Secret Food Stamps Loophole to Get Your Starbucks Fix with EBT
Written by
Vance Cariaga
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Despite what you might have heard, it’s not really true that there’s a Starbucks on every street corner, but enough are around that you shouldn’t have any problem finding one in most American cities. If you walk into a Starbucks located in a grocery store or similar retailer, you might even be able to make purchases using your Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) EBT card.
Although SNAP electronic benefits transfer card payments are not an accepted payment method at any of Starbucks’ corporate-operated stores, they are accepted at certain retailers that house Starbucks locations, according to the Frugal Reality website. It cited retailers such as Target, Safeway, Fred Meyer and others that accept SNAP EBT payments, formerly known as food stamps.
In these stores, you can usually use your EBT card to purchase SNAP-eligible items, though that might not always be the case. It’s a good idea to call ahead and find out the SNAP policy at your local grocery-based Starbucks location before heading out.
There are also restrictions on the types of items you can buy with your EBT card, based on USDA guidelines on what is acceptable. For example, the USDA website says you can’t use SNAP benefits to buy foods that are hot at the point of sale. This means you can’t buy hot beverages or hot food at participating Starbucks locations.
However, you can buy cold beverages such as Frappuccino and non-heated food items such as pumpkin bread.
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