Does Walgreens Take EBT Cards, Snap Or Food Stamps – Walgreens is one of the largest drug stores in America with nearly 8200 company-operated stores running in all 50 U.S. states including US territories like Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands and the District of Columbia. If you are an EBT recipient you would probably wonder whether Walgreens takes EBT or not. Fortunately, Walgreens accepts EBT at most of its store locations and is renowned for being one of the largest pharmaceutical companies across the globe.
However, there is a limited choice of items that you can purchase with your SNAP benefits at drug stores like Walgreens unlike other supermarkets, superstores, grocery stores or farmers markets. This guide will provide an overview of Walgreens’s policy on EBT and what are the eligible goods that you can purchase with your SNAP benefits at Walgreens.
Highlights of this Post
Key Takeaways
- Most Walgreens locations accept EBT for SNAP-eligible groceries (fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy).
- Not all stores accept EBT – call your local Walgreens to confirm.
- EBT cannot be used for pharmacy items (vitamins, medicine).
- Walgreens partners with DoorDash for EBT-enabled online grocery delivery (coming soon).
What Is EBT And How Does It Work?
The Electronic Benefits Transfer is a payment method that works similarly to a debit card and helps the government to transfer food benefits to eligible recipients. Unlike physical food stamps or EBT cards, it makes it easier for low-income families and individuals to access government support to pay for their food bills. You can use your EBT card at authorized pharmacies, grocery stores, convenience stores, local co-ops, farmers markets and gas stations for the purchase of SNAP-eligible goods.
Here are the eligibility requirements for the SNAP-EBT program:
- The gross monthly income before receiving government benefits should be 130% below the poverty line depending on your household size.
- You need to make sure even after applying government benefits to the net household income the figure must be below the poverty line.
It is important to note that bigger families have a bigger poverty line, unlike smaller families. The total asset value of the household should not go above the designated value. For families with no disabled members or senior citizens, the asset value should be within $2500. For households with a disabled member or senior citizen, the limit stands at $3750.
What is Walgreens?
Walgreens is a popular American company that runs the second-largest pharmacy store chain throughout America behind CVS Health. They specialize in serving prescriptions, health and wellness products, photo services and health information. Besides they also sell food products, and general goods including perishable items like frozen packaged and dairy products. Walgreens operates 8100+ stores in all fifty U.S. states and US territories.
It also accepts EBT payments at select Walgreens stores. To find a store near you you can use the store locator. Founded in 1901 in Chicago it is headquartered in the Chicago suburb of Deerfield IL. The chain provides its customers with access to consumer goods, services, pharmacy, health and wellness services in communities across the USA.
Top States With The Most Walgreens Pharmacies
As of February 2024, Walgreens operates 8 to 50 pharmacy stores throughout America in 53 States and territories and 3251 states. Florida is the state with the maximum Walgreen location with 769 pharmacies that accounts to 9% of the entire Walgreen location in America. The city with the most Walgreens locations is Chicago with nearly 137 locations which accounts for 2% of the entire Walgreens locations in America. Let’s take a look at the top states with the most Walgreens pharmacies.
- Florida– 769 or 9% of the U.S Walgreens
- Texas– 652 or 8% of the U.S Walgreens
- California– 506 or 6% of the U.S Walgreens
- Illinois– 524 or 6% of the U.S Walgreens
- New York– 543 or 7% of the U.S Walgreens
- North Carolina– 306 or 4% of the U.S Walgreens
- Tennessee– 255 or 3% of the U.S Walgreens
- New Jersey– 283 or 3% of the U.S Walgreens
- Georgia– 244 or 3% of the U.S Walgreens
- Ohio– 263 or 3% of the U.S Walgreens
Note. There are three states and territories without any Walgreens pharmacies in America and this includes American Samoa, Guam and Northern Mariana Island. The cities with the most number of Walgreen pharmacies in America are Chicago, Houston, New York, Miami, Las Vegas, San Antonio, San Francisco, Orlando, Phoenix and Brooklyn.
Similar to Walgreens, Costco accepts EBT payments from SNAP beneficiaries for eligible purchases throughout America.
Does Walgreens Accept EBT?
Yes, Walgreens accepts EBT at most of its store locations. It is also critical to note that Walgreens being a popular pharmaceutical company sells medicines, supplements and vitamins that are not covered by the EBT program.
A few of Walgreens locations sell food products including meat, dairy, frozen packaged goods, perishable produce and perishable grocery items that are easily covered by the SNAP EBT Program. In a nutshell, SNAP recipients can use their EBT card at most Walgreens stores that sell food products.
