For example, as a beneficiary of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), you can not buy toiletries, frozen food, over-the-counter medicine, alcohol, or tobacco. However, you can purchase most other types of items such as snacks, drinks, candy, dairy products and even cereal.
In this post, I’ll cover gas stations where you can use your EBT card.
This includes:
- Well known gas station chains like Shell and 76
- Convenience stores that accept EBT with gas stations
- Grocery stores that take EBT with gas stations
- Travel centers that take EBT with gas stations
What will I learn?
What is an EBT Card?
The Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card is a debit card that allows people who are enrolled in SNAP to pay for food using their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.
It’s also used to deliver cash benefits to people who’re enrolled in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program.
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The EBT card has been the sole way that governments have issued SNAP and TANF program benefits since June, 2004, and is used in:
- All 50 states.
- The District of Columbia
- Puerto Rico
- The Virgin Islands
- Guam
EBT cards can be used just like a regular debit card to make purchases, but there are exceptions. They can only be used on eligible purchases.
Can You Use EBT/Food Stamps at a Gas Station?
Yes, but you can only use SNAP EBT benefits to purchase eligible food and drink items at authorized retailers.
So, this means you can purchase staple foods items at the gas station using your food stamps to take home and prepare as part of a meal or snack. For example, this could be things like dairy products, such as milk and cheese, and snack foods, like chips and crackers.
You cannot use SNAP benefits to purchase gas, at the deli, at a restaurant, at food counters, or at any places like pizza or sandwich shops inside gas stations.
This means you can only use EBT cards for purchasing SNAP-eligible food and drink items, rather than gas.
Now, the only exception to this is if you qualify for cash benefits.
Cash benefits can be used for more general purposes, like getting cashback.
TANF is the main program that provides EBT cash benefits. If you qualify for TANF, you receive automatic deposits to your EBT card, which you can withdraw from ATMs for cash.
Every state has its own rules on how EBT cash benefits can be used. However, most states adhere to the same principle that cash benefits are designed to help low-income families meet basic needs.
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This means that, in most states, you can use your EBT cash benefits to buy anything that could qualify as a standard living expensive, which includes:
- Shelter
- Fuel
- Food
- Transportation
- Clothing
- Home maintenance
- Personal hygiene
- Employment expenses
EBT cash benefits can offer you a lot more freedom to purchase things other than just being able to purchase food as you do with SNAP benefits.
Gas Stations That Accept EBT
Well-known places like 76, Shell, BP, and many other popular gas stations accept EBT near me. Like I said before, though, you can only use EBT funds to pay for eligible products. But, you’ll have a few more benefits if you are part of the TANF program.
Here are some gas stations that accept EBT:
- 76
- 7-Eleven
- ampm
- BP
- Casey’s General Stores
- Chevron
- Circle K
- CITGO
- Clark’s Pump-N-Shop
- Conoco
- Costco
- Country Fair
- Coen
- Cumberland Farms
- Delta Sonic
- Exxon/Mobil
- Fas Mart
- Gulf Oil
- GetGo
- High’s
- Holiday Stationstores
- Huck’s Food & Fuel
- Kroger
- Kum & Go
- Kwik Trip
- Lassus Handy Dandy
- Love’s Travel Stops
- LUKOIL
- Marathon
- Murphy USA
- Phillips 66
- Pilot Flying J Travel Centers
- Plaid Pantry
- QuickChek
- QuikTrip
- RaceTrac/RaceWay
- Royal Farms
- Rutter’s Farm Store
- Sam’s Club
- Sheetz
- Shell
- Sinclair
- Speedway
- Spinx
- Stop-A-Minit
- Stewart’s Shops
- Sunoco
- Texaco
- Thorntons
- Turkey Hill
- TravelCenters of America
- Valero
- Wawa
What Can You Buy with an EBT Card?
Here’s what you can purchase with your EBT card:
- Cooking oils, like olive oil and vegetable oil
- Poultry products like chicken and eggs
- Red meat, like steak, ribs, and ground beef
- Dairy products, like cheese, milk, and almond milk.
- Seafood, such as fish, shrimp, shellfish, and lobster.
- Pork products, like chops, sausages, bacon, and tenderloin.
- Breads and cereals, like pita bread, rye bread, tortillas, pasta, bagels, and rice.
- Desserts, like ice cream, cookies, or brownies
- Candy
- Cold sandwiches
- Salads
- Chips
- Snack crackers
- Other foods such as snack foods
- Non-alcoholic beverages, such as soft drinks, like Sprite and Pepsi, and energy drinks like Red Bull.
- Seeds and plants that produce food for the household to eat
So, yes, you can use your EBT card at gas stations, as long as you purchase items on the approved list. Since many gas stations have convenience stores that sell bread, milk, dairy products, and other SNAP-eligible items, you can use your EBT card at gas stations to purchase these products.
What Can’t You Buy with EBT?
There are many things you can’t buy with your EBT card at the gas station, including:
- Gasoline (Unless you are enrolled in the TANF program)
- Hot and prepared food
- Medicine
- Lottery Tickets
- Pet Food
- Beer, wine, liquor, cigarettes, or tobacco
- Vitamins, medicines, and supplements.
- Hygiene items
- Cosmetics
- Paper products
- Cleaning supplies
How to Find Gas Stations that Accept EBT Near You
Okay, so as you can see from our list above, there are quite a lot of gas stations where you can use your EBT card.
If you want to find one near you, it’s simple. Use your phone or computer, and search for the “[name of the gas station or store with a gas station] near me.”
So, for example, you may type in “Shell gas station near me” or “Costco gas station near me.” Then, hit enter and you should get a list of nearby fuel stations.
Another option is to enter the name of the gas station or store that has a gas station followed by the name of your city. So, for example, this could be “BP gas station St. Louis.” Again, this should bring up nearby fuel centers.
Closing Thoughts
As you can see from the list above, quite a few gas stations accept EBT. So, you can use your SNAP benefits to purchase eligible items like bread, dairy products, cold beverages, and snack foods. And if you are enrolled in the TANF program, you may even be able to purchase gas using your cash benefits.
And if you combine all of these with the benefits you get from gas station rewards programs, you’ll save a decent amount of money.
Be sure you always have a backup payment method on hand just in case. Try out the gas stations and stores that have gas stations on our list above if you’re looking to purchase items using your EBT card.
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