Florida EBT Card FAQs

We know readers have various questions regarding the Florida EBT Card and the SNAP Benefits program in general. As a result, we have set up this Florida EBT Card FAQs page to address the most common questions we get.

More questions will be added as and when we receive reader feedback.

See the most frequently asked questions about Florida Food Stamps and Florida EBT below.

What is the Florida EBT Card?

An EBT (electronic benefits transfer) card is a plastic card that acts like a debit card that is used to distribute public assistance benefits.

The Florida EBT card, also called the Florida ACCESS EBT card, is used for the delivery of benefits such as Florida Food Assistance (SNAP benefits) and Florida Temporary Cash Assistance program (TCA).

Once you are approved for food stamps or cash assistance, you will receive your benefits each month on a Florida EBT Card.

How much you receive in EBT benefits largely on your income and the number of people in your household.

Your EBT card can be used to purchase food at grocery stores, convenience stores, and some farmers’ markets, and co-op food programs.

Furthermore, you can use your EBT card to buy groceries online at select retailers for delivery, including Amazon and Walmart.

How do I apply for Florida EBT?

There are three ways you can apply for food stamps EBT benefits in Florida:

Option 1 – Online

You can apply online through the Florida ACCESS account (as shown in the image below). If you have an account, you can log in or create your MyACCESS Account. Click here to be taken to the website.

Option 2 – In-person

You can apply in person at the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) office near you. Click here to locate a DCF office near you.

Option 3 – Download Food Stamps Application

You can download an application, complete it, and mail it to your county DCF office or submit it in person.

Click here to download the Florida Food Stamps EBT application.

What is the Phone Number for Florida EBT Customer Service?

What Can I buy with a Florida SNAP EBT Card?

The USDA, which runs the food stamps program has a strict guide on what you can and cannot buy with SNAP benefits.

Here is the list of food items you are allowed to purchase with your SNAP Benefits card:

• fruits
• vegetables
• meats, fish, poultry
• deli meats and steak
• dairy products
• breads
• cereals
• seeds and plants that produce food for the household
• soft drinks
• candy
• cookies
• snack crackers
• ice cream
• energy drinks (must have a nutrition label)
• live seafood, such as lobster, fish, and shellfish
• pumpkins (as long as they are edible)
• birthday cakes (the non-edible piece of the cake cannot exceed 50 percent)
• bakery items

Here’s what you CANNOT buy with your SNAP benefits:

• Alcoholic beverages
• tobacco products
• hot food (prepared for immediate consumption)
• Nonfood items
• pet foods
• soaps
• paper products
• medicines and vitamins
• household supplies
• grooming items
• cosmetics

How do I Check Flordia EBT Card Balance?

Here are the options available to you to check the balance on your Florida EBT Card:

Check Your Balance Online

Logging on to the EBT Card website, as shown above, to check the balance on your card.

Check your Balance by Phone

Also, you can call the Florida EBT Customer Service number (1-888-356-3281) on the back of your card.

After you enter your sixteen (16) digit EBT card number, you will hear your current food assistance or cash account balance(s).

Use an ATM or POS Machine

Additionally, you can check your food assistance or cash account balances at an ATM or Point of Sale (POS) machine.

Locate Your Last Receipt

Finally, you can also check your Florida EBT Card balance by viewing your last transaction receipt.

Your EBT Card balance should be printed at the bottom of your receipt.

What is the Phone Number for Florida EBT?

Here’s the number to call if you are trying to reach Florida EBT Customer Service (Florida ebtEDGE Support):

1-888-356-3281

You can call 24 hours a day/ 7 days a week

When you call the customer service number, you will be required to enter your 16 digit EBT Card number in order to proceed with your issue.

Call the ebtEDGE customer service number above for the following:

• Your card is lost, stolen, or damaged
• You were charged more than once for the same
  transaction
• You were charged by a merchant but did not
  receive any goods
• There are transactions on your account you do
  not recognize

However, you should call your Florida EBT Caseworker (SNAP or TANF) if you have one of the following issues:

• You have questions on the amount of your
  benefits
• Your caseworker told you your benefits would
  be available on a specific day, but they did not
  arrive
• Your address is going to change or has
  changed
• You want to know when your first benefits will
  become available

How do I get a Replacement Florida EBT Card?

If your card is lost, stolen, or damaged call EBT Customer Service at 1-800-997-8888 right away.

When you call the customer service number, you will be required to enter your 16 digit EBT Card number in order to proceed.

If you do not have your card number, here’s what to do:

Wait for the auto attendant to provide you an option to bypass this requirement and report your card lost or stolen.

Your replacement card will be mailed to you and it will take 7-10 business days to arrive.

What Grocery Stores Accept Florida EBT for Delivery?

As of April 2020, you can use your Florida EBT card to make purchases online.

You can purchase groceries online for home delivery using your Florida EBT card at Walmart and Amazon as the tweet below shows.

Florida participants in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP or food stamps) can use their EBT cards to buy groceries online beginning Thursday. https://t.co/yZrfHorYaz

— Miami Herald (@MiamiHerald) April 14, 2020

Furthermore, groceries can also be purchased online for pick up at participating BJs Wholesale Club.

Also, you can use your EBT card at Aldi stores through the grocery shopping App – Instacart. For further instructions, click here.

Does Instacart Accept Florida EBT?

Yes, Instacart accepts EBT for same-day delivery and pickup at participating retailers.

Aldi shoppers can place online orders via Instacart and enter EBT-card information at checkout for items covered under the list of eligible food stamps items.

