What can I buy with Pennsylvania EBT card?

If you have been issued a Pennsylvania SNAP EBT Card, you probably have lots of questions, including where you can use the card, whether restaurants accept EBT and what can I buy with Pennsylvania EBT card? We can answer that question for you.

In this post, we will provide the list of eligible food stamps items, including what you can and cannot buy with your Pennsylvania SNAP EBT Card.

First, we will provide a list of places you can use your Pennsylvania EBT Card

Also, we will explain how you can use your Pennsylvania SNAP EBT card to shop online for groceries for delivery.

Next, we will provide the list of food items you can purchase with your EBT card.

Lastly, we will answer the most frequently asked questions about foods you can and cannot buy with Pennsylvania EBT.

This post will cover:

• What stores accept Pennsylvania EBT cards online?
• What you can buy with Pennsylvania EBT card
• Pennsylvania SNAP Eligible Food Items FAQs

What stores accept Pennsylvania EBT cards online?

You can use your Pennsylvania EBT card to make purchases online at the following grocery stores:

• ALDI
• Amazon
• BJs Wholesale Club
• Giant Company, LLC
• Giant Eagle
• Martin’s
• Mignosi’s Super Foodtown
• Price Chopper Supermarkets
• Price Rite
• Sam’s Club Scan and Go
• ShopRite
• TheFreshGrocer
• Tops Market
• Walmart
• Weis Markets

As you can see above, you can purchase groceries online for home delivery using your Pennsylvania 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 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 you can buy with Pennsylvania EBT card

Pennsylvania Food Stamps benefits can be used to purchase any food EXCEPT heated foods.

See below for the complete list of foods you are allowed to buy.

Additionally, we have listed below foods that you CANNOT buy with your Pennsylvania EBT card.

Here’s what you can buy with Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania 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

Get More Groceries with Food Bucks (Philadelphia area, Reading, Central PA, and Western PA)

Shoppers who use SNAP get more for their money with Food Bucks!

The Food Trust’s Food Bucks program encourages shoppers SNAP (food stamps) recipients to use their benefits to purchase fresh and affordable produce.

The food bucks program, which started in Philadelphia, has been expanded to a statewide initiative.

SNAP recipients can get food bucks in a variety of retail settings, including farmers’ markets, corner stores, and supermarkets.

Here’s what you need to know about PA Food Bucks:

They are redeemable for fresh fruits and vegetables

You must be a SNAP,  WIC, and Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) recipient to use food bucks.

The program is available and redeemable in the greater Philadelphia area, Reading, Central PA, and Western PA

Get More Groceries with Fresh2You! (Chester County)

If you live in Chester County, PA, you can stretch your SNAP dollars through the Fresh2You! program.

The Fresh2You! Mobile Market is a pilot project of the Chester County Food Bank that brings fresh produce and healthy food staples directly to communities.

The program is delivered through their one-of-a-kind truck from June through November.

Fresh2You truck makes select stops throughout Chester County bringing fresh, delicious, seasonal fruits and vegetables.

Fresh2You accepts all forms of payment, including cash, credit/debit, SNAP/EBT and WIC or Senior Farmer’s Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) checks.

For customers shopping with SNAP/EBT, Fresh2You can stretch your food budget by offering matching dollars in the form of Veggie Bucks.

These can be used on any future purchases of fruits and vegetables during the Fresh2You season!

Pennsylvania SNAP Eligible Food Items FAQs

We usually get questions from our readers about specific food items so we have provided answers to the most frequently asked items.

Can I order groceries online and have my items delivered?

You can purchase groceries online using your Pennsylvania SNAP EBT card and have them delivered.

However, you cannot use your food stamps benefits to pay for the delivery fee if you have one.

Walmart delivers in a radius of 9 to 10 miles from the physical store.

However, not all Walmart locations participate in delivery.

Can you buy energy drinks with Pennsylvania Food Stamps?

Energy drinks that have a nutrition label are eligible foods you can buy with your Pennsylvania SNAP benefits.

