Does Family Dollar Take EBT Cards, SNAP or Food Stamps – Nearly 41.2 million Americans throughout the United States of America are enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Low-income households qualifying for the SNAP program can use their EBT benefits at almost all supermarkets, grocery stores and in some cases fast-food chains. There is no denying that a Dollar Store is a go-to place for budget-friendly shopping.
One such popular dollar chain is Family Dollars which helps people save money on staple food, groceries and other essentials. This is the reason why a lot of SNAP recipients wonder if they can use their EBT benefits at Family Dollar stores. In this comprehensive guide we will help you to answer the most burning question among EBT recipients: “Does Family Dollar Take EBT?” We will also provide you with pertinent information about other retailers that are accepting EBT for in-store purchases and online.
Highlights of this Post
Key Takeaways
- Family Dollar accepts EBT for SNAP-approved groceries.This includes dairy, meat, produce, and non-alcoholic beverages.
- Not everything at Family Dollar is EBT-eligible.Check with your local store or look for signage to confirm their EBT policy.
- EBT cannot be used for hot meals, tobacco, alcohol, or non-food items.
What Is A Family Dollar?
Family Dollar Stores Inc. is a popular American variety store chain that has 8000+ locations in all U.S. states (apart from Alaska and Hawaii). Family Dollar stores were the second largest retailer in America until it was acquired by Dollar Tree in 2015. The retail chain is headquartered in Chesapeake VA and is popular for serving a wide variety of home décor, groceries, cleaning supplies and so on.
Family Dollar stores focus on delivering top-notch products for family essentials with merchandise that ranges between $1 to $10 respectively. The chain provides comparatively priced national brands from prominent manufactured as well as equivalent value brand name lower-priced private labels. There aisles are stocked with the following products:
- Household
- Cleaning
- Food & Beverages
- Personal Care
- Beauty
- Health & Wellness
- Auto, Hardware & Outdoors
- Electronics
- Office & School Supplies
- Party Supplies & Gift Wrap
- Toys & Crafts
- Infant & Toddler
- Apparel
- Pet Supplies
- Holidays & Seasonal
You can find your favorite national brands at every Family Dollar in addition to local brands. Apart from these, you can also find seasonal holiday products like gifts, BBQ grills, outdoor toys and candy. The company is expanding their Combo Store format by bringing the best of Dollar Tree and Family Dollar together under a single roof to provide a convenient shopping experience to its customers. As of 2023, there were 1200 combo stores and the company is planning to add 100 more stores in the future.
How Many Family Dollar Stores Are There In The United States Of America?
As of March 16th 2024, there are approximately 8427 Family Dollar stores operating throughout the United States of America. The U.S state with the most Family Dollar located in America is Texas with nearly 1157 running stores that is equivalent to 14% of the entire Family Dollar stores in America. All these store locations are found in 49 U.S. states and territories and 3961 cities apart from Alaska and Hawaii.
Let’s take a look at the top states and territories with the most Family Dollar stores.
- Florida– 566 or 7% of U.S Family Dollar Stores
- Ohio- 459 or 5% of U.S Family Dollar Stores
- North Carolina– 457 or 5% of U.S Family Dollar Stores
- Georgia- 412 or 5% of U.S Family Dollar Stores
- Michigan– 368 or 4% of U.S Family Dollar Stores
- Louisiana– 320 or 4% of U.S Family Dollar Stores
- Pennsylvania- 312 or 4% of U.S Family Dollar Stores
- New York- 300 or 4% of U.S Family Dollar Stores
- South Carolina– 251 or 3% of U.S Family Dollar Stores.
The only states and territories where there are no Family Dollar stores are: Puerto Rico, Northern Mariana Island, US Virgin Islands, Hawaii, Alaska and American Samoa.
Cities with the maximum number of Family Dollar stores in America are: Austin, Chicago, Dallas, Memphis, Jacksonville, Detroit, San Antonio, Charlotte, Indianapolis and Philadelphia.
Do you love to shop with Walgreens? Take a look at our next guide to know whether Walgreens accept EBT payments or not.
Can I Use My EBT Card At Family Dollar?
Yes, Family Dollar like Dollar General stores accept EBT payments for SNAP-eligible products. This chain is known for providing extensive varieties of products that meet SNAP products including ground beef, dairy products, hot dogs, ground beef, canned pasta, snack foods, frozen entrees, bacon and so on.
It is important to note that even though Family Dollar accepts EBT they do not accept WIC. You may be able to use other payment methods like cash, credit cards, debit cards, and checks as acceptable payment methods for EBT-eligible items.
Family Dollar runs 7000 store locations across 45 U.S. states and has a large grocery selection compared to other stores. SNAP recipients must note that not everything available at Family Dollar are EBT-eligible. You must call ahead to the Family Dollar store to check their EBT policy.
