Does Denny’s Take EBT / Accept EBT Card Payment? – Millions of Americans enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program collect food stamp benefits every month to afford food for themselves and their families. One of the most preferred American restaurants for breakfast, lunch and dinner is Denny’s. A lot of SNAP recipients wonder if they can spend their EBT benefits at popular restaurants like Denny’s. The answer is yes but it is a bit complicated.
Today in this article we are going to provide information on Denny’s. You must be wondering “Does Denny’s Take EBT ?”. The answer is Yes, as we were able to find approximately 38 Denny’s locations across the nation that accept SNAP/ EBT cards. These locations have participated in the Restaurants Meals Program. Once you are eligible and can locate a participating location then you will be able to buy meals from Denny’s using food stamps or EBT card. Before ordering your meal from Denny’s it is important for you to know how the program works and about its eligibility requirements.
SNAP recipients would be pleased to know that Denny’s accepts Electronic Benefits Transfer cards as a method of payment but only in select locations in Arizona and California. To use your EBT card at Denny’s participating restaurant you must be eligible for the Restaurant Meals Program in your state. This guide will provide information about how you can use your EBT benefits in Denny’s participating stores.
Highlights of this Post
Key Takeaways:
- Limited participation:Only a few Denny’s locations in Arizona and California accept EBT.
- Eligibility requirements:Only elderly, disabled, and homeless individuals in RMP states can use EBT at Denny’s.
- Online orders:EBT cannot be used for online orders or delivery.
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What Is EBT?
Before delving deep into whether you can use your EBT card as a method of payment to purchase breakfast, lunch or dinner at Denny’s it is necessary to know what an Electronic Benefits Transfer card is and how it works.
EBT is an electronic system that helps SNAP recipients access government funds to purchase food from participating stores and retail outlets. EBT card works similarly to any other debit card and helps you to make authorized purchases. While eligible items do not cover hot meals, the USDA expanded SNAP benefits in the form of the Restaurant Meals Program to help elderly, disabled and homeless individuals.
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What Is The Restaurant Meals Program And How Is It Related To Denny’s?
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is a federal initiative that helps to cover the expenses associated with supermarket goods and groceries and does not include hot prepared food from restaurants. This rule can be a barrier for disabled, senior and homeless individuals who are unable to cook meals at their homes.
This is the reason why the USDA expanded the SNAP benefits in the form of the Restaurant Meals Program to help people who are unable to cook food to access nutritious and affordable hot prepared food at participating restaurants including Denny’s with their EBT card.
Following is the list of states that are participating in the Restaurant’s Meal Program:
- Arizona
- California
- Illinois
- Michigan
- Maryland
- Rhode Island
Outside of this program EBT card holders cannot buy hot prepared meals at any restaurant or grocery store using EBT cards. California provides EBT restaurants in Alameda, Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Luis Obispo, San Francisco, Santa Cruz and Santa Clara counties. The Restaurant Meals Program partnership may change frequently so you must check with your county’s EBT or or contact your local SNAP benefits administration office or Denny’s restaurant to know more.
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What is Denny’s?
Denny’s is an American table service dinner-style restaurant chain that runs 1700 store locations in different countries including America. As per the Corporation, it is America’s biggest breakfast chain restaurant that offers impressive breakfast options starting from pancakes, sausage, bacon strips, coffee and lunch and dinner options as well. The restaurant food chain serves breakfast, lunch, dinner and everything in between and you can check out their menu items by visiting their official website.
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Does Denny’s Take EBT?
Yes, Denny’s accepts EBT as a method of payment at 38 participating chains in the United States of America. All the locations are located primarily in the states of Arizona and California. To accept EBT, each individual location of Denny’s restaurant has to participate in the Restaurant Meals Program and seek approval from the government before processing the payments.
Do not be discouraged if your area of residence is not on the approved list since the Restaurant Meals Program is expanding rapidly to new areas and a lot of states are aiming to develop their own version of the Restaurant Meals Program for instance Florida. It is possible that the Dennis store in your local area will accept it shortly. To find out whether a local Denny’s restaurant in your state accepts EBT or not you can contact your state SNAP office or directly contact the customer service of your local Denny’s store.