Furthermore, a credit or debit card must be used for non-eligible costs, including delivery and service fees, taxes, tips, and bottle deposit fees in some states.

What Restaurants accept EBT in Florida?

Since 1977, the Restaurant Meals Program has been an important part of the food stamps program.

It enables qualified elderly, disabled, and homeless SNAP recipients to buy food at authorized restaurants.

Any state or county can enroll in the Restaurant Meals Program.

The purpose of the program is to help expand food access to those who do not have a place to store and cook food, who may not be able to prepare food, or who don’t have access to a grocery store.

Unfortunately, the state of Florida does not participate in the Restaurant Meals Program.

Therefore, you will not be able to use your Florida EBT card to purchase food at restaurants, even if you meet the eligibility requirements for the program.

We will provide an update here as soon as the state of Florida decides to offer the program.

Is there Free Admissions with Florida EBT?

If you currently have a Florida EBT, you are eligible for free or discounted admission to over 600 museums nationwide.

This program is sponsored by Museums for All, and includes access to all types of museums — including art, history, natural history/anthropology, and general museums, children’s museums, science centers, planetariums, nature centers, historic houses/sites, zoos, aquariums, botanical gardens, and arboretums.

See the list of places in Florida that offer Free or Discounted Admission for EBT Cardholders.

What Farmers Markets Double Florida SNAP EBT Money?

You can double your EBT money in select Farmers Markets across the state of Florida.

The program is called fresh access bucks.

Currently, there are 50 farmers markets in the state participating in the program.

Here’s how it works:

• When you visit Double EBT Farmers Markets in Florida, locate the information tent.
• At the information tent, you will swipe your EBT card and receive twice the dollar amount in tokens to spend at the market.
• For example, if you swipe your card for $10, you’ll receive $20 in tokens to spend at the farmers market.
• The farmers’ markets participating in this program will match your EBT card spending up to $40.
• You get lots of delicious food at half the cost. That’s a strong reason to buy your food at these markets.

Click here to see the list of farmers’ markets participating in the program.

The video below does a great job of explaining how the Fresh Access Bucks program works.

How do I Login to Florida EBT Account?

To log in to your Florida EBT Card account, you need to visit the Florida EBT Card website, which is run by ebtEDGE.

To go to the ebtEDGE website, click here.

Once there, enter your User ID and Password, as shown by the image below.

Once logged in, you’ll be able to view your EBT account information, including the current balance and transaction history.

If you do not have an ebtEDGE account, you can create a User Account here.

To create an account, click on the “First time logging in? Register Here” link as shown below.

How do I recertify/Renew my Florida Food Stamps?

Once you are approved for food stamps, your caseworker will tell you how long you’ve been approved for and how often you have to renew your benefits.

Generally, most food assistance benefits in Florida are approved for 6 or 12 months.

This is called your certification period (the amount of time you will get food stamps before you have to renew your benefits).

When the time is near for you to renew your benefits, you will get a letter in the mail from the Florida DCF.

This letter will have list your renewal date and provide instructions on how to renew your Florida SNAP benefits.

You should complete your renewal application on or before the 15th day of the month in which your benefit period ends.

Furthermore, you are required to renew your benefits at the end of your benefit period, whether or not you have changes in your household.

There are two ways you can renew your benefits:

You can renew your benefits online using your My ACCESS account.

However, if you prefer to renew in person, you should call your caseworker or local DCF SNAP office for help.

Click here to locate a DCF office near you.

When will I receive my Florida EBT Card?

If you are approved for Florida Food Assistance or Cash Assistance, you will receive an EBT card by mail within a few days.

However, If you do not receive your EBT card within 7 days, or you need help with your card, contact EBT Customer Service: 1-888-356-3281.

Note that the DCF will only reissue an EBT card after you have requested one by calling EBT Customer Service.

What if I no longer have my Florida EBT Card?

If you have received benefits in the past and still have your EBT card, you can still use that card as long as your case number stays the same.

However, if you are reapplying for benefits and no longer have your EBT card, here’s what you need to do:

Call Florida EBT Customer Service at 1-888-356-3281 to get a replacement card issued.

Note that another EBT card will not automatically be mailed to you once your case is approved if you have an existing one.

Will I get extra Florida SNAP benefits due to Pandemic?

The Department of Children and Families (DCF) continues to issue emergency food stamps benefits to many SNAP households to help buy food during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis.

In addition, Congress has boosted those allotments by 15% through June 2021.

If your monthly SNAP benefit is less than the maximum SNAP for your household size, you will get a supplemental benefit up to the maximum SNAP amount for your household.

This will be issued for January and February, plus you will get 15% more.

Thereafter, you will get at least 15% more than your usual allotment through June 2021.

If you already get the maximum SNAP benefit, you will get 15% more than the maximum allotment for your household size through June 2021.

Below is the Maximum Benefit Amount, including the extra 15% based on household size:

Household size – Max SNAP/with 15%
1 – $204/$234
2 – $374/$430
3 – $535/$616
4 – $680/$782
5 – $807/$929
6 – $969/$1114
7 – $1071$1232
8 – $1224$1408
Each additional member – +$153/$176

When will Benefits Be Deposited to Florida EBT?

In Florida, Food Stamp Benefits are deposited into EBT Card accounts from the 1st to the 28th of every month.

When your payment is deposited depends on the 9th and 8th digits of your case number (READ BACKWARDS), dropping the 10th digit.

Here is the schedule:

*Cash benefits are made available on the 1st through the 3rd day of every month.

Once your benefits are deposited into your account, you can begin using them with your Florida EBT card to purchase eligible food items.