Does Dollar General Accept Food Stamps?

We get the question "Does Dollar General accept food stamps" and here's what you need to know!

Does Dollar General Accept Food Stamps in 2023?

Yes, Dollar General Does Accept Food Stamps in 2023.

You can use your EBT card to pay for items at Dollar General with your SNAP benefits.

Dollar General sells many food items that are covered by the food stamps program, and they have really good prices, and they accept payments via EBT, which makes this a great place to buy all sorts of essential items for the home.

Dollar General is a very convenient chain of dollar stores that sell a lot of different things for around the house.

Some of these things are covered by the SNAP program, so you can use EBT or “food stamps” to purchase them.

There aren’t physical stamps anymore, as all states have phased that out in favor of the EBT card, which allows people to make purchases at various stores, for certain types of food items, using a card that’s just like a debit card.

These benefits are very helpful to people who need a hand in purchasing necessities like food for their home.

How To Use EBT At Dollar General

When you’re shopping at Dollar General and paying using food stamps through your EBT card, do all of your shopping as normal, and then when you get to the checkout and it’s time to pay, simply scan your card and enter your pin.

It’s just like paying with a credit card or a debit card, the only difference is that only certain items are eligible to be purchased using SNAP benefits, so make sure that you’re only charging those types of items to your EBT card otherwise you risk being removed from the program and losing your benefits.

Here’s some more information about the types of items that are covered at Dollar General, and some of the ones that aren’t.

What Can You Buy With Food Stamps at Dollar General?

The list of items that you can and cannot purchase at Dollar General using SNAP benefits are the same as any other store.

There are certain items at Dollar General that you’ll be able to buy with food stamps, and plenty of other items that aren’t covered by these benefits.

It’s your responsibility to know what items you can buy using EBT.

Those items include fruit and vegetables, meat, poultry, fish, dairy products, breads and cereals, snacks and other foods, and seeds to grow food with.

That covers many different food items, even though all of those categories aren’t necessarily sold at Dollar General.

Here are the types of things that you can’t purchase with your EBT at Dollar General.

This includes items like pet food, hot foods, tobacco and alcohol, vitamins and supplements, anything else that isn’t food.

Does Dollar General Accept Food Stamps For Online Orders? 

If you’re ordering from Dollar General’s website, you won’t be able to use EBT/food stamps to make your payment because this isn’t one of their accepted payment methods on their website.

As discussed above, you can use these benefits in-store, but their website is different, so just keep that in mind.

Some retailers are expanding the payment methods that they accept for online orders, so it’s possible to see better payment options for online orders for people who are using SNAP at some point, but today, options are still limited.

It’s possible some Dollar General stores will even accommodate this by the time you’re reading this, as things can change very quickly in the payment space, but at the time of publishing, it’s not listed as a payment option on their website for online orders.

Should You Use EBT At Dollar General?

If you’re on this program, then Dollar General is a good place to use your benefits because you’ll get a lot of value for the money.

If you’re buying everything from expensive stores like Whole Foods, you’ll end up with a lot less food to feed you and your family, compared to getting more affordable items from Dollar General instead.

A store that has most or everything you need, and that has good prices, is an optimal way to get the convenience of not having to run around to multiple stores, while still getting good prices on everything.

On top of the low prices that you would normally expect at a dollar store, there are some additional ways to save at Dollar General, too.

Saving Money at Dollar General

Dollar General is already an affordable store to shop at, but there are some additional steps that you can take, as a savvy consumer, to save even more money when you’re shopping at Dollar General.

You can start by looking for items that are on sale or clearance.

Even if these items aren’t covered by SNAP, if there’s a sale on something you’re always going to need, like soap or toilet paper or food items, then buying it when it’s on sale will save you some cash.

Also, there’s a Dollar General app that has coupons built into it. If you use these for things that you were already going to buy, you’ll save money.

If the coupons tempt you into buying things you weren’t already going to buy, then it’s doing the opposite of saving you money, though!

Conclusion

If you want to purchase food items at Dollar General using your SNAP benefits, you can simply swipe your EBT card when you’re paying for your grocery items.

Make sure that everything you’re charging to your EBT card is actually covered under the program, it’s your responsibility to use your benefits correctly, and failure to do so carries negative consequences. Just make sure you’re only using it for food, and the types of foods that are covered.

The various  forms of food stamps programs around the country can be hugely beneficial to folks who need a little help, and nobody should have to go without the essentials.

When stores like Dollar General accept payments via EBT, it gives consumers more options on where to shop, and that’s a good thing!