What Does An EBT Card At Family Dollar Cover?
Let’s take a look at the following items that are EBT-eligible.
- Fruits and vegetables: All types of fresh, canned or frozen fruits and vegetables are allowed for EBT purchase.
- Milk and Dairy Products: This includes all types of milk, yogurt, cheese and butter
- Bread and cereals: This includes all types of bread, crackers, cereals, pasta, oatmeal and rice.
- Meat, poultry and fish: This comprises all forms of meat such as pork, beef, turkey, chicken, fish and lamb
- Protein powders, shakes and bars: You can purchase meal replacement shakes, protein powders, bars or any other shakes that come with a Nutrition Facts label instead of a Supplements Facts label
- Baby Formula: You can use SNAP benefits to purchase infant formula including cereals, baby food and juices to feed your baby.
- Live Lobsters and Seafood: You can use your SNAP benefits to purchase live seafood such as lobsters, clams, and shrimp including live fish removed from the water.
- Snack items: This includes bakery cakes, chips, cheese, crackers, and gift baskets comprising eligible food items.
- Beverages: You can purchase brew-it-yourself tea and coffee using SNAP Benefits including cold beverages like cold drinks, fountain drinks, smoothies, and iced coffees that are intended for human consumption.
- Plant, seeds and seedlings: You can use your food stamp benefits to pick up plants, seeds or seedlings that can help you produce fruits, vegetables or herbs at your home.
Do you know whether ARCO gas stations accept food stamps or not? Read them in our next guide.
What Can’t You Purchase With Your EBT Card At Family Dollar?
Following is the list of products that you cannot cover with your EBT card at Family Dollar stores anywhere throughout America.
- Alcohol and Tobacco Products: You cannot purchase beer, wine, tobacco, cigarettes, liquor, low-alcohol beers labeled as liquor-filled chocolates, non-alcoholic, alcoholic wine, e-liquid for electronic cigarettes etc with an EBT card . However, you can purchase wine vinegar, wine, and vanilla extract as they can be used for cooking ingredients.
- Hot Prepared Food: This includes hot cocoa, chili stew, prepared meats or any restaurant meals.
- Live Animals: You cannot purchase live animals using your EBT card however there are exceptions such as live shellfish, live fish removed from water, animals slaughtered before pickup from the store etc.
- Medicine, Vitamins and Supplements: Any item that comprises the Supplement Facts Label is a supplement and cannot be purchased with EBT or SNAP benefits. You cannot buy vitamins, medicines and supplements with your EBT card.
- Non-Food Items: This includes cleaning supplies from pet food, cosmetics, hygiene items for cooking utensils etc.
The only exception to this rule is the Restaurant Meals Program that allows a few SNAP recipients to use their EBT card for the purchase of hot prepared meals in select states. Know about the participating fast-food restaurants that are authorized to accept EBT in our next blog.
What Are The Other Payments Accepted At Family Dollar?
The company also sells Family Dollar gift cards in-store. Customers can buy gift cards for other brands in-store or online through its official website. They’re also accepting coupons and to learn more about the coupon acceptance policy at Family Dollar you can visit their Coupon Policy Web Page. They’re also accepting PIN-based and combination debit cards at almost all its store locations.
The chain even accepts debit and credit cards for online purchases. Some of the stores are also equipped with contactless payment through Tap to Pay with Visa, Apple Pay, MasterCard and Google Pay. Customers can also use PayPal as a digital payment method for both in-store and online transactions. You need to link your debit or credit card to your PayPal account to use it at Family Dollar.
Do you love to shop with HelloFresh and want to know whether they accept EBT or not? Learn about HelloFresh and its EBT policies in our next guide.
How Do I Pay With My EBT Card At Family Dollar?
The process of using EBT cards or food stamps at authorized Family Dollar stores is simple and pretty straightforward. In the below section, we have provided a step-by-step guide that will help you pay for your SNAP-eligible item or groceries at Dollar Tree stores.
1. Find A Participating Family Dollar Store
The first and foremost step is to find a Family Dollar store that accepts food stamps or EBT in your state. Fortunately, Family Dollar has its presence throughout the United States of America so you may not find it difficult to locate a nearby store. To learn more about the participating grocery stores that accept food stamps you can use the USDA SNAP retailer locator online.
2. Check EBT Acceptance Before Placing Order
Before heading to a grocery store that accepts food stamps or EBT you need to confirm its SNAP EBT policies and make sure they’re accepting it. You can approach the counter directly to place your order and purchase eligible products that have been discussed in the above section of the article.