What Are The SNAP-Eligible Items That You Can Purchase From Walgreens?
The Electronic Benefits Transfer card covers the cost of essential food and groceries that come with a nutritional value. USDA has strict guidelines on the use of SNAP EBT cards to ensure government SNAP funds are used for the right purpose. No matter whether you are living in an RMP state or non-RMP-approved state the generally acceptable EBT items include the following.
- Fruits and vegetables: All types of fresh, canned or frozen fruits and vegetables are allowed for EBT purchase.
- Meat, poultry and fish: This comprises all forms of meat such as pork, beef, turkey, chicken, fish and lamb
- Bread and cereals: All types of bread, crackers, cereals, pasta, oatmeal and rice are allowed
- Milk and Dairy Products: All types of milk, yogurt, cheese and butter are eligible
- Snacks and desserts: Chips, cakes, cookies and other snack items are eligible as long as they do not have any vitamins or minerals in them.
- Seeds and Plants: SNAP participants can purchase plants and seeds to grow their produce.
- Juices and Energy drinks: Specific energy drinks are allowed for purchase using an EBT card if they are labeled as Nutrition Facts instead of Supplements Facts.
What Can’t You Purchase With Your EBT Card At Walgreens?
The following are the items that you cannot purchase with your EBT card at any other grocery chain or convenience store.
- Tobacco Products: EBT cards cannot be used to purchase tobacco products like cigars, cigarettes or chewing tobacco
- Alcohol: EBT cards cannot be used to purchase alcohol products like beer, wine or liquor.
- Hot Prepared Foods: Even though few food items are eligible for purchase at gas station convenience stores, buying hot prepared food like pizza or dairy sandwiches is not covered by your SNAP or EBT benefits.
- Non-Food Items: Generally, non-food items like clothing, household supplies, hygiene, laundry items, gasoline, paper products and more are eligible for purchase using your EBT card.
- Pet Foods: Your food stamp benefits cannot be used for purchasing pet food as the SNAP program requires beneficiaries to use the card for buying food for human consumption.
The only exception to this rule is purchasing hot prepared meals if you are living in an RMP-enrolled state. You also have to meet the criteria and enroll in the RMP program to purchase hot meals from participating restaurants. If you fail to find a Walgreens store near you that takes EBT then you need to look for other grocery stores or farmers markets in your area.
How To Know If Your Local Walgreens Accept EBT?
Even though Walgreens accepts EBT at most of its store locations, the official website of Walgreen does not list the names of all locations of stores that take EBT. The only way through which customers can determine whether their local Walgreens stores take EBT as a method of payment or not is by contacting the cashier of the store and asking them directly about their EBT SNAP acceptance policies.
SNAP recipients can ask their local Walgreens store whether they can use their food stamp benefits to purchase eligible items from them. If your local Walgreens is accepting EBT then you need to understand that there can be limitations to the items that you purchase. You can purchase only fresh produce like milk, dairy products, bread, cereals etc. from them. Here are the ways through which you can find Walgreens locations that take EBT:
- Visit The Store: Visit the nearest Walgreens store and ask the store manager or cashier if the store is accepting EBT cards as a method of payment.
- Contact The Store Over the Phone: Sadly Walgreens does not display whether a local Walgreens store accepts EBT or not through its official website. Therefore you need to contact the store over the phone and determine if this payment method is available.
- Use Walgreens Store Finder: You can find Walgreens Store Finder through the official Walgreen that enables you to locate the nearest store by city, state or zip code. Once you enter your location you can see all the stores in your area
- Contact Your Local Store Office: Your local SNAP office can provide you with a list of all USDA-approved retailers in your local area. They can help you to determine the retail stores where you can take your EBT to purchase eligible goods.
What Other Payment Methods Does Walgreens Accept?
Besides Electronic Benefits Transfer, Walgreens accept various other payment options from customers to provide them convenience and flexibility. Here are the payment options that are acceptable to Walgreens.
- Major credit or debit cards such as Discover Network, USA, American Express, MasterCard etc
- Google Pay
- Apple Pay
- Gift cards
- Check
- CareCredit
Customers can use any of these methods if they run out of EBT funds or wish to purchase vitamins, supplements, medicines or any items that the SNAP program does not cover.
Can I Use My EBT Card For Online Purchases At Walgreens?
Walgreens is not accepting EBT as an online payment option now. In other words, you cannot use your EBT card for placing store pickup orders and home delivery.
