Does Meijer Take EBT? In-Store, Online, WIC, and State Rules

Paying with EBT at the register

Meijer operates more than 500 supercenters, grocery stores, neighborhood markets, and express locations across six Midwest states, and it is an authorized SNAP retailer. Using your card in the store works much like a debit card:

1. Ring up all your items together. The register marks which ones are SNAP-eligible.
2. Swipe or insert your EBT card and enter your PIN. Choose food (SNAP) or cash if you are asked.
3. Pay the rest another way. Non-food items, such as paper towels or medicine, need cash, a debit or credit card, or EBT cash benefits.
4. Keep your receipt. It shows your remaining SNAP balance.

Each state names its card differently, but all of them work at Meijer in that state:

Meijer Express gas stations sell some snacks, but SNAP cannot pay for fuel. The Meijer pharmacy also sits outside SNAP, since medicines are not eligible food.

Does Meijer take EBT online?

Yes. According to Meijer's newsroom, it began accepting SNAP for Meijer Pickup and Home Delivery on Meijer.com in 2022, and added SNAP payment in the Meijer app across its stores in June 2024. That puts more than 100,000 items in reach for online SNAP shoppers. Meijer also takes part in the USDA's SNAP online purchasing program, which lets approved retailers accept benefits online.

How to set it up:

• Link your card to your Meijer account online or at any Meijer customer service desk.
• Choose EBT at checkout on Meijer.com or in the app, then pick pickup or delivery.
• Add a second payment method for any non-eligible items and for fees. SNAP cannot pay pickup or delivery fees or tips.

Meijer says pickup is free on orders of $35 or more. Meijer began offering free home delivery to SNAP shoppers in November 2022, but delivery promotions have set end dates, so check the current terms in the app before you place an order. If your order total changes because an item is out of stock, the final SNAP charge adjusts when the order is ready.

What SNAP can and cannot buy at Meijer

SNAP rules come from the USDA and are the same at every store. According to the USDA eligible food list, you can buy food for the household to eat at home, including:

• fruits and vegetables, fresh, frozen, or canned,
• meat, poultry, and fish,
• dairy products and eggs,
• bread, cereal, rice, and pasta,
• snack foods and non-alcoholic drinks (except where a state limit applies), and
• seeds and plants that grow food.

You cannot use SNAP for:

• beer, wine, liquor, cigarettes, or tobacco,
• vitamins, medicines, or anything with a Supplement Facts label,
• foods that are hot at the point of sale, such as a hot rotisserie chicken or deli meal,
• pet food, cleaning supplies, paper products, hygiene items, or cosmetics, and
• household goods, clothing, and gas.

Cold deli items, such as a chilled sandwich or salad, are usually eligible. If you are unsure, the register decides. To estimate how much SNAP you could get each month, try our SNAP calculator.

Soda and candy limits in Meijer states

Since 2025, the USDA has approved "food restriction waivers" that let states remove some items, mostly soda and candy, from what SNAP can buy. The rules apply at every store in that state, including Meijer. Here is where things stand in the six Meijer states, based on the USDA waiver list checked on November 7, 2026:

• Indiana: restricts soft drinks and candy, with an implementation date of January 1, 2026. At an Indiana Meijer, the register will not accept SNAP for these items. Pay for them another way or leave them off.
• Ohio: approved to restrict sugar-sweetened beverages and all fountain drinks, with a target date of April 1, 2027. Until then, Ohio SNAP rules are unchanged.
• Michigan, Illinois, Kentucky, and Wisconsin: no approved waiver appears on the USDA list, so standard SNAP rules apply.

These waivers have also faced court challenges. On June 22, 2026, a federal court in Washington, D.C., vacated the approvals for some states, including Colorado and Iowa. None of the Meijer states were listed as affected, but rules can change, so check the USDA page or your state agency if a purchase is declined.

The limits apply to SNAP benefits only. You can still buy soda or candy at Meijer with your own money.

SNAP discounts and Flashfood

Meijer has run several programs to stretch SNAP dollars. In its 2024 announcement, Meijer said it was offering:

• 40% off 1% and fat-free milk of any brand or size when paid with SNAP, part of a federal Healthy Fluid Milk Incentives project.
• 10% off qualifying produce bought with SNAP, under a USDA waiver first granted in 2022.
• Flashfood: in 2023 Meijer became the first retailer in the country to accept SNAP through the Flashfood app, which sells close-dated food at a discount for pickup at the store.

Discounts like these depend on grants and waivers that have end dates. Look for EBT signs on the shelf tags or in the app, and check your receipt to confirm the discount was applied.

Double Up Food Bucks and Meijer

Many Michigan shoppers ask whether Meijer takes Double Up Food Bucks, the program that matches SNAP spending on fruits and vegetables. It does not. The Double Up Food Bucks Michigan FAQ says Kroger, Meijer, and Walmart do not yet participate. The program works mainly with independent and regional grocers and farmers markets, with more than 250 locations in Michigan, and it now lets shoppers earn up to $50 a day.

So a practical plan for some families is to buy produce at a nearby Double Up store or market and do the rest of the weekly shop at Meijer.

WIC at Meijer by state

WIC, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, is separate from SNAP and uses its own card and approved food list. Each state's WIC agency decides which stores can take WIC.

In Michigan, Meijer announced on July 28, 2026, that it became the first retailer in the state to accept WIC for online and app orders. Customers add their WIC card to their mPerks account, and the app flags WIC-approved items. Meijer offers free home delivery on WIC orders, and pickup is free on orders of $35 or more. Before that, Michigan WIC worked only in stores.

In Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, and Wisconsin, Meijer stores generally take WIC at the register, but we could not confirm a current list for every store. Ask your WIC clinic or call the store before you shop. Learn more about the program from the USDA WIC page.

EBT cash versus SNAP food benefits

One EBT card can hold two kinds of money. Knowing which is which avoids surprises at checkout:

Not everyone has EBT cash. If you only get SNAP, your card covers eligible food and nothing else. Ask the cashier to run the card as cash only if you know you have a cash balance. For more about stores that take EBT, see our guide to does Walmart take EBT.

When a payment does not go through

• "Ineligible item" message: the item is not SNAP-eligible, or a state limit applies. Pay for it another way.
• Insufficient balance: check your balance on your receipt, your state's EBT app, or the phone number on the back of the card.
• Online order declined: make sure the card is linked to your Meijer account and that a backup payment is on file for fees.
• Card not working at all: call the number on the back of your card. If you think it was skimmed, report it to your state agency right away.
• Benefits ran out early in the month: see our emergency food stamps guide and dial 211 for a pantry near you.

Related guides

• Does Kroger take EBT
• Does Target take EBT
• Michigan assistance programs
• Indiana assistance programs

Frequently asked questions

This guide is general information. Store policies, promotions, and state SNAP rules can change. National Relief Program is an independent website and is not affiliated with Meijer, the USDA, or any government agency.