How to Accept EBT and SNAP at Your Store: A Step-by-Step Guide
Getting authorized opens your doors to millions of shoppers who pay with SNAP benefits. Here is exactly how to get your FNS number, what equipment you need, and the rules that keep you compliant.
To accept EBT and SNAP you apply to the USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) for a SNAP retailer authorization. Once approved you receive an FNS number and set up an EBT-capable terminal or POS. Your store must stock qualifying staple foods, you cannot charge a fee on SNAP purchases, and SNAP covers eligible groceries only, not hot food, alcohol, tobacco, or non-food items.
For grocery stores, halal markets, and convenience stores, accepting SNAP is not just a compliance box. It opens the door to a large base of regular shoppers and steady, predictable sales. Yet many eligible retailers never apply, because the process looks bureaucratic and the rules are unclear.
This guide walks the whole path: who can accept SNAP, how to get authorized by the USDA, what equipment you need, what SNAP does and does not cover, and how to combine EBT with your regular card processing so everything runs on one system.
The path to accepting EBT
What EBT and SNAP are
EBT stands for Electronic Benefit Transfer, the system that delivers government assistance onto a payment card. SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, is the largest benefit carried on that card. When a customer pays with SNAP, they enter a PIN and the eligible food total is deducted from their benefit balance.
For a retailer, the mechanics feel similar to a debit transaction, but the rules around eligibility, covered items, and fees are set by the USDA, not the card networks. That is the key difference to understand before you apply.
SNAP is federal and administered by the USDA Food and Nutrition Service. Your authorization to accept it comes from the USDA, separately from your merchant account for credit and debit. You need both to run a full grocery checkout.
Who can accept SNAP
Not every business qualifies. The USDA authorizes retailers that sell food for home preparation and meet staple-food stocking requirements. In general terms, you need to carry qualifying items across the staple food categories, or derive a substantial share of sales from staple foods.
| Business type | Typically eligible? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Grocery & supermarkets | Yes | Core SNAP retailers |
| Halal & ethnic markets | Yes | Strong fit, staple foods stocked |
| Convenience stores & c-stores | Often | Must meet staple-food stocking rules |
| Gas stations with a store | Sometimes | Depends on grocery selection |
| Butchers & produce shops | Usually | If selling staple foods for home use |
| Restaurants & hot food only | Rarely | Hot prepared food is not SNAP eligible in most cases |
If you run a grocery-style market or convenience store, our c-store and gas station page covers the full payment setup.
Criterion A, Criterion B, and the 2026 change
The USDA authorizes a store under one of two pathways. Knowing which one fits you tells you exactly what to stock before you apply.
Criterion A: what you stock
You carry staple foods across all four categories on a continuous basis. This is the path most grocery and convenience stores take.
Criterion B: what you sell
More than half of your gross retail sales come from staple foods. This suits specialty stores like butchers and produce stands that cannot stock all four categories.
The four staple food categories are vegetables or fruits; meat, poultry or fish; dairy; and breads or cereals. Hot or prepared foods, and accessory foods like snacks and desserts, do not count toward stocking.
Under the current Criterion A, a store needs at least 36 staple items, three varieties and three units in each of the four categories, with perishables in at least two. A USDA final rule published in May 2026 raises this: from November 4, 2026 a store must carry seven varieties in each category, at least 84 stocking units, with perishables in three of the four categories. New applicants and stores changing location are already assessed against the higher standard. Some items, including butter, jerky, cheese dip, snack bars, and fruit spreads, no longer count as staples for stocking, though customers can still buy them with SNAP.
If your store cannot keep the required stock on the shelf continuously, it can lose authorization, so build the assortment before you apply. There is also a Need for Access provision for stores in areas where SNAP shoppers have very limited food options, even if they do not meet Criterion A or B.
How to get FNS authorized, step by step
Equipment you need
EBT runs as a PIN transaction, so your hardware has to support it. The good news is that modern terminals handle EBT, credit, and debit together.
EBT-capable terminal
A countertop or handheld terminal that processes EBT PIN transactions, loaded with your FNS number.
