In our post, we are going to answer the following question: Does Whole Foods take food stamps? EBT card at Trader Joe’s? If you are not familiar with Whole Foods, let me give you a quick overview. Whole Foods is an American supermarket chain that exclusively features foods without artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners and hydrogenated fats, so basically – not all the junk that is commonly found in the food we shouldn’t be eating. They pride themselves on their selection of high quality organic and non-organic products, their variety of food and cultural cuisine, as well as, a great customer experience. Whole Foods originally got its start in Austin, Texas and has since spread to hundreds of locations all over the United States.
As of recent, Whole Foods was purchased by Amazon.com which has resulted in their products now being sold online at Amazon Fresh. Whole Foods grocery items are able to be purchased on Amazon Fresh with your EBT Card. To learn more about how you can use your EBT card online at Amazon, check out our post here. To find out whether your local Whole Foods accepts EBT, keep reading below.
Does Whole Foods take Food Stamps?
To answer the question you’ve been waiting for – Yes, Trader Joe’s does accept food stamps at all locations by using your EBT card as a form of payment. To redeem Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits at Whole Foods using your EBT card, simply select the items you wish to purchase as normal and checkout at any of their available point-of-sale terminals. You can use your EBT card just like a normal debit card at the point-of-sale terminal. Once you swipe your card, you’ll be prompted to enter your 4-digit Personal Identification Number (PIN). You must have this information in order to complete the transaction. Also, be sure to only select eligible food items when redeeming SNAP benefits at Whole Foods using your EBT card.
Not sure which items are eligible to be purchased at Whole Foods using your food stamp benefits? Check out our list below.
- Bread, cereal, granola bars
- Dairy products (milk, yogurt, cheese, etc.)
- Fresh, Frozen and Canned Fruits
- Fresh, Frozen and Canned Vegetables
- Fresh and Frozen Seafood (fish, shellfish, etc.)
- Poultry (chicken breast, chicken thighs, chicken drumsticks, turkey breast, etc.)
- Pork products (pork chops, pork tenderloin, bacon, pork sausage, etc.)
- Red Meat (steak, ground beef, ribs, etc.)
- Dessert Items (ice cream, brownies, cookies, etc.)
- Candy (Trader Joe’s variety of chocolate bars)
- Frozen food items (butter chicken, mushroom ravioli, pasta, etc.)
- Soft Drinks (Italian soda, juice, etc.)
- Snack Crackers and Chips (potato chips, veggie chips, crackers, pretzels etc.)
- Cooking Oils (olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil, etc.)
- Seeds, Nuts, and Plants (cashews, nut variety packs, peanut butter, etc.)
Your food stamp benefits cannot be used to purchase protein bars, protein powder or prepared food from Whole Foods. More items that cannot be purchased at Whole Foods using your EBT card include vitamins, medicine, household products, cleaning supplies, alcohol, tobacco, prepared food, feminine products, and cosmetics. Check out our other posts to see if EBT cards are accepted at Trader Joe’s, Walmart, Costco, Sam’s Club, Target, Kroger, 7-11, Whole Foods, Subway and more!
We hope this post was helpful to you. If you would like us to find more retailers that accept EBT, please leave your suggestions in the comment section below. We love to hear from you!
