Does Costco Accept EBT Cards?

Costco is one of the biggest retailers in the world. To be specific, the fifth-biggest. And the world’s biggest of prime beef, organic foods, and wine. Founded in 1976, in the United States, it has grown exponentially since then. Now, it has around 273,000 employees. They are in places such as México, obviously the United States, Australia, Canada, China, France, Spain, and Taiwan. But they are in many more. Of course, the place with the most locations in the United States with 558, and places like Sweden have only one. But being such a good store, one can assume that they will continue to grow a lot in the coming years. This article is to find out “does Costco accept EBT cards?”.

Does Costco Accept EBT Cards?

Does Costco accept EBT cards?

Now, can your EBT card be in a Costco? Absolutely. Just like many other stores, Costco does accept EBT cards. However, there is always a but, with limitations. 

How to use your EBT card at Costco?

First of all, to buy at Costco, you need a membership. This is obligatory. If you don’t acquire your membership, you are not going to be able to buy anything. In fact, they won’t even let you in. Memberships vary from 60 to 120 dollars a year. Which is a good deal, Costco has very good stuff.

Alright, so let’s say you already have your Costco membership, and you have your EBT card. Can you go to Costco and buy whatever you like? No. Your EBT card won’t apply for gas (Costco has gas stations), Alcohol, Cleaning products, medication, Tobacco, pet food, household essentials. Now, if you go to an ATM and get all the money from your EBT card, then you can buy whatever you want. But, directly with your EBT card, it is not possible.

And it is not Costco’s fault. Or problem. It is the government’s decision. They make the rules for what you can and can’t buy. So, you should talk to them. Costco is just following the rules. This is what they say on their webpage: All our warehouse locations accept EBT cards. Costco adheres to all state laws regarding what can be purchased with EBT cards. For a complete list of products that qualify for purchase with the EBT card, please contact your state agency.

What is an EBT card? 

EBT cards, or, electronic benefit transfer cards, are a way for the government to issue help to people in need. It is like a welfare program. So, if you are a family in need of assistance, you will probably have an EBT card. With it, you can buy food, do cash-backs and take money from ATMs. 

This card is around since 2004, approximately. And before that, you had food stamps. You had them from 1 dollar up to 10 dollars. But this program was replaced by the electronic benefit transfer card, also known as the EBT card. 

All states have them. And each state decides the eligibility. To apply, go to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) offices. Every state has them. Or call their number. It is easy, and basically, you just need to be hungry.  

Benefits of the EBT card

The benefits are pretty straightforward. You get money from the government, to buy in authorized retail stores, food. 

Kirkland Signature

With your EBT card and your membership, you can buy most Kirkland Signature products, which is a good thing. Not the alcohol part, of course. But there is a lot of food non-alcoholic beverages like water, that have this label and you can buy. 

Kirkland Signature is a private label of Costco. They do a lot of co-brandings. They are a third of all Costco sales. And it is not a surprise, whatever has the Kirkland Signature, usually has very good quality and price. In case you want to try the Kirkland wine, just get your money from your EBT card at an ATM, and go for it. 

Competitors that accept EBT cards

Here are other retail stores that also accept your EBT card: 

Albertsons

Amazon

Safeway

Vons

Walmart

Costco’s benefits

If you do become a member of Costco, you can also get your credit card from Costco. There are many benefits for you if you do. And it has no annual fees, so that’s pretty good. 

Also, Costco went into the Audiobooks industry. You can download the app to your iPhone or Android, it is free, and books range from 5% to 50%. 

And, although they have been subject to some controversies in the past, they have always tried to fix them, instead of ignoring them.

Conclusion

So yes, you can use your EBT card at your local Costco, just remember, you can’t buy everything you want unless you get the money from an ATM first. And also remember you have to be a member to buy at Costco, so it is a tough decision. On the one part, Costco is very cheap. On the other, you do have to have a membership. Make your numbers and decide whether this is something you can do, or not. Many other places take your EBT card and don’t require a membership to buy there.   

Does Costco Accept EBT Cards?

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