The days when people used to purchase from any grocery store near their house are long gone. Recently, individuals have become more health conscious and only rely on a few stores for healthy grocery shopping.
One of the grocery stores that has become immensely popular among health-conscious individuals is Whole Foods.
Whole Food Market is an American multinational supermarket that sells only organic products free from hydrogenated fats and artificial flavors, colors, and additives. Besides its main branch in Texas, Whole Foods has 500 US, UK, and Canadian stores.
In fact, people are so much crazy about Whole Foods that they often travel to nearby Whole Foods stores to do their grocery shopping.
Do you wonder what the hype about Whole Foods is? Whole Foods’ primary goal is to help people get easy access to healthy foods.
It believes that “living well begins with eating well.” Therefore, it has completely banned products containing hydrogenated fats, artificial colors, preservatives, and additives.
If any product does not meet the health standards, it will not make it to Whole Foods shelves.
However, often healthy and organic foods come with a hefty price tag. Therefore, grocery shopping from Whole Foods Market may sometimes blow your budget.
While EBT cards might help people meet their grocery needs and receive cash benefits, some might wonder whether Whole Foods will accept them or not. Do you fall into a similar category? Yes, Whole Foods does accept EBT cards.
Scroll down to learn everything you need to know about Whole Foods and its acceptance of EBT cards.
What is an EBT Card?
Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) – previously known as Food Stamps, are used all across the United States of America to allow people to shop for food items while saving their money on purchases. However, not everyone can get an EBT card.
People who qualify for Supplement Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) can get access to the EBT card.
EBT cards can help people purchase many items such as groceries and their daily-need items from Whole Foods and receive cash benefits.
While grocery shopping from Whole Foods might cost you a lot, an EBT card will help you receive cash benefits to save up some money on your purchases. Therefore, Whole Foods’ frequent shoppers find EBT cards quite useful.
How to Use an EBT Card at Whole Foods?
Using an EBT card at Whole Foods is a hassle-free process. Many people might not know that every product cannot be bought from Whole Foods with an EBT card.
However, it does not make checking out at Whole Foods any difficult as the machine will automatically separate the products for you that cannot be bought with an EBT card. Just swipe your card at the check-out counter of Whole Foods.
At the counter at Whole Foods, you can choose to pay through your cash account or EBT cash benefits. You can make two transactions at a counter.
For example, you can pay for groceries with a SNAP/ EBT card. Whereas you can use pay for the remaining items with your cash account. Convenience is all that Whole Foods offer its customers.
However, the receipt will not tell you the balance left on your card. Therefore, checking your balance before swiping your card at Whole Foods to buy groceries is better.
For your better understanding, here is a step-by-step guide on how to use your EBT card at Whole Foods:
- Swipe your EBT card in the machine at the check-out counter of Whole Foods.
- Enter your valid PIN to process the payment.
- The machine will ask you which account you want to use – a SNAP or a cash account.
- You might also need to show your ID card to confirm that you are an authorized cardholder.
- If you don’t have enough funds in your EBT account, the order will still most likely go through, but payment will be made for some items depending on your card’s balance.
Does Whole Foods Accept EBT Cards Online?
Many people wonder if Whole Foods Market accepts payments online from an EBT card. Unfortunately, Whole Foods Market does not allow EBT card payments online. An EBT card can only be used at the physical store’s Whole Foods.
Most online orders of Whole Foods go through Amazon, which does not include EBT as a payment option for Whole Food products.
However, if you still want to buy Whole Foods products online using an EBT card, you can visit Amazon groceries online.
Almost 365 Whole Foods brands are selling their products on Amazon as well as at Whole Foods retail stores.
However, some people might face technical issues while buying Whole Foods products online using an EBT card.
The items are not added to the cart no matter how much you try. These bugs are often fixed within a short time. Therefore, if it happens, you better close all tabs and open Amazon groceries again.
List of Whole Foods Items You Can Buy Using EBT Card
As mentioned above, not all Whole Foods products can be bought using an EBT card. Whole Foods Market has divided their products into two categories for EBT payments – eligible EBT items and non-eligible items.
Anything that is not an essential grocery item cannot be purchased using an EBT card at Whole Foods Market.
However, Whole Foods Market does allow people to buy non-essential grocery items through their cash accounts. With an EBT card, you will be able to buy the best food ingredients and receive cash benefits. Here is a list of EBT-eligible items at Whole Foods:
- Peanut Butter
- Nuts and beans
- Eggs and Tofu
- Infant cereal, formulas, fruits, and vegetables
- Whole grains
- Bread and cereals
- Poultry such as chicken meat
- Dairy products – milk, cheese, curd, yogurt
- Canned frozen foods
- Canned frozen vegetables
- Red meat and pork
- Cooking oils (olive oil, sunflower oil, avocado oil, and more)
List of Whole Foods Items You Cannot Buy Using EBT Card
Although there is a vast range of products you can buy through Whole Foods stores using an EBT card, there are restrictions on a few products.
Any product that is not an essential grocery item cannot be bought using an EBT card at Whole Foods.
For your better understanding, here is a list of EBT non-eligible items at Whole Foods:
- Alcohol
- Tobacco products
- Supplements
- Processed food
- Pet food
- Vitamins
- Cosmetics
- Nonfood- baby items like diapers and wet wipes
- Household products
How to Check Funds on Your EBT Card?
Have you ever been in a situation where you had to drop some grocery items from your cart because you had insufficient funds on your EBT card?
Well, it can be a frustrating experience. Therefore, to avoid getting into this situation again, you must check your EBT funds before visiting a Whole Foods store for grocery shopping.
Not sure how to check your EBT funds? It is quite an easy and fast process. You can easily check your EBT funds at the nearest ATM or call an EBT customer support agent to clearly understand how many funds you have on your EBT card.
Moreover, suppose your grocery bill is higher than the funds available on your EBT card. In that case, you can still pay for some portion of the items using your EBT card, and later, you can pay for the remaining items using another payment method.
Eligibility Criteria for Supplement Nutrition Assistance Progam
Many people might know that getting an EBT card requires you to qualify for SNAP. However, what are the eligibility requirements for SNAP? Here is what you need to qualify for SNAP:
Gross Monthly Income
The income of the entire family is known as the gross monthly income. For qualifying SNAP, your gross monthly income must be at least 130% of the poverty line. Also, the property level depends on the number of members present in the family.
Assets
For qualifying SNAP, the family must fulfill certain asset requirements. A family with normal members must have assets worth 2500 dollars or less.
However, if there are elderly or disabled people in the family, the asset limit is up to 3500 dollars or less.
Conclusion:
Whole Foods Market is a great option for health-conscious individuals to do their grocery shopping.
Not only do they help people purchase healthy and organic products, but they also help society by collaborating with local farms to source organic foods.
However, shopping from Whole Foods Market does not fit everyone’s budget. However, people with EBT cards can purchase essential grocery items for Whole Foods Market and receive cash benefits.
There are indeed a few limitations when it comes to doing grocery shopping from Whole Foods using an EBT card.
However, it is still a great option for people that prefers to shop for organic products at discounted prices. Whole Foods Market – Only organic and healthy products!