This is because Walgreens is not yet a part of the USDA Online Purchasing Pilot Program that enables SNAP beneficiaries to buy eligible goods online with the help of their EBT card or food stamps. Only a select SNAP retailers are participating in the federal EBT Pilot Program and accepting EBT cards as an online payment option.
Walgreens Partnership With Doordash
Even though Walgreens is not accepting EBT presently for online purchases there is news that Walgreens is collaborating with DoorDash to provide SNAP payments at nearly 7800 Walgreens locations across the globe. The pharmacy will provide more than 4000 EBT-eligible items including breakfast and snack essentials for delivery within an hour through the DoorDash app.
DoorDash also waives its delivery fee for up to three orders of $25 or more for customers who are using debit and snap benefits at participating Walgreens that are not Dash Pass subscribers. DoorDash has started accepting SNAP EBT payments via the DoorDash app for SNAP eligible grocery items through retailers like Safeway, AlDI, Albertsons, Meijer and so on.
The collaboration of Walgreens and DoorDash means SNAP shoppers can get essential groceries that they need irrespective of their payment method and other barriers like transportation, limited mobility or work schedules. As you know Walgreens is a go-to destination for shoppers; its partnership with DoorDash will open numerous opportunities for SNAP recipients who can shop online for eligible goods with their EBT card nationwide.
Apart from grocery stores there are even bakeries that are accepting EBT payments throughout the country. You can read them in our next guide.
What Pharmacies/ Drug Stores Accept EBT Other Than Walgreens?
The Electronic Benefits Transfer card is an irrepressible tool for SNAP recipients. There are national pharmacy chains and even local pharmacies that accept EBT or food stamps. The restrictions that apply in grocery stores are the same as in pharmacies.
As the commonly found items in pharmacies are vitamins, medicines and dietary supplements you cannot purchase them with your EBT card. Following are the major U.S pharmacy chains apart from Walgreens that accept EBT cards.
CVS
SNAP recipients can pay for SNAP-eligible items at 9000+ CVS stores with the help of their Electronic Benefits Transfer card including healthy snacks, meal essentials and a variety of beverages. You cannot order and pay for eligible goods online at CVS with your EBT card at present.
Rite Aid
Another popular drugstore similar to Walgreens that accepts EBT cards from SNAP beneficiaries is Rite Aid. However, like Walgreens and CVS, Rite Aid does not accept SNAP payments online. You can purchase SNAP-eligible items with your EBT card for in-store purchases.
Do you know which retailers in California accept EBT payments? Head over to our next guide to learn about the comprehensive list.
Alternate SNAP Retailers That You Can Consider
As you know not every Walgreens store in America is accepting EBT as a method of payment therefore most of its products are not covered by the SNAP EBT initiative. In the below guide, we have covered a list of SNAP-approved retailers that sell eligible food and beverages that are allowable under EBT rules.
Thankfully a lot of grocery stores, convenience stores, supermarkets, superstores, gas stations and online retailers are accepting EBT cards and this also includes warehouse clubs, fast food restaurants, farmers markets, bakeries, local food co-ops and so on.
Amazon
SNAP EBT benefits are accepted by Amazon on Amazon Grocery and Amazon Fresh purchases. Amazon provides SNAP recipients an amazing opportunity to purchase eligible items on their online platform.
With endless product selections on Amazon, it can sometimes be difficult to know what is EBT eligible and what not. Customers often get free shipping if they can meet the minimum order requirements set by Amazon.
Walmart
Similar to Target, Walmart also accepts SNAP or EBT card payments for online grocery delivery and pickup. Customers need to place an order by visiting the official Walmart website or by downloading the Walmart app and creating an account. You can get free curbside pickup service for orders above $35 or else you have to pay a small pickup fee.
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.
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. Sam’s Club accepts food stamps or EBT from SNAP beneficiaries in all its retail locations.
DoorDash
DoorDash is a popular third-party delivery service providing EBT payments at major grocery stores or drugstores. DoorDash has collaborated with Walgreens to provide 4000+ SNAP-eligible products for delivery within an hour. SNAP recipients can use their EBT benefits to shop for eligible goods from Walgreens via DoorDash very soon.
ALDI
One of the biggest grocery chains in America, ALDI is already accepting EBT payments from customers. ALDI users who qualify for SNAP benefits can use the EBT card to buy groceries and food items at participating locations. ALDI makes it easier for people to get things they need and maximize their benefits with multiple payment options.
Instacart
You can use your EBT card for online grocery delivery and pickup with Instacart. Being one of the biggest grocery chains in the United States of America, Instacart accepts payments from SNAP recipients and helps them purchase food items and groceries at participating locations.
