EBT Retailer Application: Form FNS-252, Review, and Approval

To accept SNAP benefits at your store, you file an EBT retailer application (Form FNS-252) with the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service through its online portal. There is no fee, your store must meet one of two staple-food stocking standards, and FNS has up to 45 days to decide after receiving a complete application.

Does Your Store Qualify

Federal rules give you two independent paths. You only need to satisfy one.

Criterion A: Stocking Variety

Under the standard currently enforced, your store must carry at least three different varieties of food in each of four staple food categories: meat, poultry, or fish; bread or cereals; vegetables or fruits; and dairy products. You need at least three stocking units on the shelf for each variety, and at least two of the four categories must include perishable items.¹ Canned tuna, frozen chicken, and dried beans would give you three varieties in the meat category, but none of them is perishable in that category. Fresh chicken would fix that.

One caution before you plan your inventory. The regulation codified in 7 CFR 278.1 actually requires seven varieties per category with perishables in three categories, but appropriations riders have blocked enforcement of that higher standard since 2017. USDA published a proposed rule in September 2025 to implement the seven-variety threshold.¹ If you’re applying now, check whether the new rule has taken effect, because it could significantly raise the bar for smaller stores.

Criterion B: Sales Volume

If you can’t hit the variety threshold, you can qualify by showing that more than 50 percent of your total gross retail sales come from staple foods. “Total gross retail sales” means everything your store brings in: food, non-food merchandise, and services like rental fees or processing charges. A fee tied directly to processing staple foods, such as butchering raw meat, can count toward your staple food sales.² This path suits a small neighborhood market that carries limited selection but rings up mostly groceries.

What to Gather Before You Apply

The application is Form FNS-252, available on the USDA Food and Nutrition Service website.³ Pull everything together before you start. An incomplete submission stalls the 45-day clock until you supply the missing pieces.

Social Security numbers or Employer Identification Numbers for every owner, partner, corporate officer, and shareholder.³
Your store’s classification (supermarket, convenience store, specialty food store, etc.), which shapes how FNS evaluates your inventory.
Projected or actual gross sales, broken down enough for FNS to assess Criterion A or B.
Regular operating hours.
A business license proving your store is legally authorized to operate.
A list of any other stores owned by the people on the application, plus disclosure of whether anyone involved has been sanctioned for SNAP violations before.

That last question carries real weight. Submitting false information on the application, especially about prior sanctions, can result in permanent disqualification from the program.⁴

How to File Form FNS-252

The online route is faster and the one FNS prefers. Before you can reach the application portal, you’ll need a Login.gov account, which is the federal government’s shared identity verification system.⁵ Older guides may still mention “USDA eAuthentication,” but that system has been replaced. Once you’re in, you’ll complete Form FNS-252 and upload your supporting documents, with a confirmation screen for one last review before final submission.

If you’d rather use paper, you can mail a completed application package to the FNS regional field office that covers your store’s location. Regional addresses are on the USDA website. Either way, the application and the SNAP license are free.

The 45-Day Review and Store Inspection

FNS has up to 45 days from receiving a complete application to make a decision.³ During that window an inspector may walk in unannounced to verify that your shelves actually meet the stocking requirements. The visit looks at what’s on display right then, not what your inventory looked like last week. An empty dairy case at the moment of inspection is a problem.

FNS will send its decision by mail or through the online portal. If reviewers need more information, the 45-day clock pauses until you respond, so answer any request quickly.

After You’re Approved

EBT Equipment

You’ll need a point-of-sale terminal that can process EBT transactions. Most retailers pay for their own EBT equipment and services, either through a state processor or a third-party provider.⁶ Costs typically cover an equipment lease, per-transaction processing fees, and monthly service charges. Get quotes from more than one provider, because fee structures vary widely — some bundle everything into a flat monthly rate, others charge per transaction.⁷

A short list of retailer categories receives free state-supplied terminals: farmers’ markets, direct-marketing farmers, military commissaries, nonprofit food buying cooperatives, and community meal service programs.⁶

Signage

Every SNAP-authorized store must display the “Report Abuse of Benefits” poster, which warns that buying or selling SNAP benefits is a federal crime and lists contacts for reporting fraud.⁸ Optional “We Welcome SNAP EBT Customers” posters and decals are also available from FNS.

Training and Liability

As the authorized retailer, you’re legally responsible for every SNAP transaction in your store, including those handled by employees and unpaid workers.⁸ FNS provides a 20-page training guide and video series covering eligible items, transaction procedures, and signs of trafficking. You agree to meet training expectations when you submit the application. Cashier confusion at the register is one of the more common ways a new retailer stumbles into violations, which carry penalties ranging from six-month disqualifications up to a permanent ban for trafficking or falsified applications.⁴

Reauthorization and Ownership Changes

SNAP retailers go through reauthorization roughly every five years, and it may include another store inspection to confirm you still meet stocking requirements. You’ll get notice ahead of that period, but letting your inventory drift can cause trouble if FNS conducts an interim review.

Permits don’t transfer. If you sell the store, the new owner can’t use your authorization and must file a fresh application.⁹ Report any ownership change to FNS by calling 1-877-823-4369 or emailing RPMDHQ-Web@usda.gov. There’s no published deadline, but reporting immediately keeps the transition clean.

If Your Application Is Denied

You have 10 days from the date you receive the decision letter to request administrative review.¹⁰ That’s 10 calendar days, not business days, though if the deadline falls on a weekend or federal holiday it moves to the next business day. The filing date is the postmark date, so a request mailed on day 10 still counts.

The most common reason for denial is a failed stocking inspection: the store simply didn’t have enough qualifying food on the shelves when the inspector visited. In that case you can fix the inventory and reapply. Denials tied to ownership disqualification or false application information leave less room to maneuver, and the 10-day appeal window is where you preserve your options.

1
Federal Register. Updated Staple Food Stocking Standards for Retailers in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
2
eCFR. 7 CFR 278.1 – Approval of Retail Food Stores and Wholesale Food Concerns
3
Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Retailer Service Center
4
eCFR. 7 CFR 278.6 – Disqualification of Retail Food Stores and Wholesale Food Concerns
5
Food and Nutrition Service. How Do I Apply to Accept SNAP Benefits
6
Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP EBT Factsheet for New Retailers
7
Food and Nutrition Service. Guidance for Selecting a TPP for Paid SNAP EBT Equipment and Services
8
Food and Nutrition Service. Retailer Training Materials
9
Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Retailer Notice – Permits
10
eCFR. 7 CFR Part 279 – Administrative and Judicial Review