Food Lion accepts EBT cards at authorized store locations. Customers can use EBT to purchase nutritious groceries, including fruit, vegetables, meat, cereal, whole wheat bread, grains, canned fish, juice, and milk at Food Lion.
However, Food Lion takes food stamps at any of their store locations but not online. Keep reading if you'd like to know more about the food items you can buy from Food Lion with your EBT card.
Food Stamp Benefits
EBT cards are a form of government assistance that has been around since the early 2000s. They’ve had many different names, and they were a part of the supplemental nutrition assistance program.
The federal government provides food benefits through these.
1. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program/SNAP Benefits
SNAP is just the upgraded version of food stamps. Instead of physically carrying them around, people can now have their food stamps accepted using an EBT card.
2. Temporary Assistance For Needy Families/TANF Benefits
TANF is another use of EBT cards. The federal government allows flexible use of an EBT card for needy families so they can purchase essential household items in addition to food.
Plus, with TANF, you could withdraw money from an ATM, like you usually would, with visa cards or debit cards. Now you can use this cash to make additional purchases similar to Food Lion cash cards.
Shopping at Food Lion with EBT
If you haven’t shopped at Food Lion yet, you probably don’t own its membership card. If you’re among the non-members, you won’t be able to enter the Food Lion warehouses.
You’ll have to purchase a Food Lion membership first. Making purchases in person is only possible for Food Lion members.
You can shop at Food Lion, but only if you’re with a member or you have someone else’s membership card.
Food Lion’s Policy on EBT
Food Lion has many store locations in the United States that allow their customers to use EBT benefits. Most of these stores use WIC labels to assist you in differentiating the items you can shop with your EBT card from the ones you can't buy with the same card.
An alternate payment method must be used for items that do not fall under the SNAP program. Items bought with an EBT card can be returned within the standard 90-day return policy of Food Lion.
However, you won’t be given cash refunds for your return of EBT items as it is against federal law.
Food Lion may credit your EBT card in cases of product return, give you store benefits, gift card, or an identical item.
Does Food Lion accept food stamps and EBT cards?
Food Lion has around 1900+ store locations though out US. It accepts SNAP EBT cards at every one of their 1,900+ stores in every states.
Is Food Lion an Approved WIC Retailer?
WIC is available in all 50 States, 34 Indian Tribal Organizations, America Samoa, the District of Columbia, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
Each State is responsible for authorizing stores to accept WIC checks. At a minimum, the State will consider the prices of foods, the business integrity of the store’s owner including if the owner has been disqualified from the SNAP, and the variety and quantity of foods available in the store.
Nearly 46,000 stores are currently authorized to accept WIC checks.It depends on your specific city and state as to whether Costco is a WIC approved retailer.
Other Grocery Stores that Accept EBT
Please checkout each store below to see what you can and can't buy with your SNAP benefits using EBT Card
Grocery Stores
Pharmacy
Dollar Stores
Items you can buy with food stamps at Food Lion?
EBT cards typically cover the cost of essential groceries that have nutritious value. Here is a list of EBT eligible items available on EBT food packages at Food Lion:
- Breakfast cereal
- Meats and poultry
- Milk
- Fruit and vegetables
- Pasta, rice, and tortillas
- Yogurt
- Cheese
- Canned legumes and fish
- Whole wheat bread and other whole grains
- Juice (shelf-stable, non-carbonated)
- Tofu and soy products
- Peanut butter
Things you can't buy at Food Lion with Food Stamp
Some restrictions are placed on the items you can buy using your EBT card. Some of the products that are prohibited include:
- Beer, wine, liquor, cigarettes, or tobacco
- Vitamins, medicines, and supplements.
- Live animals (except shellfish, fish and animals).
- Foods that are hot when sold.
- Cleaning supplies
- Paper products
- Pet foods
- Hygiene items
- Cosmetics
Using EBT Card for Unapproved Food Items
If you’ve somehow managed to make an unapproved food purchase, there are still consequences. The government won’t let you off the hook.