However, energy drinks that have a supplement facts label are classified by the FDA as supplements and are therefore not eligible under food stamps rules.

Can you buy cold rotisserie chicken with EBT?

Unfortunately, No. You cannot use Pennsylvania SNAP to buy rotisserie chicken the program rules prohibit spending on hot foods.

Can I buy deli food with Pennsylvania SNAP EBT?

You are not allowed to use Pennsylvania SNAP to buy food you can eat at the premises or hot food in general.

You are only allowed to buy food you are taking home to prepare.

Therefore, when it comes to Deli foods, you cannot buy hot food from the deli or prepared foods like mac n cheese, chicken or sandwiches, stuff from the salad bar.

However, you can buy deli meats and cheeses and cold uncooked items from the deli with your Pennsylvania SNAP EBT card as long as you are going to take them home to prepare.

Furthermore, some delis that take Pennsylvania SNAP will display items that are eligible.

Can you buy a birthday or Ice Cream cake with Pennsylvania Food Stamps?

Items such as birthday and other special occasion cakes are eligible for purchase with Pennsylvania SNAP benefits as long as the value of non-edible decorations does not exceed 50 percent of the purchase price of the cake.

Can you buy Vitamins, Supplements, and Power Bars with Pennsylvania SNAP?

The eligibility of vitamins and supplements, power bars, energy drinks, and other branded products must meet the following guidelines:

• Items that carry a nutrition facts label are eligible foods
• Items that carry a supplement facts label are classified by the FDA as supplements and are therefore NOT eligible

Can you buy Pet Food with Pennsylvania Food Stamps?

No, you cannot use your Pennsylvania SNAP EBT benefits to buy pet food.

This is directly from the USDA Website.

If you attempt to use your Pennsylvania SNAP card to buy pet or dog food, you will be violating the law – which could land you in jail.

How about Diapers and Personal Hygiene Products?

Hygiene items like soaps, deodorant, shampoo, toothpaste, and cosmetics are not eligible to be purchased using Pennsylvania SNAP.

Additionally, baby wipes and diapers aren’t SNAP-eligible and they are also not allowed under the Women, Infants, and Children program (WIC).

Can you Buy “Junk Food” like Chips and Soft Drinks with Pennsylvania SNAP?

Yes. While junk foods like chips, candy, snack crackers, ice cream, and soft drinks may not be particularly nutritious or healthy, they are eligible for purchase with Pennsylvania SNAP benefits.

Additionally, while there have been calls by politicians to prohibit the purchase of “junk food” with SNAP benefits, a survey by the Huffington Post found there was no difference in “junk food” purchases by SNAP households and non-SNAP households.

How to Check Pennsylvania EBT Card Balance?

There are three ways to check your Pennsylvania ACCESS Card balance.

Option 1 – Via Phone

Call the Pennsylvania EBT recipient hotline at 1-888-EBT-PENN (1-888-328-7366).

Option 2 – Online

• You can check the balance online here.

Option 3 – Using the Last Transaction Receipt. 

• You can also check the balance by locating your Last Receipt

What you can buy with Pennsylvania SNAP EBT card Summary

Here’s the bottom line:

Pennsylvania SNAP benefits can be used to purchase any food EXCEPT heated foods.

Furthermore, You CANNOT use Pennsylvania SNAP benefits to buy non-food items, including Beer, wine, liquor, cigarettes, or tobacco.

Questions?

We hope this post on what you can buy with Pennsylvania SNAP EBT card was helpful.

If you have further questions about the Pennsylvania SNAP or PA EBT Card, please let us know in the comments section below.

Be sure to check out our other articles about Pennsylvania SNAP and Pennsylvania EBT, including:

Pennsylvania Food Stamps Income Limit for 2022
PA EBT Card Balance and Login
Pennsylvania EBT Deposit Schedule for 2022
2022 Pennsylvania Food Stamps Increase
Pennsylvania Food Stamps FAQs
PA Extra Benefits for April