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Who Is Eligible To Buy Denny’s With EBT?
Remember that only those people will be able to buy Denny’s with EBT who meet the eligibility requirements of the Restaurant Meals Program.
To qualify for the program, you need to fulfill either of the three criteria that has been listed below:
- You need to purchase food from an RMP-approved location.
- You must be residing in a state with a Restaurants Meals Program.
- You are unable to cook your meals at home as you are a senior, homeless or disabled.
If you have met all these requirements then you will be able to pay with your EBT card at participating restaurants.
What Can You Buy At Denny’s With Your EBT Card?
SNAP beneficiaries using their EBT card at Denny’s participating stores must know the list of things that they can purchase with food stamps. Generally, they can purchase any edible food that can either be taken home or eaten in the restaurant. However, you cannot purchase promotional merchandise or non-food items from Denny’s.
Following is the list of items that you can get from Denny’s with your EBT card.
- Bacon
- Sausages
- Coffee
- Hash Browns
- Juice
- Pancake
- Eggs
- Doughnuts
- Specialty pancakes
- Breakfast
- Sides
- Burger salads
- Starters
- Classic slams
- Family pack
With your EBT card, you can purchase any breakfast, lunch or dinner item on the menu. It is important to remember that the Restaurant Meals Program will not give you extra dollars while Denny’s meals can be expensive therefore you need to budget accordingly and use coupons or look for promotions to stretch your benefits farther.
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Does Denny’s Accept EBT Online?
SNAP recipients living in RMP-approved states can place a pickup order online and choose their EBT as a method of payment at the time of checkout. However, they cannot pay for their ordered meals online at Denny’s. EBT payments cannot be processed online at Denny’s store location.
Therefore EBT payment for your online delivery will not be accepted. Denny’s does not accept payments for any online delivery services or curbside pick-up. To use your EBT payments for in-store purchases in a participating California location you must swipe your card at the register. If you want to order food from Denny’s you have to use an alternative payment method such as debit or credit card or cash.
Once you become eligible for the EBT benefits your state agency will create an account name in your name where the government funds will be loaded every month and an EBT card will be issued to you with the locked 4 digit PIN and this will enable you to access SNAP benefits and spend the money on eligible food items.
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Which Denny’s Location Accepts EBT?
Locating an RMP-approved location that accepts EBT can be challenging since not all Denny’s locations are RMP-approved. Each location of this restaurant has to go through a SNAP approval process before accepting EBT payments.
There are approximately 38 Denny’s store locations throughout the nation that accept food stamp benefits by participating in the Restaurant Meals Program and all are located in California and Arizona.
Arizona
Denny’s accepts EBT payments in Glendale, Maricopa County.
California
Denny’s location accepts EBT payment in select locations in the following counties:
- Los Angeles County
- Orange County
- Riverside County
- San Diego County
- San Bernardino County
- Ventura County
- San Luis Obispo County
To help you find a participating Denny’s location we have provided a list of 38 participating locations in the United States. If you are living in California then you can learn about eligible RMP restaurants that accept EBT by using the California EBT locator. You can also find the address and contact information of participating restaurants on Arizona’s list of participating restaurants here.
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CountyWise Deny’s Locations That Take EBT
It can be really difficult for you to find an approved location that accepts EBT mode of payment. You need to be aware that every Denny’s does not accept EBT payments. Every location needs to go through an approval procedure so that they can accept EBT or SNAP payments. But do not worry about finding Denny’s locations that accept EBT as we are going to provide you with a long list. We have organized it alphabetically by state, so it will be easier for you to find out the location near you. Check the table below.
Counties Wise Denny’s Store Accept EBT |
Addresses |
MARICOPA COUNTY Denny’s Store Accept EBT |
|
LOS ANGELES COUNTY Denny’s Store Accept EBT |
|
ORANGE COUNTY Denny’s Store Accept EBT |
|
RIVERSIDE COUNTY Denny’s Store Accept EBT |
|
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY Denny’s Store Accept EBT |
|
SAN DIEGO COUNTY Denny’s Store Accept EBT |
|
SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY Denny’s Store Accept EBT |
|
VENTURA COUNTY Denny’s Store Accept EBT |
|
What Are The Acceptable Items That You Can Buy With Your EBT?
