Dollar General Corporation is a well-known chain of stores in the United States. This variety of stores arises as an option to simplify the life of American citizens by centralizing all shopping needs in a single location instead of going to several stores for different items, thus saving time, effort, and even gas.
For instance, Dollar General Store carries food, snack, and beverage sections which allows for the possibility to use the EBT card since it is one of the country’s most widely distributed variety stores, with 18,216 locations nationwide.
Does Dollar General take EBT?
The short answer to this question is yes. However, you need to know that this is only possible for food purchases at the Dollar General store. If there is any other item on the bill that is not food, such as energy or alcoholic beverages, you will not be able to make the payment.
What can I buy with my EBT card?
If you have any questions about what kind of products you can buy with your EBT card, below is a list of products that are accepted by the SNAP program for consumption on your card:
With EBT, you can buy plant-based products such as meat, poultry, and fish; fruits and vegetables; dairy products, snacks, bread, and cereal products; seeds and edible or food-producing plants; non-alcoholic beverages; and non-energy drinks.
Supplements, unless they are baby formula, are not SNAP-acceptable products.
What I cannot buy with my EBT card
If you are at a Dollar General store and decide to purchase a product not approved by the state’s program, it will simply deny the purchase.
For that reason, knowing which products you can buy with your EBT card is important. Here’s a guide to which items are not eligible to pay for with your EBT card at Dollar General so that you won’t be surprised later.
First, you cannot buy vitamins, medicines, and supplements. It is important to read food labels because if any food says it contains vitamin supplements, it will be considered a supplement and cannot be paid for with an EBT card.
Also, prepared meals at the Dollar General buffet are not accepted; remember that the card is to satisfy a family’s basic consumer basket. Even though it is edible, it is regarded as going to eat in a restaurant, not as food for better nutrition. Therefore, you cannot pay for pre-cooked, pre-assembled food items or menus at the Dollar General point of sale.
Besides, you cannot buy beer, wine, liquor or alcoholic beverage, tobacco, or cigarettes. No non-food products such as personal hygiene, cosmetics, cleaning, and household products. Also, Pet food payments are not accepted.
Can you pay with an EBT card on the Dollar General app?
Dollar General allows you to shop through their app or the website for convenience. However, paying with an EBT card is only available at physical stores.
The reason is that EBT cards have a monthly fund that a government entity will deposit, which means that said funds do not originate in a bank or from a natural person. Therefore, it is not possible to use them as a debit or credit card for online purchases since there are limits and conditions to EBT card use as part of a government financial assistance program.
Another impediment is that the payment system that allows EBT users to pay online with their cards has not yet been implemented. A pilot program called the USDA EBT pilot program is underway to activate the electronic payment system. However, not many stores work with that option because it is still under development.
Why you should use your EBT card in Dollar General
While it is true that you will only be able to use the card for food purchases at Dollar General, the EBT card and SNAP program are ways to ease the monetary burden. You can pay for non-food purchases with another card and food purchases with the EBT card, giving your paycheck a significant boost.