For many government assistance programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards have become a “thing” now.
However, a store’s decision to accept them is mainly based on their eligibility. One of the most frequent questions we receive is about the 7-Eleven stores.
Are you wondering how to use an EBT card at the nearest 7-Eleven retailer? Or what are their other payment options? And what can you buy/ not buy with your EBT card at 7-Eleven?
Well, don’t rush. Please read our article to the end to get all your relevant answers.
Does 7-Eleven Take EBT? (2023)
7-Eleven is a famous American convenience store chain with around 9500 stores all over the United States renowned for providing round-the-clock service and a large selection of goods, such as drinks, snacks, and prepared meals.
Since 7-11 stores operate in a chain, it is safe to say that all their stores accept EBT cards. However, it is essential to know that you can only buy certain foods and drink items with your benefits card.
What Can You Buy At 7/11 With An EBT Card?
In simple words,
If your EBT card comes from SNAP, you are unfortunately limited to buying unprepared food & drink items that are for home consumption only. You cannot buy non-food items with your SNAP EBT.
Here is what you can buy with SNAP EBT:
- Pre-packaged snacks
- Fruits & Vegetables
- Milk, Yogurt, Cheese
- Tortillas
- Pasta
- Rice
- Cereals
- 7-Eleven Slurpees
- Juice
- Bread
- Meat and Poultry
- Sodas
- Fish
- Ice-cream
- Spreads (chocolate & peanut butter)
Secondly, if your EBT card comes from TANF you can buy certain non-food items in addition to food items too. Such as clothes, household & cleaning essentials and other necessary things.
Now let’s look into how you can use an EBT at 7-Eleven.
How To Use EBT At 7-Eleven?
Follow these simple steps to use EBT at your local 7-11 store.
Choose eligible items: Make sure the items you pick fall in the eligible criteria of your EBT card.
Talk to the Cashier about EBT: It’s best to inform the cashier beforehand that you will be using EBT for payment.
Use cash: If you pick things that are not eligible for EBT, pay by cash for them.
Swipe the EBT card: Like any other debit card, you can simply swipe your EBT card through the transaction machine.
And that’s it. Super easy.
Can You Buy Nachos At 7-Eleven With EBT?
Your EBT card’s eligibility doesn’t allow you to buy beer, medicines or prepared hot food. So yeah, No nachos for you.
Does 7-Eleven Take EBT In California?
Yes, the 7-Eleven store chain is wholly owned by Seven & i Holdings Co. Ltd and they have a policy for accepting SNAP/TANF EBT in all their stores throughout the US.
Other Payment Options At 7 11
In addition to SNAP/EBT cards, 7-Eleven also accepts the following as it’s payment methods:
- Major credit/debit cards
- Discover
- American express
- Visa
- Master card
- Fleet Universal Card (7-Eleven’s own debit card)
- Apple Pay
- Samsung Pay
- Gift Cards
- Google Pay
- Cash
Conclusion
7-Eleven stores are low-income-households-friendly.
They accept EBT for payment. Swipe the card like any other debit card for the transaction process.
Remember that you cannot buy everything with your EBT cards, like hot meals that can be eaten at the store. Furthermore, you cannot use your food stamps to purchase non-food goods at 7-Eleven.
You can use other available payment options too. Thank you for reading.
Have further queries? Let us know in the comments below.