EBT card holders need to know certain limitations about the type of food that they can purchase with their food stamp benefits or EBT card. The generally acceptable items that you can buy with your EBT are as follows.
- Fruits and vegetables (fresh, canned, or frozen)
- Milk and dairy products
- Meat and poultry, like beef, pork, chicken, and other meats
- Grains and breads including pasta, cereals, and tortillas
- Snack items that can fulfill the nutritional standards
- Seeds and plants to produce food
- Canned and packaged goods like soups, meals, and veggies
- Non-alcoholic beverages like soft drinks, bottled water, and fruit juices
What Can You Purchase With Your EBT Card?
Following is the list of food items that you cannot purchase with EBT.
- Cigarettes or tobacco products
- Alcoholic beverages like beer, liquor, wine etc.
- Hot food
- Vitamins, supplements and medicines
- Cleaning supplies
- Pet foods
- Hygiene items
- Diapers
- Paper products
- Live animals except (fish, shellfish)
- Cosmetics
Why Doesn’t Every Denny’s Take EBT?
Out of 1432 overall Denny’s locations throughout the United States of America only 38 of the store locations are accepting EBT payments by participating in the Restaurant Meals Program. Unfortunately, the states are not expanding their SNAP benefits by participating in Restaurant Meal Programs for the following reasons.
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Opposition
A lot of taxpayers, health advocates and politicians have stopped or slowed the progression of RMP in some areas. Even restaurant owners at some locations refuse to accept EBT as it requires compliance with SNAP rules, monitoring, and paperwork that can be burdensome for a lot of store managers. Even though accepting EBT can be complicated for some stores, the program is expected to expand to other areas in future.
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State Variation
The Restaurant Meals Program is acceptable in only a few states that help elderly, homeless and disabled SNAP recipients use their EBT card as a method of payment to purchase or prepare meals in participating restaurants.
These states are Arizona, Michigan, California, Rhode Island, Maryland, Illinois. Residents of RMP-approved states can only use the EBT card to purchase more prepared meals from restaurants like Denny’s.
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Compliance With SNAP Rules
Denny’s or any other fast food restaurant that participates in the Restaurant Meals Program has to entail a lot of administrative tasks like complying with the SNAP eligibility criteria, EBT processing, reporting the transaction, etc.
This is not feasible for all Denny’s store locations throughout the country. Only a couple of Denny’s locations are participating in RMP as it is a voluntary program so Denny’s store locations are not compulsorily required to join and accept payment.
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Less Qualifying Location
Even in RMP-approved states with participating restaurants, not all food chains participate in the RMP and accept EBT payments from SNAP beneficiaries. The decision to participate in RMP is associated with the fees and causes related to EBT processing.
How To Use EBT At Denny’s?
Paying for your meals with the help of your EBT card is a simple and pretty straightforward process. Here are the ways to get started:
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Find Out EBT Friendly Denny’s Location In Your State
The first and foremost step is to locate an EBT-friendly Denny’s location in your RMP-approved state. You can visit the website of Denny’s location or RMP approved restaurant list to find a local location near you where you can place your order using EBT card.
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Inform The Cashier
The next step is to head over to your local restaurant and ask the cashier to report whether they accept EBT payments. You need to tell the cashier of your local RMP participating Denny’s that you will be paying for the meal with the help of your food stamp benefits.
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Swipe Your EBT Card
When it comes to paying you just need to swipe your EBT card at the store. It is important to ensure that you or your authorized agent is physically present at the Denny’s restaurant while swiping your card. You also need to provide the PIN to complete the transaction so the amount of your SNAP purchase will be deducted from your EBT card.
You can present your EBT card just like you pay for your food using a debit card at the register. As long as you have sufficient benefits on your EBT card you can pay for your meal easily from the store. In case you don’t have sufficient funds left on your card you can cover the order through alternative payment sources like a credit card, debit card, cash or E-wallet.
