Are you wondering whether Shell take EBT card as means of payment? Well, the simple truth is YES. Shell Station Accept EBT/SNAP. But you are only allowed to buy food in the convenience store and not gasoline or other non-food products.
Does Shell Station Accept EBT?
It has been confirmed that Shell accepts EBT in its gas station convenience stores by the customer service representatives in Illinois, Pennsylvania, Washington, and Wisconsin. Also, you can as well use the USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) store locator tool to check and see if this information is true.
Note that as Shell may provide gas at these locations, their connected convenience stores may not be operated by Shell, and may or may not have applied for SNAP program approval.
EBT-Eligible Items – What Can I Buy With EBT Card
Over the years, SNAP benefits are delivered electronically via Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards, similar to debit cards. More than 42 million Americans receive benefits on their EBT card to buy food through the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP program.
READ ALSO: How To Get Emergency Food Stamps/SNAP
This is designed to help low-income families and individuals get good adequate nutrition. Not all types of food and food items are eligible for SNAP purchases. With your SNAP EBT card, you can buy non-prepared food items from any brand. This include
- Bread
- Cereal
- Dairy products
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Cold beverages
- Snacks
- Meat Poultry, and Fish.
Furthermore, according to USDA SNAP benefits recipients cannot use their EBT card to purchase
- Fuel
- Beer, Wine, Liquor
- Tobacco and Cigarettes
- Vitamins, Medicines, and Supplements
- Live Animals (except shellfish, fish removed from the water, animals slaughtered before store pick-up)
- Hot Foods
- Prepared food ready to eat
- Non-food items (i.e. pet food, cosmetics, food for pets, etc.)
- Household cleaning supplies.
Also, any prepared or hot foods that are to be eaten on-premises, such as at restaurants, fast food places, and in-store cafes, are not eligible for purchase with an EBT card. You can check out this article for the full list of what you can and cannot buy with EBT.
Should in case you need to buy any EBT-ineligible items at Shell, first, you have to pay for the eligible items with your EBT card. Then you can pay for the rest of your order with any of Shell’s acceptable payment methods such as cash, credit, debit, or gift cards.
Note that it’s not only Shell station that take EBT card, so you can check out other SNAP-approved gas stations that accept EBT card here.
