Idaho EBT Card Balance: Steps On How To Check Idaho EBT Card Balance
Idaho EBT Card Balance: The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (DHW) is responsible for providing payments for the Idaho Food Stamp, also known as the Food Assistance Programme.
The Food Assistance Program provides vital nutritional and food support for qualifying low-income and needy households. Food stamps are available to low-income households that meet the eligibility rules for federal revenue.
If Idaho food assistance is accepted, the benefits will be deposited electronically on an EBT (Electronic Benefits Transfer) account.
The Idaho EBT card is identical to a regular ATM or debit card, also known as the Idaho Quest Card. Every month, food stamp benefits will be deposited on your EBT Card the same day.
Idaho EBT Card benefits can be accessed on your EBT Card account by 5 AM the morning after they are posted.
Benefits may be used to make approved purchases of food at qualifying retail locations. Many grocery stores in Idaho accept Idaho Quest Card as their payment.
Idaho Food Stamp Program
The Food Stamp Program helps put food on the table every day for about 34,000 families in Idaho and 85,000 individual Idahoans.
It provides low-income households with a card that can be used to purchase food products instead of cash to ensure they have access to a balanced diet.
The Food Stamp Plan reflects the promise to accept hunger in America. This is the concrete manifestation of the unchanging conviction that all have the right to food for themselves and their families.
The program is the cornerstone of food assistance programs run by the Federal Government.
The Food Stamp Program at the Federal level is administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) through its Food and Nutrition Service (FNS).
State departments manage the system at the state and local levels, including compliance determination and allocations.
What’s the Idaho Quest EBT Card?
- EBT = electronic benefits transfer.
- EBT card = a card that looks and works like a debit or credit card but is loaded with food stamps and/or cash benefits. You can use it at stores that accept EBT.
- You’ll get the Idaho Quest EBT Card once you’re approved for benefits.
Eligibility Criteria
For this incentive plan, you must be a resident of the state of Idaho and fall into one of two groups : ( 1) those with a current bank balance (savings and checks combined) of less than
$2.001, or (2) those with a current bank balance (savings and checks combined) of less than $3.001 who share their household with an individual or persons 60 years of age or older, or with a disabled person (an infant, your partner, etc)
To qualify, you must have an annual household income that is less than or equal to the following sums (before taxes):
| Annual Household Income Limits (before taxes) | |
| Household Size* | Maximum Income Level (Per Year) |
| 1 | $16,237 |
| 2 | $21,983 |
| 3 | $27,729 |
| 4 | $33,475 |
| 5 | $39,221 |
| 6 | $44,967 |
| 7 | $50,713 |
| 8 | $56,459 |
*For households with more than eight people, add $5,746 per additional person. Always check with the appropriate managing agency to ensure the most accurate guidelines.
Idaho EBT Payment Schedule
| If the Last digit of your Birth Year ends in | Benefits are deposited on the |
| 1 | 1st of the month |
| 2 | 2nd of the month |
| 3 | 3rd of the month |
| 4 | 4th of the month |
| 5 | 5th of the month |
| 6 | 6th of the month |
| 7 | 7th of the month |
| 8 | 8th of the month |
| 9 | 9th of the month |
| 0 | 10th of the month |
Once your benefits are deposited into your account, you can begin using them with your Idaho EBT card to purchase eligible food items.
Stores That Take EBT Online for Delivery
As you may know, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has started a pilot program (Online Purchasing Pilot) to allow select grocery stores to start accepting EBT cards online for grocery shopping, including delivery to your doorstep.
The grocery stores listed below have been approved for the pilot that will offer the ability for EBT cardholders to buy food online for delivery.
- Amazon
- Dash’s Market
- FreshDirect
- Hart’s Local Grocers
- Hy-Vee, Inc.
- Safeway
- ShopRite
- Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
- Wright’s Markets, Inc
Where Can’t I Use My Idaho EBT Card?
