Electronic Benefits Transfer: SNAP, TANF, and How the Card Works

Electronic Benefits Transfer, or EBT, is the system state agencies use to load monthly government assistance onto a plastic card that you swipe or insert at checkout like a debit card. Two programs move through it: the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for food, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) for cash. Once you’re approved by your state, benefits are deposited on a schedule, you spend them with a four-digit PIN, and the balance updates in real time.

The Two Accounts on One Card

Your EBT card can hold two separate accounts. The food account carries your SNAP benefits and can only be spent on eligible groceries at authorized retailers. The cash account carries TANF (and, in some states, other cash assistance) and works more like a general-purpose debit account, including ATM withdrawals. At the register, you tell the terminal which account to draw from by choosing “EBT Food” or “EBT Cash” before entering your PIN.¹

For fiscal year 2026, the maximum SNAP allotment is $298 per month for a single-person household and $994 for a household of four.² What you actually receive depends on household size, income, and allowable deductions.

Who Qualifies and How to Apply

SNAP eligibility runs on two income tests. In the 48 contiguous states and D.C. for fiscal year 2026, a household generally has to fall below 130% of the federal poverty level in gross monthly income and 100% in net income. For one person, that’s $1,696 gross and $1,305 net. For four people, it’s $3,483 gross and $2,680 net.³ Net income is what’s left after allowable deductions like housing costs, dependent care, and out-of-pocket medical expenses above $35 per month for household members who are 60 or older or disabled.⁴

Applications go through your state’s health and human services agency. You can apply online, by mail, or in person at a county office. Have these ready:

Government-issued ID and Social Security numbers for every household member who will receive benefits.
Proof of address, such as a lease or utility bill. If you’re experiencing homelessness, you can still apply without a fixed address.⁵
Income documentation: pay stubs, employer statements, Social Security award letters, unemployment records.
Housing and utility costs, since they reduce your countable net income.
Medical, child care, and child support records where applicable.

The clock starts the day the agency receives a signed application with your name and address. From that date, the agency has 30 calendar days to process the case and give you access to benefits.⁴ During that window you’ll do an eligibility interview, most often by phone.⁶ Once approved, the card is mailed to your home address.

Expedited Benefits in Seven Days

If your household is in acute need, federal rules require the agency to move benefits to you within seven days instead of thirty. You qualify for expedited service if any of these apply:

Your household’s gross monthly income is under $150 and your liquid resources (cash and bank accounts) are $100 or less.
You are a destitute migrant or seasonal farmworker with $100 or less in liquid resources.
Your combined monthly gross income and liquid resources are less than your rent or mortgage plus utilities.

Agencies must screen every application for expedited eligibility, but flagging your situation when you file helps prevent delays.⁴

Using the Card at Checkout

At an authorized retailer, you swipe or insert the card, choose EBT Food or EBT Cash, enter your PIN, and the amount comes off your balance. The receipt shows what’s left. If your SNAP balance doesn’t cover the full food purchase, most stores let you pay the difference with cash or another card.¹

One rule that trips people up: SNAP transactions can’t include cash back. The food account only pays for eligible food. If your cart mixes SNAP-eligible groceries and non-food items, the cashier runs them as two separate transactions.

SNAP is also accepted for online groceries in all 50 states and the District of Columbia through participating retailers. Delivery fees, service charges, and other convenience fees can’t be paid with SNAP, so you’ll need a second payment method for those.⁷

What SNAP Buys and What It Doesn’t

SNAP covers food and food products for household consumption: fruits, vegetables, meat, poultry, fish, dairy, bread, cereals, snack foods, and even seeds and plants that grow food for your household.⁸ It doesn’t cover alcohol, tobacco, hot prepared foods, vitamins, or supplements. A quick tell for supplements: if the label reads “Supplement Facts” instead of “Nutrition Facts,” SNAP won’t pay for it.⁹ Paper goods, cleaning products, pet food, and other non-food items are also excluded.

