Does Walgreens Accept EBT or WIC? (Accurate Answers)

Walgreens is America’s 2nd largest drugstore chain after CVS. They have 9,000 stores in all 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

They’re much more than a prescription filling pharmacy, though! They sell grocery items, fresh food, frozen food, beauty supplies, health products, pet food, gifts, photo services, and more. But does Walgreens accept EBT cards?

Answered: Does Walgreens Accept EBT Cards?

Does Walgreens take EBT? It’s a frequently asked question, with 78% percent of Americans living within five miles of one of their stores. So, does Walgreens take EBT cards at their stores?

Walgreens accepts EBT cards as a payment method at some of their locations but not at others. Unfortunately, there is no online tool available to find out which of their stores take EBT, so you will need to call your local store to check whether they accept EBT or not.

Find a Walgreens That Accepts EBT Near You

To find a Walgreens location that takes EBT near you, search for your local location’s phone number using their Store Locator tool. Once you have their phone number, call and ask whether their store takes EBT or not.

Suppose you want to use an option that doesn’t involve calling the store. In that case, you use the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) SNAP Retailer Locator tool to find a list of all retailers, not only Walgreens, that accept EBT near you.

What are Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) Cards?

The Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card system makes it easy for you to pay for groceries and other food products at grocery stores, supermarkets, farmers markets, and other select retailers. It’s the modern form of ‘food stamps’ launched in June of 2004.

EBT is part of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which benefits millions of Americans each year. Eligibility depends on household income and family size. Assistance benefits are open to U.S. citizens and certain eligible non-citizens. Having a social security number speeds up the state approval application process.

SNAP is a successful program, with 84% of those eligible for benefits participating in the program. While there’s still work to be done to reach the other 16%, millions of American families benefit from the food security food stamps provide.

Does Walgreens Take Food Stamps?

Food-stamp recipients can use their food stamp benefits at participating Walgreens locations. Unfortunately, not all Walgreens locations accept EBT, so you’ll need to call ahead to check if your location is food stamps eligible. To find the phone number of the Walgreens store nearest to you, use their Store Locator Tool.

You will frequently hear EBT cards called food stamps, but they’re the same thing!

Does Walgreens Take SNAP?

Walgreens accepts SNAP benefits at some, but not all, of their stores. Call ahead to verify whether your store accepts SNAP EBT cards or not.

Did you know that EBT, SNAP, and food stamps are the same programs?

Tip: Most eligible stores will either have EBT/SNAP advertised as a payment option on their websites, store doors, or at the checkout register. If in doubt, you can call or ask customer service.

Does Walgreens Take EBT for Online Orders?

No, you can’t use your EBT card to pay for online orders at Walgreens.

Why? It’s because Walgreens doesn’t yet participate in the USDA’s Online Purchasing Pilot Program. This is a new pilot program that the USDA, which manages EBT/SNAP in partnership with the states, is currently trialing. As the pilot program expands, more stores and states will be invited to participate.

If you want to order groceries online with your EBT, we recommend using Amazon’s grocery delivery service. Besides offering fast, reliable service and good prices, EBT cardholders receive an extra 15% off!.

If you want to use Instacart for online grocery delivery, they also have EBT grocery delivery options in some states, but not through Walgreens.

What Can You Buy with EBT?

If your local Walgreens accepts EBT (not all stores do), you can buy eligible food items such as meats, fish, fruits, vegetables, cereal, snacks, bread, frozen meals, drinks, and desserts with your EBT card. Plus, if you’re already picking up prescription medication there, it can save you time and gas money.

These are the most frequently purchased items with EBT cards:

• Baby formula
• Bread and bakery items
• All types of cereals
• Coffee
• Dairy products, such as milk, yogurt, and cheese.
• Energy drinks that have nutrition facts labels
• Frozen dinners
• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Meats
• Seafood
• Poultry
• Protein bars, as long as it has a nutritional label on it.
• Seeds and plants that produce food, such as tomato plants or melon seeds

What Can’t You Buy with EBT?

You cannot purchase alcohol, tobacco products, nonfood items, and the following EBT ineligible products at retail stores that accept EBT:

• Prescriptions
• Diapers
• Medication
• Vitamins
• Supplements
• Beauty products, including cosmetics
• Healthcare Products
• Already prepared hot foods for on-premise or immediate consumption (cafeteria-type foods)
• Pet food
• Household supplies, including paper products
• Soaps
• Hygiene items
• Stamps
• Cigarettes
• Liquor, beer, wine, or other alcohol.

You can visit the USDA website or contact your state agency directly for a complete list of items you can and cannot buy with your EBT card. Walgreens adheres to all federal and state laws applicable to the federal food assistance program.

How Do Your Use EBT Card at a Participating Walgreens?

If your Walgreens accepts EBT cards, you only need to slide your EBT card into the credit card machine and enter your PIN number at checkout to buy the food you want. Your EBT card works just like a credit card for your Walgreens food purchases. That’s it!

Low EBT Balance?

If you don’t have enough money on your EBT card for the entire order, you can pay the rest with an alternative payment method. The cashier will first subtract the balance on your EBT card from the total order cost. Then, you will pay the difference with one of the other Walgreens accepted payment methods.

What other forms of payment does Walgreens accept?

• Cash
• Check
• Gift card
• Debit cards
• Visa
• MasterCard
• Discover Card
• American Express
• CareCredit
• Apple Pay
• Google Pay

For online orders, Walgreens also accepts PayPal and PayPal Credit.

Tip: You can check your EBT balance by calling the number on the back of your card or using your state’s SNAP benefits website.

Can a Family Member Use My EBT Card?

Yes, you can give your EBT card to a member of your household to buy groceries for you. Don’t worry; it’s a common situation! It’s perfectly legal to have a family member or a caregiver shop on your behalf.

TANF Cash Assistance Options

If you have TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) cash benefits on your EBT card, the cashback limit at Walgreens is $20.

If needed, you can use the cash from your card to purchase other items that are ineligible with the regular EBT card, such as prepared hot food, clothing, transportation, and more!

Does Walgreens Accept WIC?

If you are eligible for the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program, you may be wondering, does Walgreens take WIC?

Walgreens accepts WIC at some, but not all, of their locations. To find out if your Walgreens location takes WIC, you will need to call ahead or use the WIC store locator tool.

What Does WIC Cover?

It’s essential to understand what you can and cannot purchase with WIC benefits as it’s a bit more complicated than EBT. We suggest that you review the USDA’s in-depth, helpful site explaining what foods you can purchase with WIC, but we also have a brief list of WIC approved items below:

WIC Approved Foods

• Baby Formula
• Baby Food
• Cereals
• Eggs
• Fruits and vegetables (frozen, fresh, dried, or canned)
• Milk
• Oatmeal
• Peanut butter
• Yogurt
• Whole wheat bread
• Whole wheat pasta

Ineligible Items With WIC

• Sodas
• Beverages that are not 100% juice
• Imported cheese
• Cheese spreads
• Yogurts with candy
• Soups
• fruit-nut mixtures

Final Thoughts

Walgreens is a convenient one-stop store for prescription medicine, beauty supplies, healthcare products, photos, groceries, and more.

While not all Walgreens accept EBT cards or WIC, many locations do, so call ahead and ask if your local Walgreens accepts EBT.