or tap My Profile under the account menu.
Step 3 – Add your EBT Card
Next, select EBT/SNAP from the menu on the left-side of the page.
After that, click the Add link.
Next, a new window will appear and you can enter your 16-digit EBT Card number (as shown below).
Once your EBT Card has been added, click or tap the Add Card button.
Step 4 – Shop for food items
Now you can proceed by shopping for SNAP EBT eligible food items.
When searching for items you can add a filter by selecting a department and checking the EBT eligible option to see only EBT eligible items.
If you are browsing items from the Store Homepage, tap or click on a specific item to see if it is SNAP EBT eligible, it will say EBT above the price of the item.
You can confirm which items are SNAP EBT-eligible in your cart before checking out. It will say EBT under the name of each item that qualifies.
For help, see the screenshot below:
Step 5 – Checkout with your EBT Card
Once you are finished shopping, you are ready to checkout. with your SNAP EBT Card. To do this, follow the steps below:
- Visit your cart and click on the green Checkout button.
- Select either Delivery or Pickup.
- Enter your credit, debit card or PayPal information and address.
- Add your EBT card information, if not already configured under My Profile.
- Click and tap Edit to change the amount that will apply to your EBT card.
- Click Confirm payment method.
- On the Place Order page, confirm all the information is correct.
- Click or tap Place Order to complete your order.
SNAP EBT Card FAQs
Here is a list of our most frequently asked about the SNAP EBT, including grocery shopping online at Food Lion and other grocery stores.
Where can I use my SNAP EBT card?
Your EBT card can be used at shop.FoodLion.com and with the Food Lion mobile app.
What items are eligible for purchase with SNAP EBT?
Visit the USDA website for the current list of USDA SNAP eligible food items.
A SNAP EBT card cannot be used to buy any nonfood item, such as pet foods; soaps, paper products, and household supplies.
Alcoholic beverages, tobacco, vitamins and medicines are also not SNAP-eligible.
Items that are not SNAP-eligible, backup items, fees, delivery or shipping fees, and tips will need to be paid for the with a secondary form of payment.
Do I need a Food Lion account to use my SNAP EBT card payment on shop.FoodLion.com and the Food Lion app?
Yes, you need a Food Lion account to place an order online. It is free to create an online Food Lion account.
Why do I need to enter a secondary form of payment when using SNAP EBT on shop.FoodLion.com and the Food Lion app?
A credit or debit card must be linked to your Food Lion account to cover fees, bottle deposits in some states, taxes, delivery tips, and any other non-SNAP EBT eligible items you may want to purchase.
Any items added to an in-progress order will be charged to the credit or debit card by default. You can choose to charge eligible SNAP EBT items to your EBT card on the order details page.
When purchasing an item by weight, such as meat or produce, your shopper may need to make adjustments to the weight causing the item to be slightly heavier due to in-store availability.
The first 10% of extra weight cost will be charged to your EBT card. Any additional amount will be charged to your secondary form of payment.
Does Food Lion accept EBT cash online?
Currently, Food Lion cannot accept EBT cash.
If I used my EBT card and my item was canceled or returned, how will I get my refund from Food Lion?
Your EBT card will be refunded for any canceled or returned items that were initially purchased with the card. You will receive an email notification with the refund amount and your new SNAP EBT balance.
If I added more SNAP-eligible items to my in-progress order on shop.FoodLion.com, can I use my EBT card to pay for those items?
Yes. You can chose to charge eligible SNAP EBT items to your EBT card on the order details page. If you do not edit the order details, the charges default to your secondary payment option.
Do I need to meet an order minimum to place an order when using an EBT card on shop.FoodLion.com and the Food Lion app?
There is no order minimum for customers paying with an EBT card. In order to proceed to checkout when your basket is below the regular minimum, add an EBT card to your profile and add at least one EBT item to your cart.
What if I need to replace items after checkout on shop.FoodLion.com with an EBT card?
After placing your order, you will be prompted to select replacement items if the item you want is out of stock.
When this happens, you have the following options:
- Replace with best match: Your shipper will be prompted to select the best possible replacement for your item. This is the default option for unavailable items.
- Choose your own replacement: Click the item, then chose replacement to search the catalog or pick from a list of suggestions
- Don’t Replace: Opt not to replace to get a refund if the item is out of stock or if you are not satisfied with the suggested replacement.
To avoid charges to your credit or debit card, replacements for SNAP EBT items must be
- SNAP EBT-eligible
- Equal to or less than the value of the original item
If the replacement costs more, the difference will be charged to the credit or debit card you added at checkout by default. You may choose to charge more to the EBT card after adding the item.
What can you buy at Food Lion with EBT?
Here’s the list of the most popular food items at Food Lion you can purchase with SNAP EBT:
- Dairy products including eggs, milk, yogurt, milk shakes, cheese
- Fresh vegetables like bell peppers, onions, broccoli, lettuce/spring mixes, celery, carrots
- Franks in a blanket, hot dogs, ham burgers
- Various bottled sauces like picante and salsa
- Veggie Dips like Ranch and Blue Cheese
- Fresh fruit such as bananas, strawberries, blueberries, lemon, grapes
- Snacks including tortilla chips, dried jerky, cookies
- Bottled juices and soda
- Canned soups
- Beef, poultry and deli meats
How to Use SNAP EBT Online at Food Lion -Summary
We hope this post about how to use SNAP EBT online at Food Lion was helpful to you.
Questions?
If you have any questions about Food Stamps, EBT cards, or shopping online at Food Lion, please let us know in the comments section below. We are here to help you!
Also, be sure to check out our other articles about SNAP and EBT, including:
- List of Eligible SNAP/Food Stamps Items
- How to use SNAP EBT Online at Target
- How to use SNAP EBT Online at Safeway
- Restaurants that Accept SNAP EBT
- Gas Stations that take Food Stamps
- Food Stamps Payment Schedule by State
