With over 4,500 stores, Walmart is one of the biggest retail giants in the United States. Millions of people shop at Walmart for its variety and value deals on groceries, personal care items, household supplies, and more.
Walmart is also a great shopping spot for public assistance recipients as it accepts EBT card payments at all its stores across the country. You could pay with your EBT card in the same way you would use your debit card. Furthermore, EBT cardholders in most states (except for Alaska and Montana) can pay for Walmart delivery orders online.
Walmart is especially well-known for its cash back offers on a variety of its products. But, does it offer cash back on EBT purchases? Read along to find out.
Does Walmart Offer Cash Back on EBT Purchases?
Some EBT cardholders, but not all, are eligible to receive cash back at Walmart using their EBT cards in the United States. EBT cardholders receiving SNAP benefits cannot get cash back at Walmart. However, cash assistance recipients may be able to get cash back on their EBT purchases at Walmart, as per the local store’s policy.
As already mentioned, Walmart only provides cash back to a small number of EBT cardholders, and even then, only if your local Walmart store allows cash back on EBT transactions. You can only get cashback up to Walmart’s preset limit which is $100 for each card transaction.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is a food assistance program that only allows you to utilize your food benefits to buy foods that have been approved by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Therefore, if you only receive SNAP benefits, you can not get cash back from an EBT card at Walmart. You must be a participant in your state’s cash assistance program, also referred to as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), in order to receive EBT cash back at the register.
If you get the TANF and SNAP benefits on the same EBT card (or any other type of benefit), you can only receive cashback up to the store’s cashback limit or your available TANF cash balance. You can not receive cash back for the entire balance on your card.
About the TANF Program
The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program provides eligible families with children with monetary assistance and other wide range of support services by providing grant funds to states and territories in the country. State-run versions of the program may also offer help with child care, job preparation, and work to eligible families to help them achieve economic self-sufficiency.
Participating families receive monthly deposits of a certain amount to their EBT cards. The amount of a family’s monthly assistance payment depends on a number of factors, including the number of people who are eligible and the special needs of any of those family members. The income of the family is considered in calculating the amount of cash aid the family receives.
To be eligible for the TANF benefits program, applicants must meet the following requirements:
- They must be a citizen of the United States, a legal alien, or a qualified alien.
- They must be a resident of the state where they are applying.
- They must be unemployed or underemployed, and their income must be low or very low.
- They must also belong to one of the categories as listed:
- Have a child who is 18 years old or younger, or
- Be pregnant, or
- Be 18 years old or younger and the head of their household.
Different states administer different TANF programs which operate under one or more names. Click here to see the map of all TANF programs by their states.
In addition, you can also refer to the below list of various TANF programs that enable participants to get cash back from the funds they receive:
How to Get Cash Back on TANF EBT Purchases?
Utilizing your TANF funds in either of the two ways described below will allow you to receive cash back on your EBT card purchases:
At the Register
You can get cash back at the register if you make a purchase using your TANF funds at a neighborhood store that accepts EBT cards and approves EBT cash back. All you will need to do is, swipe your card and enter your EBT pin, just like you would when using a debit card at the register. The cashback limits may vary depending on the state or retailer. Usually, cashback limits at grocery stores, convenience stores, and other common retail stores range between $40 and $100.
At the ATM
You can get cash from an ATM if you have active TANF funds on your EBT card. Most ATMs in the United States allow cash withdrawals. To avoid bank fees, you must find a surcharge-free ATM. Here too, the fees and restrictions on your card will vary by state. Some states, for instance, allow a certain number of free cash withdrawals on a card per month before charging $1 per withdrawal on subsequent use. You should consult with your benefits caseworker about the limits and fees that apply to your card.
How to Get Cash Back on Food Stamp Purchases?
The two legal ways to earn cash back on your food stamp purchases include:
Ibotta cash back
With Ibotta, a service that rewards you for shopping, you can get money back on the food stamp EBT purchases you make from a variety of stores and brands. Over 150 grocery stores, including Walmart, Sam’s Club, ACME, HEB, and Wood’s Supermarkets, have partnered with Ibotta. Given that Ibotta’s service relies on claiming rewarded shopping deals and submitting receipts, using it with SNAP purchases is legal.
Costco reward checks
Customers of Costco with Executive Memberships are eligible to receive a reward check of up to $1,000. A 2% rebate on all purchases is also provided upon getting the Costco Executive Membership. By purchasing special deal items at Costco, like wipes and diapers, you can also increase your reward amount. You will get the reward check about four to six weeks before your membership expires. You can use the check to shop at Costco or pay for your membership renewal.
Restrictions on EBT Cash Back
Despite the fact that SNAP recipients also use EBT cards, cash assistance programs like TANF and SNAP are distinctly separate from one another. You cannot use your EBT card at Walmart or at other retail stores to get cash back if you receive SNAP benefits rather than cash assistance.
As previously mentioned, you can only utilize your SNAP benefits to make authorized food purchases. Cash assistance benefits are intended to assist families with paying bills or buying non-SNAP-eligible items like toiletries or household supplies. For this reason, there are some restrictions on how you can use your cash assistance benefits. As per the USDA, it is illegal to use your cash assistance benefits to pay for alcohol, cigarettes, tobacco, firearms, ammunition, lottery tickets, jewelry, vacation trips, tattoos, or court-ordered fees and penalties.
If you receive both food and cash benefits, you can only earn cash back if you have a cash balance on your EBT card. It implies that you are not authorized to withdraw any part of your SNAP benefits.
Cash Refunds for EBT Purchases
You may be eligible for a cash refund for an item purchased with your EBT cash balance. Nevertheless, you can not get a cash refund for purchases made with your SNAP benefits. Each retailer has its own refund policy. While some stores only offer refunds in terms of store credit, others refund purchases made with a card back to the card. Hence, you must inquire with your local store about its return and refund policies before making a purchase.
The Bottom Line
EBT cardholders that receive TANF benefits (cash assistance) can get cash back on EBT purchases at Walmart. Note that this is only true if your local Walmart store allows cash back on EBT transactions. SNAP recipients cannot get cash back at Walmart. If you get both TANF and SNAP benefits you can only receive cashback up to your active TANF cash balance on your EBT card. Walmart also has a preset cash back limit of $100 per card transaction.
Although you can not get cash back on your SNAP (food stamp) purchases at a Walmart store, there are still two legal ways for you to earn some extra cash from your food stamp purchases. Firstly, by signing up for the Ibotta shopping app that enables you to earn cash back by submitting receipts from your SNAP purchases. Secondly, by getting a Costco Executive Membership you can get a reward to check worth up to $1,000.