3. Swipe Your EBT Card
Shop for EBT-eligible goods. When it comes to paying for your order simply swipe your EBT card while checking out at the payment window and enter the four-digit secret PIN to complete the EBT transaction. Do not forget to take the receipt where you can know the remaining balance in your EBT account.
Do you know which retailers in California accept EBT payments? Head over to our next guide to learn about the comprehensive list.
Can I Use My EBT Card To Shop Online At Family Dollar?
Unfortunately, it is not possible to use your EBT card to pay for online purchases at any Family Dollar store locations in America. However, you can shop online at Family Dollar using alternate sources of payment like debit or credit card, PayPal Credit, PayPal and so on. Family Dollar is also not accepting WIC vouchers as a method of payment. Some major retailers accept EBT online as a method of payment and are the best alternatives to Family Dollar. These include Amazon, Walmart, Target, Doordash and Instacart.
How Can I Tell If My Local Family Dollar Store Accepts EBT Or Not?
One of the easiest ways to ensure your local Family Dollar store accepts EBT is to contact the store manager or cashier ahead of time. You can do a quick online research to find the store’s phone number online. A few Family Dollar stores have updated their official website to include EBT information.
If they are available in your local area you can drive by and look for signs in the window or door that indicate that the store accepts EBT payments. EBT signage will indicate that the store welcomes EBT card holders. You can also use the Family Dollar store locator to find a nearby location.
Which Other Dollar Stores Take EBT?
The number of Dollar Store chains in the United States of America is popping up with each passing day. There are 35,000+ Dollar stores which is more than the combined total of Starbucks, McDonald’s or Walmart and Target locations. No matter whether you are looking for SNAP-eligible groceries, snacks, party supplies, household items or other products you can find a wide range of items here at extremely affordable prices.
The two biggest players in the American Dollar Store market are Dollar Tree and Dollar General which purchased Family Dollar in 2015. In this section, we will take a closer look at how these dollar stores operate and whether they accept it or not.
Dollar General
Similar to Family Dollar, Dollar General is another go-to and popular Dollar Stores running throughout the United States of America. Prices at Dollar General typically range between $3 to $10 for all its products.
The company has advertised that more than 2000 items available here are sold at $1 or even less. The chain is well known for its wide selection of cleaning and household products. You can also find an extensive collection of grocery items including generic products and name-brand items.
Depending on your state of location you can also find deals and coupons for certain products. It is one of the largest dollar stores with 19,000 locations in America. SNAP recipients can use their EBT benefits to shop for eligible goods from Dollar General.
Dollar Tree
One of the largest and most renowned Dollar Stores in the United States of America is Dollar Tree which has been in operation for 35 years and everything available this year starts from $1.
Due to inflation, Dollar Tree announced that the merchandise price would be raised to $1.25– a whopping 25% increase in price. You can find everything here starting from snacks, and holiday decorations to cleaning supplies and groceries.
One of the biggest perks of shopping at Dollar Tree is that the prices of all the goods here are incredibly affordable. Dollar Tree is similar to Family Dollar and accepts EBT payments from SNAP beneficiaries.
You can also read about the popular grocery store Smart & Final accepts food stamps or not in our next guide.
Major Retailers That Accept SNAP/ EBT Payments
Costco
SNAP recipients getting food stamp benefits receive only limited amounts so grocery shopping at the warehouse club will help them to stretch their food budget further. Costco is a popular warehouse retailer that accepts EBT and you can find tons of groceries and food items in bulk from staples like pasta, rice, breakfast food and everything in between.
Sam’s Club
Sam’s Club is one of the favorite shopping destinations among Americans for buying necessary items at affordable rates. This is one of the best options for SNAP beneficiaries with large families. The supermarket store is popular among Americans for helping shoppers save significant money. This American chain of membership-only warehouse club retail stores is owned and operated by Walmart Inc.
Trader Joe’s
Trader Joe’s accepts EBT cards. If you are a SNAP recipient then you can shop for groceries at Trader Joe’s and get the food you need for yourself by paying with your EBT card.
Trader Joe’s has a bit higher price on their groceries and food so you might not be able to buy as many groceries and food items there as you might in other stores that sell goods at a bit lower price. However, it is well known for selling fresh food and providing healthier choices to its customers.
ALDI
ALDI accepts EBT or SNAP benefits cards at authorized locations. ALDI is not only popular for its affordable prices on household items and groceries but has also gained recognition for its commitment to providing healthy food options to its in-store brand products. ALDI’s stores accept EBT in-store and online through Instacart.
Amazon
Amazon’s grocery delivery and pickup service known as Amazon Fresh as well as Groceries on Amazon is now accepting SNAP EBT cards nationwide. In the Grocery and Gourmet food section on Amazon.com, you can find a lot of shelf-stable food items and nonperishable pantry staples.