Grocery POS
A point of sale that separates eligible food from non-eligible items automatically, so SNAP only pays for what it covers.
Scale & scanner integration
For produce, meat, and packaged goods, so weighed and scanned items ring up correctly against benefits.
One combined statement
EBT, credit, and debit on a single account and report, instead of juggling separate systems.
What SNAP covers and does not cover
The eligible-items rules are strict, and your POS should enforce them automatically so staff do not have to decide at the register.
✓ SNAP covers
- Fruits and vegetables.
- Meat, poultry, and fish.
- Dairy products.
- Bread, cereals, and grains.
- Snack foods and non-alcoholic drinks.
- Seeds and plants that produce food.
✗ SNAP does not cover
- Hot or prepared foods meant to eat in store.
- Alcohol and tobacco.
- Vitamins, supplements, and medicines.
- Cleaning products, paper goods, and pet food.
- Cosmetics and hygiene items.
- Any non-food item.
Ringing ineligible items to SNAP, even by accident, is a serious violation that can cost your authorization. A POS that separates eligible food automatically is the simplest protection, and it speeds up your lines.
The rules that keep you compliant
- No fees on SNAP. You cannot surcharge or charge a fee on an EBT SNAP transaction.
- No minimum purchase. SNAP customers cannot be required to spend a minimum amount.
- Equal treatment. SNAP must be accepted the same way as other payment methods, with no different line or restriction.
- Eligible items only. Benefits pay only for qualifying food. Everything else is paid by another method.
- No cash back on SNAP. SNAP food benefits cannot be exchanged for cash, unlike some cash-assistance balances on the same card.
Note that any cash discount or surcharge program you run applies to your card sales, never to SNAP. If you are weighing a cash discount setup for the card side of your business, see our guide on cash discount vs surcharge vs dual pricing.
Can you accept SNAP online?
SNAP online purchasing has expanded well beyond its early pilot, and authorized retailers in participating states can now let customers pay with SNAP for eligible groceries on a website or app, usually for pickup or delivery. It requires additional USDA approval and a payment setup that keeps SNAP-eligible items separate from everything else, but for grocers building an online or delivery side, it is worth exploring. Ask your payments provider how EBT online fits alongside your card checkout.
Your ongoing responsibilities as a SNAP retailer
Authorization is not one and done. To keep it, you have to operate within the rules every day.
- Keep the required stock on the shelf. If staple items run out, you can lose authorization, in some cases for six months before you can reapply.
- Ring only eligible items to SNAP. Charging ineligible goods to benefits, even by mistake, is a serious violation.
- Never exchange benefits for cash. Trafficking SNAP benefits is federal fraud and ends your authorization, with penalties.
- Keep clean records. Retain invoices and transaction records so your eligibility and redemptions can be verified.
- Reauthorize on schedule. SNAP authorization is renewed periodically, so keep your store details current with the USDA.
Combining EBT with card processing
Running EBT on one device and cards on another is slow and error prone. The better setup accepts EBT, credit, and debit on a single terminal and statement. That means one reconciliation, one support line, and faster checkout.
For grocery and convenience owners, the ideal partner understands both the USDA side and the card side, including grocery interchange, which is often favourable. To understand what you pay on the card portion, read how credit card processing fees work, and see the full convenience setup on our c-store and gas station page.
Accept EBT, SNAP, and cards on one simple system.
Expedio sets up grocery, halal market, and c-store owners with EBT-capable terminals, transparent card pricing, and support in English, Spanish, and Urdu. One account, one statement, one support line.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get authorized to accept EBT and SNAP?
What does SNAP cover and not cover?
Do I need special equipment to accept EBT?
Can I charge a fee for EBT transactions?
How long does FNS authorization take?
What is the difference between EBT and a debit card?
Can I accept EBT and credit cards on one account?
Can convenience stores accept SNAP?
How many staple foods must my store stock?
Can I accept SNAP for online orders?
This article is for general information only and is not legal or program-specific advice. SNAP eligibility, application steps, staple-food requirements, and covered-item rules are set by the USDA Food and Nutrition Service and change over time. Confirm current requirements with the USDA before applying, and verify equipment needs with your payments provider.