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Does Walgreens Accept EBT Card for Food Stamps?

We get questions about whether Walgreens accepts EBT Cards (Food Stamps or SNAP Benefit cards). We are not surprised because Walgreens is the largest drugstore in the U.S, with over 8,200 company-operated stores in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands. Based on the EBT Card food list, or the items you are allowed to buy with food stamps, there is a very limited choice of things you can buy with your card at a drug store, versus say a farmers market or grocery store/supermarket. But since we keep getting the questions, we figured it must be because Walgreens has so many locations and are even in areas where there are not traditional grocery or supermarkets. Here is the answer we found when we looked into the question:

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Does Walgreens Accept EBT Card?

When we searched their website for an answer, this is what we found:

"does walgreens accept Food Stamps EBT Card"

As you can see, they want you to call the store. To find the store nearest to you, see the store locator. If you are not sure about what you can buy with your card, here is a list of items that are allowed:

What can you buy with EBT Card?

Here is a list of food items approved by the United States Department of Agriculture for EBT Cardholders. We have also included the list of prohibited items.

Households CAN use SNAP benefits to buy:

  • Foods for the household to eat, such as:
  • breads and cereals;
  • fruits and vegetables;
  • meats, fish and poultry; and
  • dairy products.
  • Seeds and plants which produce food for the household to eat.

Households CANNOT use SNAP benefits to buy:

  • Beer, wine, liquor, cigarettes or tobacco
  • Any nonfood items, such as:
  • pet foods
  • soaps, paper products
  • household supplies
  • Vitamins and medicines
  • Food that will be eaten in the store
  • Hot foods

"Does Walgreens Accept EBT Card for Food Stamps"

Unless your Walgreens sells fresh produce, there are very limited things you can buy. You can probably only get bread and cereal and dairy products. As you can also see, you cannot buy pet food, soap, household suppliers etc. That’s why you are probably best off using your EBT Card at a grocery store where you have a wide variety of items you can buy that are allowed on the list we provided. If you don’t have transportation and can only shop at convenience stores and pharmacies, maybe you should look into farmers markets in your area.

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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