Here’s all that could happen if you find yourself in this situation.
- A 3-month ban for the first unapproved purchase
- A 1-year ban for the second unapproved purchase
- A 2-year ban for the third unapproved purchase
How Do I Buy Items From Both Lists?
If your purchase includes approved and non-approved EBT items it’s totally doable but you need to be organized.
I suggest separating items in your cart and making 2 separate purchases.
How do you use EBT at Food Lion?
Follow these steps to use your EBT card to pay at Food Lion!
1. When you reach an operated register, you must first separate your EBT eligible products from regular items whenever you are loading the checkout.
2. When you want to pay for your purchases, your cashier usually rings up your food items.
3. You must then swipe or insert your card at the point-of-sale (POS) and enter your PIN.
4. You need to inform your cashier of the specific account, either SNAP or Cash, from which to charge your order.
5. You can re-enter your PIN on the POS keypad to confirm if the charges are correct.
6. Often, a supervisor or manager will require you to provide photo identification to verify that the EBT you want to pay with is under your name.
7. The purchase total will then be deducted from your SNAP or Cash account as per your directions.
It is always essential to keep your receipt during your shopping, and it will help prevent mischarges and show you the latest balance on your EBT card.
Can you use your food stamps for online purchases at Food Lion?
You cannot use EBT cards to pay for any goods online at Food Lion. In addition to that, you cannot use EBT at Food Lion to pay for grocery delivery or curbside pickup. Food Lion only lets you use your EBT cards to purchase items in-store.
Do Cashiers Know When You Use EBT?
At most grocery stores cashiers would know when you use an EBT card to pay for your groceries because you have to tell the machine what type of card you’re using.
Especially in larger stores, scanners note which items are eligible for payment with an EBT card.
When you use your EBT card to pay for your order at self-checkout, your card looks like any other ATM card, and it won’t be noticeable that you’re paying with SNAP benefits.
Meanwhile, if you’re paying with an EBT card at a smaller store or a local grocery store, you’ll need to tell your cashier that you’re paying with EBT before swiping the card.
Is the Return Policy Different for EBT Purchases?
No, By Law store will have to honor same return policy that exists on regular purchases to all EBT purchases. This policy even extends to food and grocery items.
So if you’re not completely satisfied with an item, you can bring it back to Costco at ANY time for a full refund or exchange.
FAQs
1. Does Food Lion accept EBT cards?
There are many Food Lion stores in the US. These stores allow customers to purchase food products and other items using their SNAP EBT cards.
The SNAP retail locator can help you identify nearby grocery stores that will accept EBT cards. Fill in your address or zip code or tap on the map for details and directions to authorized retailers in that location.
EBT cards such as WIC are not used for online shopping at Food Lion.
2. Does Food Lion currently allows customers to use EBT cards during self-checkout?
Yes, it does! Customers can use their EBT cards on the self-checkouts at Food Lion. It can be much easier than going to a regular checkout because the computer will automatically apply the EBT discount on the eligible items as scanned for each food item.
This implies that you don't need to separate the eligible items from the rest of your shopping.
3. Can I Buy Gas with my EBT Card?
No, But you can make an ATM withdrawal with your EBT card and take cash out of your “Cash Account” and use that to buy gas.
Be sure you understand the cash withdrawal limits on your EBT account before doing this as it might not be worth the savings.
4. Can I Use My EBT Card for Grocery Delivery?
No, you can't use your EBT card to make your grocery delivery order.
Conclusion
Food Lion’s authorized stores currently allows customers to use their EBT cards to purchase groceries using EBT cards. WIC also approves formula and infant specialist items.
You will need to confirm which Food Lion store can serve you with your EBT cards for in-store purchases only. You cannot pay for goods online or fund deliveries.
Remember that Alcohol, pharmaceuticals, and cigarettes are prohibited at Food Lion. Happy shopping!