The short answer is yes.
Most Dollar General stores accept EBT cards or food stamps as a payment method, as long as the products you purchase are within the USDA guideline for SNAP.
This includes groceries such as fruits, vegetables, snacks, plants, seeds that produce food (for your vegetable and herb garden), and nonalcoholic beverages.
Which Items Can You Buy From Dollar General Using EBT/Food Stamps?
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) indicates what items you can buy with your EBT or food stamps. According to the governing body, these are the products you can buy from Dollar General:
- Fruit and vegetables
- Meat, poultry, and fish
- Dairy products
- Bread and cereals
- Other food, such as snacks and non-alcoholic drinks
- Seeds and plants to produce edible food
Which Items Can’t You Buy From Dollar General Using EBT/Food Stamps?
Dollar General accepts your EBT for most of your purchases. However, SNAP has policies on what items you can’t buy with your food stamps, whether in Dollar General or other stores. Here’s what your benefit does not cover:
- Foods that are hot on the point of sale: Unfortunately, prepared food is not part of the approved list. That’s why you can’t buy cooked items such as pizza burgers or hotdogs (however you can buy these using EBT at some Burger King stores). However, some fast foods are exempted from this policy.
- Beer, wine, liquor, cigarettes, or tobacco: Any alcoholic beverage or tobacco is prohibited from buying with your EBT. This is because alcohol and tobacco are not deemed essential by the government. But non-alcoholic drinks can be purchased withyour food stamps.
- Vitamins, medicines, and supplements: Apart from these three, any item with the“Supplement Facts” label is considered a supplement and can’t be purchased by an EBT card.
- Pet foods and live animals (except shellfish, fish removed from the water, and animals slaughtered prior to pick-up from the store): If you plan on buying a pet and its food with your EBT card, you won’t be allowed to.
- Hygiene items, cosmetics, cleaning supplies, paper products, and other household supplies: SNAP does not allow purchases of these items as they generally do not fall under the “food” benefit.
What Is Dollar General’s Official EBT & Food Stamps Policy?
Dollar General’s official EBT & food stamps policy follows the same policy as SNAP.
This means that only eligible products that you can use your SNAP benefits to can be allowed to purchase in Dollar General stores. It is also important to note that not all Dollar General stores accept EBT and food stamps.
However, many of them still do.
Be sure to check with staff before you start your shopping or check if there’s a sign that says they accept this type of payment.
Similar Stores That Accept EBT & Food Stamps
You can use your EBT card at most grocery stores and outlets. Below are other stores that accept this card:
- ALDI
- BJ’s Wholesale Club
- Dillons Food Stores
- Food City
- Harris Teeter
- Kmart
- Kroger
- Payless Supermarkets
- Piggly Wiggly
- Pick ‘n Save
- Safeway
- Sam’s Club
- Target
- Walgreens
- Walmart
Are There Any Restrictions On Who Can Use EBT In Dollar General?
Yes, there are restrictions when using an EBT card in Dollar General.
First, you must be the owner of the card or one of the authorized users of the card.
Every member of your household has the right to use your EBT.
This means that Dollar General must let anyone from your SNAP household, including your spouse, roommate, or older children, use the card to purchase items from the store.
If you have a caregiver, they are allowed to use it in Dollar General as long as you give them permission.
However, Dollar General store managers reserve the right to accept or decline your EBT card if an unauthorized user uses it.
How To Use Your EBT Card Or Food Stamps At Dollar General
Most Dollar General stores in California, Illinois, and Missouri accept EBT, and using it is easy.
Your EBT card works like a debit card, but it requires you to input your PIN, unlike a debit card.
This is because you need to authorize every purchase you make to ensure that no fraud or theft is happening.
If you are going on a trip to Dollar General to use your EBT, here’s how you can use this card:
- Go to your local Dollar General store and make sure that it accepts EBT cards.
- If you don’t want to spend any money and only use your food stamp benefits, ensure that all the products you are buying are within the approved purchases of SNAP. If you buy items that are not allowed, you’ll end up paying them with your own money.
- Go to the checkout as you would typically do when you finish shopping. When asked for payment, swipe your card through the Point-of-Sale (POS) terminal.
- Next, enter your four-digit PIN on the keypad. Keep in mind that the terminal will not show your password and will only display **** instead. Then, press the Enter or OK key.
- The cashier will enter the amount of your purchase. If the amount is correct, press the OK or Yes key. You will receive a copy of a printed receipt for your purchase.
Tip: Keep the receipt if you’d like to track your balance. This will ensure that you won’t spend more than your benefits.
Can You Shop Online At Dollar General Using EBT And Food Stamps?
Unfortunately, Dollar General does not accept EBT cards or food stamps when you shop at their online store.
A number of stores have tried to accept EBT cards for their online stores due to the coronavirus pandemic, but Dollar General has not announced any plans for accepting food stamps for online shopping.
Can You Pay For Dollar General Pickup With EBT Or Food Stamps?
According to Dollar General’s terms and conditions, you can’t use your EBT and food stamps to pay for either DG Go or the Dollar General pickup service.
So if you prefer to use this service than doing your groceries, you need to use a different payment method such as debit or credit card.
Conclusion
Most Dollar General stores accept EBT and food stamps as a method of payment. However, you can only buy products that SNAP approves.
If your basket includes a non-eligible product, you must pay it by cash or card. Dollar General does not accept EBT payments for online purchases and Dollar General Pickup service.
If you plan on using your food stamps at Dollar General, make sure that the store accepts them before shopping to save time and effort.
