The Electronic Benefits Transfer System, better known as EBT, is the payment system developed by the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or as it is known, SNAP, to help U.S. citizens who find it economically challenging to purchase food and groceries.
EBT cards are accepted at all Walmart physical stores, and even for purchases on an online platform, either through the website or the app. However, sometimes the website tells you that you can’t pay with EBT, why? We’ll explain all about it. Just read.
Does EBT work with online Walmart?
The retail chain Walmart accepts payment with both the EBT food card and EBT cash to make purchases on online platforms. However, this function is not available for all states in the country, although purchases are possible in 44 of them. States that have yet to incorporate these transactions are Alaska, Arkansas, Hawaii, Louisiana, Manie, and Montana.
How to register my EBT card for online shopping?
To use the EBT card for online shopping, you must first register it as a debit or credit card on your personal account. First, go to the Walmart website and log in to your Walmart account. If you do not have an account, you will need to create one.
When you are in the account look for the “Select Payment Methods” option, there you will see a list of available payment methods, just below the debit and credit cards, there will be the “add EBT card” option, click on it and you will be prompted to enter the card details. Then click on “save card”.
Once the EBT card is added, you will be able to use it as if you were paying with a debit or credit card.
What cannot I Buy with EBT At Walmart?
There are some products that are not available for payment with EBT, either in stores or online. These products are prohibited directly by the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program as an agreement, not by Walmart as a company.
Among the products denied by SNAP are:
- Alcoholic beverages such as beer, wine, and others
- Nicotine-containing products such as cigarettes or tobacco
- Food for dogs and other animals
- Prepared foods sold in stores for immediate consumption
- Vitamins
Other products that are not food and also cannot be paid for under the EBT system are hygiene items such as soaps and disinfectants, stationery products, and household items such as kitchen utensils, household appliances, and other household products.
Why does the Walmart app not accept EBT cash?
If you are shopping on the Walmart+ website or app and you don’t see EBT as an option in the payment methods, there could be several things going on.
Check your Items
The first is that there’s a chance some of the items are not approved by the SNAP agreement and cannot be paid with EBT. We advise you to check your shopping list to verify that all items are within SNAP’s allowable EBT payment methods.
Check EBT your expiration date
Another option is that the linked card is expired and therefore not active for use. EBT cards must be renewed from time to time. We recommend that you check and be aware of the expiration date of your EBT card so that you are always up-to-date and able to use it.
Activate your EBT correctly
It is also possible that your card is not correctly linked to the platform. This happens when you do not activate the EBT card that SNAP sends you by mail. Since it is not activated, even if you add it to Walmart’s system, it will not read the information because the card “does not exist”.
SNAP should send instructions on how to activate your card, we recommend you read them carefully and make sure you activate your card correctly. If you have any doubts, you can contact SNAP customer service, and they will help you activate your card.
Check your WiFi Connection
If the EBT option does not appear and all of the above options do not apply, it is also possible that the Walmart server is having some problems or that the customer is having connectivity problems due to the internet.
Restarting the router may be an option. As well as uninstalling and installing the Walmart application to rule out that the problem is not coming from the Walmart service itself.
For years I have studied American finance regulations. All the information in this blog is sourced from official or contrasted sources from reliable sites.
Salesforce Certified SALES & SERVICE Cloud Consultant in February 2020, Salesforce Certified Administrator (ADM-201), and Master degree in “Business Analytics & Big Data Strategy” with more than 13 years of experience in IT consulting.