There’s a narrow exception. Under the Restaurant Meals Program, certain participants can use SNAP at approved restaurants in states that operate the program. Every member of your household has to be 60 or older, disabled, or homeless. The state codes your card to allow restaurant purchases, and the card declines at restaurants if you don’t qualify.¹⁰

How TANF Cash Works

TANF benefits move through the cash side of the card. Because the program is meant to cover a family’s ongoing needs like clothing, shelter, and utilities, you can use TANF cash at stores for non-food essentials or pull it out at ATMs.¹¹

Federal law bars TANF electronic transactions at three types of businesses: liquor stores, casinos and other gambling establishments, and adult entertainment venues. The restriction applies to ATM withdrawals at those locations, not just point-of-sale purchases, and states are required to maintain policies that enforce it.¹²

ATM surcharges from the machine’s operator usually apply to cash withdrawals and can add up if you make frequent small trips. Larger, less frequent withdrawals keep those fees down.

Checking Your Balance and Replacing a Lost Card

Your remaining balance prints on the bottom of every store receipt. You can also call the customer service number on the back of your card, or check through your state’s mobile app or online portal.

If your card is lost or stolen, call the customer service line immediately to deactivate it. Replacement cards typically arrive within seven to ten business days, and some states let you pick one up faster at a local office. States can charge a replacement fee, but federal regulations cap it at the actual cost of producing the card, and many states waive the fee for a first replacement or a documented theft.¹³

Skimming and Stolen Benefits

Card skimmers, which are hidden devices attached to card readers to copy your card data, are a serious problem for EBT users. Once your card is cloned, thieves drain the account before you notice. The federal authority that let states replace SNAP benefits stolen through skimming expired on December 20, 2024, and Congress did not extend it. Benefits stolen after that date cannot be replaced with federal funds.¹⁴

The Federal Trade Commission recommends a few practical habits:

Look at the card reader before you swipe. If it’s loose, off-center, or has parts that wiggle, don’t use it and tell the store.
Change your PIN at least once a month, ideally right before your next deposit.
Ignore anyone who calls or texts asking for your PIN or card number. Your state agency and EBT processor will never ask for that information.
Check your balance often so you catch unauthorized charges early. If something looks wrong, change your PIN and contact your local SNAP office.¹⁵

Keeping Benefits Active

SNAP benefits don’t sit on the card forever. Under federal rules, they’re permanently removed after nine months of inactivity (274 days with no transactions), and once expunged they can’t be reinstated. Your state agency must send a notice at least 30 days before expungement is scheduled.¹⁶ Any purchase resets the clock, so a small transaction each month protects an unused balance.

You also have to report significant changes during your certification period. The most common trigger is your household’s gross income rising above 130% of the federal poverty level. Qualifying changes generally must be reported within 10 days. If you don’t, and you were overpaid as a result, you’ll owe the difference back.

Benefits don’t renew on their own. Every certification period has an end date, and you have to go through recertification, including a new interview at least once every 12 months, to keep receiving benefits. The agency sends recertification paperwork before your period expires. Miss the deadline and benefits stop. There is a 30-day grace period after the certification period ends to complete the process, but benefits during that gap are only retroactive to the date you finish the required steps, not to the date the previous certification ended.¹⁷

Disaster SNAP

When a major disaster hits an area with a Presidential disaster declaration, your state may activate the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP). It provides a one-month emergency food benefit to affected households, including some that don’t normally receive SNAP. Eligibility is based on household size, take-home income during the disaster period, and disaster-related expenses. Households already on SNAP may receive a supplement bringing them up to the maximum allotment for their size during the disaster period.¹⁸

1
Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP EBT Factsheet for New Retailers
2
Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP FY2026 Maximum Allotments and Deductions
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Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP FY2026 Income Eligibility Standards
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eCFR. 7 CFR 273.2 – Office Operations and Application Processing
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Social Security Administration. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Facts
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Food and Nutrition Service. Waivers
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Food and Nutrition Service. Stores Accepting SNAP Online
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eCFR. 7 CFR 271.2 – Definitions
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Food and Nutrition Service. What Can SNAP Buy?
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Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Restaurant Meals Program
11
Administration for Children and Families. Q and A – Use of Funds
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Administration for Children and Families. Q and A – TANF Requirements Related to EBT Transactions
13
eCFR. 7 CFR 274.6 – Replacement Issuances and Cards to Households
14
Food and Nutrition Service. Replacing Stolen SNAP Benefits – State Plan Approvals
15
Federal Trade Commission. Protect Your SNAP Benefits From Illegal Card Skimmers
16
eCFR. 7 CFR 274.2 – Providing Benefits to Participants
17
eCFR. 7 CFR 273.14 – Recertification
18
Food and Nutrition Service. Fiscal Year 2026 D-SNAP Income Eligibility Standards