Does Trader Joe’s Accept EBT Card in 2023 (How Does it Work?)
Does Trader Joe’s Accept EBT Card? It seems frustrating when walking into a store with your EBT card just to know they are actually not accepting the card. This article will be of great help as it will answer your question.
All Trader Joe’s locations accept EBT cards.
EBT or Electronic Benefits Transfer, also known as SNAP benefits, is a government-sponsored public service that delivers funds specifically for food items.
Eligible food purchases include vegetables, meats, dairy products, and fruits. Non-eligible items include alcohol, tobacco, and all nonfood items.
Apply for an EBT card by contacting a local SNAP office. Each state has its own EBT application, and 42 states provide online EBT applications.
Trader Joe’s Overview
A privately held grocery shop business called Trader Joe’s operates in residential areas.
They take great satisfaction in offering both high-quality organic and non-organic items, a wide variety of cuisine drawn from across the world, excellent customer service, and reasonable rates.
Since its founding in California, Trader Joe’s has expanded to over 459 stores across the country.
How Does EBT Card Work at Trader Joe’s?
If you are qualified for benefits, a bank account will be opened in your name, and each month funds will be electronically deposited there.
A plastic card, similar to a bank debit card, will be given to you so that you can use your benefits to make certain purchases.
You must choose a personal identification number (PIN), which will be explained to you by the local employee, in order to use the card.
If you qualify for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits at Trader Joe’s, you can use your card to:
- Purchase any selected items at any of their available point-of-sale registers.
- If you qualify for WV Works/Cash and Child Support Incentive benefits, you can use your card to:
- You can withdraw benefits from any QUEST® ATM located worldwide or in West Virginia.
- Pay for purchases at the store.
- With a purchase at the shop, you will receive cashback.
Here are a few crucial things you should note regarding using your EBT card at Trader Joe’s:
Food Items Eligible with EBT Card
While using your EBT card at Trader Joe’s, you should be careful of the things you are purchasing.
While shopping with your EBT card to use food stamps, it is advised to always choose approved EBT food items.
Any effort to choose prohibited food items and use your EBT card to pay for them will result in the transaction not being accepted.
You will need to use another method of payment, like cash or credit, to pay for those things that were not approved.
Here are some of the common eligible EBT food items:
- Soft Drinks (Italian soda, juice, etc.)
- Snack Crackers and Chips (potato chips, veggie chips, etc.)
- Pork products (pork chops, pork sausage, etc.)
- Red Meat (steak, ground beef, ribs, etc.)
- Dessert Items (ice cream, brownies, cookies, etc.)
- 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.)
- Candy (Trader Joe’s variety of chocolate bars)
- Frozen food items (butter chicken, pasta, etc.)
However, your EBT card cannot be used to purchase protein powder, prepared food or protein bars from Trader Joe’s.
More items that cannot be purchased at Trader Joe’s using your EBT card include
- Vitamins
- Medicine
- Household products
- Cleaning supplies
- Alcohol
- Tobacco
- Prepared food
- Feminine products, and
For a full list of all EBT-approved and unapproved items, check out our post here.
READ ALSO:
- Does Whole Foods take EBT?
- Does Target Accept EBT Card
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- Fast-food Restaurants that Accept EBT Near me
Always Check your EBT Card Balance
Your current EBT card balance is something you should be aware of before using your food stamp benefits at Trader Joe’s.
You can suffer if you don’t have enough money on your EBT card, especially if the transaction is more expensive than the balance on your card.
Your transaction will often not be processed as a result.
As mentioned above, you must make up the shortfall in full using another method of payment, such as cash or credit.
Check out our list of EBT Card Balances by State if you need assistance checking your EBT Card balance.
To get your current EBT Card Balance, go to the page, choose the state from where you receive benefits, and then follow the on-screen directions.
Other Stores that Accept EBT
Like Trader Joe’s, there are hundreds of other stores that accept EBT cards from food stamp recipients.
EBT approved stores can include grocery stores, markets, wholesale stores, convenience stores, discount stores, specialty food stores, and farmer’s markets.
To find out what stores take EBT near you, check out our full list of EBT-approved stores here.
It’s wise to always contact a local Trader Joe’s store to confirm that it accepts EBT, and use the USDA Food and Nutrition Service “SNAP Retailer Locator” to find participating stores.