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What Are The Other Payment Options Available At Denny’s?
Denny’s enables customers to use a variety of payment options for their purchases apart from EBT payment. If you find out your local Denny’s location does not accept EBT as a method of payment you can use an alternative source of payment to purchase meals or any other food items from the store.
A different source of payment comes in handy if you wish to buy an item that is not approved by SNAP. These include the following.
- Cash
- PayPal, Amazon Pay, Google Pay Apple Pay
- Major credit cards
- Debit cards
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Where Can You Use Your EBT Card Online?
EBT card holders who are unable to purchase grocery or food items in person can order the SNAP-eligible items online. Thanks to the USDA’s Online Pilot Program a lot of major retailers in the United States are in America accepting EBT cards from SNAP beneficiaries for online shopping. These are as follows
- Aldi
- Walmart
- ShopRite
- Kroger
- Wright’s Markets
- Wegmans
- Fresh Direct
- Amazon
- Instacart
- Food lion
- Safeway
- Publix
- BJs Wholesale Club
If you are not sure whether your retailer will accept EBT cards for online purchases and delivery you need to call or check their official website before attempting to make a purchase. It is important to keep in mind that the EBT card will not cover delivery expenses, tax and tips. EBT for online payments is a viable option in a few states depending on whether the service or retailer you are considering has received permission from the government.
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What Are The Other Restaurants That Accept EBT Payments?
The list of participating restaurants that accept EBT payments from SNAP beneficiaries may vary from one state to another as each state in the United States regulates the RMP program along with its rules, terms and conditions.
Even though the program is designed to help disabled, elderly and homeless individuals access healthy food, a lot of restaurants and fast food chains like Denny’s sell healthy dishes and food apart from traditional fast food.
Following is the list of participating restaurants that accept EBT cards as a method of payment.
- Papa Murphy’s
- McDonald’s
- Burger King
- Carl’s Jr
- Dairy Queen
- El Pollo Loco
- Firehouse Subs
- KFC
- Taco Bell
- Domino’s
- Little Caesars
- Chutney Restaurant
- Carl’s Jr.
- Jamba Juice
- Taqueria EL Torero.
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How Do I Know If I’m Eligible For An EBT Card?
Your eligibility for EBT or SNAP benefits will be determined by the following factors:
- The net income should be at or below the poverty line
- The gross monthly income should be at or below 130% of the federal poverty guidelines
- Your household asset should not be more than $2500 in value without a disabled or elderly person. In a house with dependence the asset should be less than $3500.
Following are the persons who are not eligible to receive EBT or SNAP benefits
- Undocumented immigrants
- Few classes of legal immigrants
- Persons on strike.
If you’re a low-income adult with kids or without a disability in the household you can receive SNAP or EBT benefits for three months at a time.
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Conclusion
Denny’s accepts EBT from SNAP beneficiaries at select locations in California with additional restrictions. SNAP beneficiaries need to stay in California and must qualify for the Restaurant Meals Program and visit RMP-qualified Denny’s locations that accept EBT. It is important to know that Denny’s restaurant located in San Luis Obispo, San Diego, Los Angeles, Riverside accepts EBT cards. The Restaurant Meals Program provides discounts on your bill and helps you to enjoy delicious meals at your favorite restaurant like Denny’s at a reasonable price.
We hope this article has been informative enough to give you all the details you need regarding EBT and Denny’s. You can learn more about the government grants and financial assistance program at the Get Government Grants’ blog section today.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Denny’s take both EBT Cash and Food?
Yes there are some locations in California that take both EBT cash and food. There are also restaurants that process food benefits under the Restaurant Meals Program (RMP) and they also take EBT Cash.
Is EBT accepted by Denny’s?
Yes, EBT is accepted by Denny’s at 38 particular locations, however other locations do not accept EBT. We have already mentioned the locations in the article that accepts EBT. So, you can find the nearest location and make your purchase from there using your EBT card. You can visit these locations near you at Denny’s that accept EBT or SNAP.