RoxanneFor many of us, the nearest gas station is a go-to for much more than fuel due to convenience. Sure, you may visit your gas station to fill up your car, but you may also go there to buy food and other items when you don’t feel like taking an entire trip to the grocery store.
What can you use to make purchases at most gas stations? Good old cash, credit and debit cards, and now, you also have the option of using your EBT card. Who has EBT cards? People who receive government benefits from these two main programs: SNAP and TANF.
How SNAP And TANF Differ
SNAP stands for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Many still refer to it as food stamps, but instead of using those paper coupons that were popular in the past, SNAP recipients now have EBT cards that look and function like credit or debit cards. If you are a SNAP recipient, you will receive funds each month on your EBT card so you can swipe it at grocery and other participating stores to make purchases.
TANF, or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, also helps low-income households with an EBT card that carries funds. Unlike SNAP, though, a TANF EBT cash card can be used for purchases beyond food essentials.
If you have an EBT Cash card since you receive TANF benefits, you can use it to take out money from an ATM or pay for gas, bills, transportation, hygiene products, childcare, and more. In other words, think of it as cash assistance that gives you extra spending money to stay afloat.
EBT Cards: What You Can And Cannot Buy At Gas Stations
Now that you know how SNAP and TANF differ, let’s apply those differences to the gas station. If you have an EBT Cash card that holds your TANF benefits, you will enjoy more freedom when making purchases at the gas station.
If you stop by the gas station because you need some fuel, a few food items, and personal hygiene products like a toothbrush and toothpaste, you can use your TANF EBT Cash card to pay for them all. And while you’re at it, you can even hit the ATM to withdraw some cash from that card, provided you have sufficient funds in your account.
What can you not buy with your EBT Cash card at the gas station? Items like alcohol, cigarettes, vapes, lottery tickets, etc.
As for your SNAP EBT card, it will limit you to food items that you typically buy at the grocery store, such as milk, bread, etc. Any prepared hot foods like nachos, hot dogs, sandwiches, etc., will be off-limits, as will non-food items like hygiene products or fuel.
You can now use EBT cards at most major gas chains across the U.S., including Cumberland Farms, Circle K, 7-Eleven, and the like. Call your gas station before making the trip to see if they accept EBT, just to be sure.
Mark Luigi Dacumos