Safeway
Safeway is an American supermarket chain that is operating today as a banner of the Albertsons company and is one of the largest drug and food retailers in the United States of America. Safeway is one of the United States retailers that has been approved by the Department of Agriculture to accept EBT or SNAP benefits online from SNAP beneficiaries.
Costco
SNAP recipients can use their food stamps or EBT card at Costco. Costco is a popular warehouse retailer that is accepting EBT benefits at all of its warehouse locations. However specific restrictions and guidelines need to be followed at every step for recipients using EBT benefits here. Costco has amazing deals however you can find affordable prices at your local grocery store.
Trader Joe’s
Trader Joe’s is one of the most popular go-to for fresh fruits, vegetables, vegan, gluten-free and organic food options for customers in America. Trader Joe’s is also convenient as it has 556 outlets across 42 states. People can purchase all food items and groceries with the help of their EBT card and pay for the remaining items that are not covered by the card with another source of payment method.
Sprouts
Sprouts Farmers Market is a renowned grocery store chain in America that is known for selling healthy and fresh products. You can purchase only eligible items so you must look for EBT SNAP labels on the products before buying.
A few more retailers that are accepting EBT from SNAP beneficiaries throughout the United States of America are as follows:
- Acme Markets
- AJ’s Fine Foods
- Whole Foods
- Albertsons
- Associated Food Stores
- Bashas
- Big Y Foods
- BJ’s Wholesale Club
- QuikTrip
- Bravo Supermarkets
- Brookshire’s
- City Market
- Dillons Stores
- 99 Ranch Market
- Fareway Meat & Grocery
- Fine Fare Supermarkets
- Food 4 Less
- Food City
- Food Lion
- Foodtown
- Fred Meyer
- Speedway
- Fry’s Food Stores
- Giant Eagle
- Giant Food
- Hannaford Supermarkets
- Harris Teeter
- HEB
- Dollar Stores
- Jewel-Osco
- Jubilee Foods
- King Soopers
- Kings Food Markets
- Kroger
- Lowe’s Grocery
- Meijer
- Piggly Wiggly
- Pick N Save
- Price Chopper
- Publix
- QFC Supermarkets
- Raley’s
- Ralphs
- Save Mart
- Schnucks Market
- Shaw’s
- ShopRite
- Smith’s Food and Drug
- Stater Bros
- Stop & Shop
- Super 1 Foods
- Superior Grocers
- Tops Markets
- Vons
- Weis Markets
- WinCo etc.
Get a comprehensive list of SNAP-eligible goods and grocery stores that accept EBT payments online in our next guide.
Conclusion
Most Walgreens locations in the United States of America accept food stamps or EBT cards as a viable payment method for SNAP beneficiaries for the purchase of eligible goods like fruits or vegetables, canned goods, meat and baked goods. Nevertheless, you must contact your local Walgreens store and ask if they are accepting food stamps before making a decision. DoorDash has teamed with Walgreens to provide EBT benefits at 7800 store locations to enable SNAP recipients to get essential grocery items online. Fortunately, a lot of stores besides Walgreens accept EBT cards and our guide has listed the names of all the USDA-approved SNAP retailers including drugstore chains for your reference.
We hope this article has been informative enough to give you all the details you need regarding Walgreens’ policy on 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 Use My EBT Card At Walgreens?
Yes, you can use your EBT card at certain Walgreens locations that are USDA-approved. Not all Walgreens store locations accept EBT since it is a pharmaceutical company and you’re not a typical grocery store. You can contact your local Walgreens location and verify if they’re taking food stamps before purchasing products from them.
What Does Walgreens Sell?
Walgreens being a pharmaceutical company specializes in health and wellness products, health information and medicines. Some of the stores also sell general goods, and food items such as baked goods, dairy and frozen packaged goods. It is easy to find Walgreens stores since it operates 8100+ stores in all U.S. states.
Where Can I Pay With EBT Online?
EBT cardholders can use their food stamp benefits for online purchasing at major online retailers like Amazon, Target, Walmart, Instacart, DoorDash etc. For additional information about the USDA Online Purchasing Pilot Program, you can visit the USDA online web page. Fortunately, Walgreens is collaborating with DoorDash to facilitate online purchases for SNAP beneficiaries.
What Payment Methods Does Walgreens Accept?
Walgreens accept major U.S debit or credit cards like American Express, Visa or MasterCard, Discover, PayPal, EBT, Visa Checkout, and PayPal credit as a method of payment.