If you have a Texas Lone Star EBT card and are trying to figure where you can use your card to make purchases, we can help. Your SNAP EBT or Cash Assistance EBT can be used at stores approved to take EBT. In this post, we are going to explain in detail where you can pay with Texas EBT card. Plus, how to identify stores that take EBT, what foods you can buy, how to use your card to shop, and any fees that you may be charged for using your card.
Where can you pay with Texas EBT card?
Here are the different places you can use your PA EBT Card:
You can use your Texas EBT Card at:
ATMs
- To access your cash benefits
- To obtain your cash account balance
Point of Sale (POS) Machines (Checking out at a Cashiers)
You can use your SNAP benefits to buy food at authorized retailers.
Also, you can use your cash benefits to buy food
Additionally, you can use your cash benefits to buy non-food items like diapers and clothing.
Furthermore, you can use your cash benefits EBT Card to:
- Pay bills
- Withdraw cash after you buy something (get cashback)
- Withdraw cash from your cash account without buying anything
- Check your TX EBT Card balance
Where to Find ATM and/or POS machines
You may find ATM and/or POS machines at:
- Banks
- Grocery stores
- Convenience stores
- Gas stations
- Department stores
- Utility companies
EBT Card Fees You Should Know About
When you use your Texas EBT Card, you may be charged a fee depending on which benefits you are using.
Surcharge
A surcharge is a service fee that some stores and banks MAY charge you each time you use an ATM to withdraw cash or check your balance.
Before you use your card, look for a warning telling you about this fee on the ATM screen.
If the particular ATM charges a fee, you do not have proceed with the transaction.
You can cancel the transaction and go to another location to withdraw your cash at an ATM that does not charge a fee.
Transaction
When using your Texas EBT Card a transaction is:
- Getting cash at an ATM
- Getting cash at a POS machine
- Buying food with SNAP benefits
- Buying anything with cash benefits
- Checking your balance
Transaction Fee
A transaction fee is money you will be charged after the fourth time you withdraw cash or check your balance at an ATM in any one month.
This fee is not charged at POS machines.
POS Machine (Point of Sale Machine)
A POS machine is a machine that reads your EBT card so you can buy food with your SNAP benefits and other items with your cash benefits.
TANF EBT Card Users
If you receive TANF benefits in Texas, you can use TANF to buy food and other items such as clothes, housing, furniture, transportation, laundry, medical supplies, and supplies for the home.
Additionally, you can also use the TANF EBT card to get cash from a store.
However, there might be a fee and some stores only let you take out a certain amount at one time.
| Using SNAP to buy items | No fee |
| Using TANF to buy items | No fee |
| Getting cashback when using TANF to buy items | No fee |
| Taking $49 or less out of your TANF account | No fee |
| Taking $50 or more out of your TANF account | Two free per month, then 50 cents each |
Note that you cannot use TANF to buy things such as alcoholic drinks, tobacco items, lottery tickets, adult entertainment, guns ammunition, bingo, and illegal drugs.
What Food Can I Buy with a Texas EBT Card?
Your Texas Lone Star EBT card works like a debit card. You can use this card to buy food at most grocery stores.
At the checkout counter, swipe the card and enter a 4-digit PIN number to use your SNAP/food stamps to buy food.
You can buy any food product available at participating grocery stores (with the exception of prepared foods).
You can locate stores that accept Texas SNAP benefits online at Snap Retailer Locator.
Here’s what you can buy with Texas SNAP EBT:
- Fruits and vegetables;
- Meat, poultry, and fish;
- Dairy products;
- Breads and cereals;
- Other foods such as snack foods and non-alcoholic beverages; and
- Seeds and plants, which produce food for the household to eat.
You CANNOT use Texas SNAP EBT benefits to buy:
- Beer, wine, liquor, cigarettes, or tobacco
- Vitamins, medicines, and supplements. If an item has a Supplement Facts label, it is considered a supplement and is not eligible for SNAP purchase.
- Live animals (except shellfish, fish removed from water, and animals slaughtered prior to pick-up from the store).
- Prepared Foods fit for immediate consumption
- Hot foods
- Any nonfood items such as:
– Pet foods
– Cleaning supplies, paper products, and other household supplies.
– Hygiene items, cosmetics
What stores accept Texas EBT cards online?
You can use your Texas EBT card to make purchases online at the following grocery stores:
- ALDI
- Amazon
- Brookshire’s Food and Pharmacy
- FRESH by Brookshire’s
- H-E-B
- Joe V’s Smart Shop
- Sam’s Club Scan and Go
- Spring Market
- Super 1 Foods
- Walmart
As you can see above, you can purchase groceries online for home delivery using your Texas EBT card at Amazon and Walmart.
Target to soon accept SNAP EBT Online
Target shoppers will soon be able to spend Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits on groceries online.
Target’s more than 1,900 stores nationwide will join other retailers in accepting food stamps for online purchasing.
The service will be provided by Shipt which is owned by Target.
However, SNAP benefits cannot be used to pay the delivery fee.
SNAP customers can use a credit or debit card to pay the $7 delivery fee for Shipt.
It is likely that Target may reduce the delivery fee for SNAP customers.
Walmart and Amazon have both been accepting SNAP EBT online since 2019.
Instacart also offers online food stamp purchases for a range of stores, including Aldo, BJ’s Wholesale Club, Food Lion, and Publix.
What Fast Food Places Take Texas EBT/Food Stamps/SNAP?
The Restaurant Meals Program (RMP) is a federal program that enables qualified elderly, disabled, and homeless food stamps recipients to buy food at authorized restaurants. Any state or county can enroll in the Restaurant Meals Program.
The purpose of the program is to help expand food access to those who do not have a place to store and cook food, who may not be able to prepare food or who don’t have access to a grocery store.
Not all states participate in the RMP.
Currently, the Restaurant Meal Program is running in the following states:
- California
- Arizona
- Illinois
- Maryland
- Michigan
- New York
- Rhode Island
Unfortunately, the state of Texas does not currently participate in the Restaurant Meals Program. We will update you as soon as the state joins the program.
Where you can pay with Texas EBT card Summary
We hope this post on Where you can pay with Texas EBT card was helpful.
If you need additional help regarding Texas SNAP or EBT, please let us know in the comments section below.
If you found this article helpful, we encourage you to please share it with someone using the “Share this” button below.
In the meantime, be sure to check out our other articles on Texas SNAP and EBT:
What can I buy with the Texas Food Stamps card?
Texas Food Stamps EBT Phone Number
Texas SNAP Increase for the Year
How to get more Texas Food Stamps