You cannot use your Idaho EBT Card at the following locations:
- Casinos
- Poker Rooms
- Card Rooms
- Smoke & Cannabis Shops
- Adult Entertainment Businesses
- Nightclubs/Saloons/Taverns
- Tattoo & Piercing Shops
- Spa/Massage Salons
- Bingo Halls
- Bail Bonds
- Racetracks
- Gun/Ammo Stores
- Cruise Ships
- Psychic Readers
Foods and Products Not Eligible for Purchase With the Idaho EBT Card
- Hot foods from deli/foods to be eaten in store
- Vitamins or medication
- Pet food
- Paper or cleaning products
- Alcohol/tobacco products.
For a full list of approved food items, see the Food Stamps Eligible Food List here.
How To Check Your Idaho EBT Card Balance
There are three options for checking your Idaho QUEST Card balance. Here they are:
Option 1 – Locate Your Last Purchase Receipt
One of the best ways to check the balance of your Idaho EBT card is to locate the most recent sales receipt or ATM receipt (only for TANF receivers).
You’ll find the current balance at the bottom of the receipt on your account. Be sure to save all of your recent Idaho Quest Card receipts to check your balance using this method.
Option 2 – Check Your Quest Card Balance Via Phone
Another choice is by calling the Idaho EBT Card Customer Support number at 1-888-432-4328 to check your card balance. R
epresentatives are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to help you get your Quest Card balance back.
Make sure your EBT Card number, 4-digit PIN, and Social Security Number (SSN) are ready before you call. You must provide this information to receive your EBT card balance information.
Option 3 – Check Your Quest Card Balance Online
The last option to check your Idaho EBT Card balance is online. You can find out your EBT Card balance online by using the Idaho ebtEDGE website.
Once you are there, enter your User ID and Password. You must log in to your account to check your EBT balance.
Idaho EBT Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of the most frequently asked questions about the Idaho EBT Card.
The amount of benefits you receive on your EBT Card each month is determined by your income and household size.
Yes, SNAP benefits are only for food. However, there are people who have an EBT card for their TANF (cash assistance) benefits. You can use TANF benefits to purchase food and non-food items. For information on TANF eligibility, contact your local government benefits assistance office.
Ask your local caseworker Idaho Food Stamps about setting up an Approved Representative (AR). The AR would have a different card that holds its own account number and PIN. Additionally, the EBT device will monitor at any time which card is being used. The AR will be granted access to all of your benefit account.
Your Idaho EBT card will work at any store or ATM in the United States that accepts EBT cards, as well as the District of Columbia, USA. And Guam and the Virgin Islands. Furthermore, there are no rules against using your EBT card outside of your home state. However, you are required to notify your local county public assistance office of any change of address.
If you don’t use all of your monthly EBT incentives, the balance will be carried over to the next month at the end of the month. Should not go for long periods of time, however, without the advantages of using the food stamps. It will remove food stamps or cash payments on EBT cards which have not been accessed for 365 days (one year) from your account and cannot be restored.
If your card is lost , stolen or impaired, contact Idaho EBT Card Customer Support Contact 1-888-432-4328 immediately. Upon reporting that your card was lost, stolen or damaged, a replacement card will be mailed to you. Replacement cards are to be received within three to five business days. You may also contact your nearest DHR caseworker or your county social services department.
No, you may only withdraw money from an ATM or through a cash-back/cash-only withdrawal at a participating store. Additionally, bank tellers do not have information or access to EBT accounts.
There is never a charge for using your card to buy food. However, any Bank surcharges (if any) for using cash machines will be taken from your account.
It is important to take steps to protect your EBT card from unauthorized use. Here are tips on how you can keep your card safe, including from getting damaged.
Sign the back of your card
Do not write your Quest Card PIN on your card
Keep your card safe and clean
Do not bend your Quest EBT card
Keep your card away from magnets and electronic equipment, such as radios and microwaves.Do not throw your card away. You will be using the same card every month as long as you continue to receive benefits in Idaho.