If you are not an Amazon Prime member then you can get free delivery by purchasing eligible items worth $35 or more. Amazon Fresh on the other hand is available in a few cities and the service charges ranging between $6.95 and $9.95 on orders below $100.
Circle K
With more than 7200 convenience store locations Circle K is located throughout the United States of America. It is amazing to know that this retailer accepts EBT as a method of payment from customers on SNAP-approved items.
Just like any other convenience store available throughout the United States of America, Circle K also accepts EBT as a form of payment for buying SNAP-approved food items and groceries.
Instacart
Instacart accepts EBT cards as a method of payment and is a popular online grocery delivery service that is available in all states except Alaska, Hawaii, Montana, and Louisiana.
EBT cardholders also get a discount on Instacart + membership. You can shop for groceries from top retailers like ALDI, Stop and Shop, Price Right, Price Chopper, Market 32 and Hannaford Supermarket through Instacart.
Walmart
Another alternative to Family Dollar is Walmart which accepts SNAP EBT cards throughout the country. You can get free curbside pickup service here with a minimum order of $35 or else you have to pay a small pickup fee. You can place water through Walmart.com or by downloading the Walmart app.
Target
Target accepts online EBT payments through its delivery service called Shipt. You need to create an account on Target to place an order using your EBT card. Shift members get free delivery on orders more than $35 whereas same-day grocery delivery comes with a cost of $9.99.
DoorDash
The latest app is a delivery service that accepts online snap payments like Amazon is DoorDash. You can add your EBT card details to your DoorDash accounts and then shop with the DoorDash website or app. Look for products that feature SNAP labels when shopping with DoorDash.
A few more resources include the following:
- Whole Foods
- Jewel-Osco
- King Soopers
- Kings Food Markets
- Acme Markets
- Safeway
- Harris Teeter
- HEB
- Wegmans
- Weis Markets
- AJ’s Fine Foods
- Albertsons
- Speedway
- Associated Food Stores
- Bashas
- Big Y Foods
- Foodtown
- Fred Meyer
- Stater Bros
- Fry’s Food Stores
- Giant Eagle
- Giant Food
- Hannaford Supermarkets
- Lowe’s Grocery
- Sprouts
- BJ’s Wholesale Club
- Bravo Supermarkets
- Brookshire’s
- 99 Ranch Market
- City Market
- Dillons Stores
- Meijer
- Piggly Wiggly
- Pick N Save
- Price Chopper
- Fareway Meat & Grocery
- Sprouts
- Fine Fare Supermarkets
- Food 4 Less
- Food City
- Food Lion
- Publix
- QFC Supermarkets
- Raley’s
- Shaw’s
- Superior Grocers
- Tops Markets
- Vons
- Publix
- ShopRite
- Smith’s Food and Drug
- WinCo
- Ralphs
- Save Mart
- Schnucks Market
- CVS
- Stop & Shop
- Super 1 Foods
- H Mart
- Kroger
- Jubilee Foods
Get a comprehensive list of SNAP-eligible goods and grocery stores that accept EBT payments online in our next guide.
Conclusion
A go-to choice for SNAP recipients, Family Dollar accepts EBT payments for USDA-approved food products like meat, dairy, fruits, vegetables, snacks and non-alcoholic beverages. By accepting EBT payments Family Dollar is providing a convenient option for SNAP beneficiaries in America to buy eligible goods at affordable prices. While most of the Family Dollar stores are accepting EBT it is always recommended to check with your local store before heading out to avoid the guesswork and embarrassment. You can look for signage or ask the cashier to confirm their EBT acceptance policy. Generally, the EBT card at Family Dollar does not cover hot meals, tobacco products, alcohol or anything that is classified as non-edible food by USDA. By planning your shopping trips and using coupons you can effectively manage your food budget with the help of an EBT card at Family Dollar.
We hope this article has been informative enough to give you all the details you need regarding Family Dollar and EBT. You can learn more about the government grants and financial assistance program at the Get Government Grants’ blog section today.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Return Food To Family Dollar?
Any food items that have been purchased and returned without a receipt can be exchanged for other food items. A return card will not be issued to any customer at Family Dollar. Also, medical items that are purchased with Medicaid or Medicare OTC benefits cards and returned without receipt can be exchanged for other medical items.
What Can I Buy With EBT At Family Dollar?
Discount stores such as Family Dollar provide a wide array of frozen, refrigerated and packaged foods along with gift items and household supplies that make shopping a convenient option. SNAP recipients can purchase eligible food and drink items like meat, vegetables, dairy products, fruits, bread, cereal, snacks, seeds and plants to produce food, non-alcoholic beverages and so on.