Aldi is a German-based company running multiple no-frills discount grocery stores that provide low-cost fresh and packaged foods worldwide.
Around 90% of Aldi’s inventory are Aldi-branded products; by using their own branded products, the company can work to avoid costs associated with national brands and price their goods at low rates as opposed to using national brands.
Aldi is a leader in the United States discount supermarket industry.
A great asset of this company is that they accept EBT SNAP as a payment method.
Not only that, but they make it very convenient for people with food stamps to use them there.
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Does Aldi Take EBT?
Yes, Aldi accepts payment methods of EBT and SNAP.
At Aldi, an EBT cardholder can purchase food items using multiple payment methods.
For example, when checking out, EBT SNAP recipients can purchase non-food items by using two-payment methods like a credit or debit card, gift card, or electronically with Apple Pay or Google Pay.
What Is EBT SNAP?
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP EBT) is a federal program that operates at a State level, by providing households with supplemental income to purchase quality food.
Qualified individuals receive an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) that reloads the month determined by the state each month.
Typical qualified individuals have incomes considered low, very low, or no-income.
What You Should Know About EBT at Aldi
In 2020, Aldi partnered with Instacart to provide EBT SNAP holders with online grocery delivery and pick up.
According to Instacart, the partnership began around the company’s expansion to over 570 locations and 60 Aldi locations in Georgia.
The partnership of Aldi and Instacart emerged when communities affected by COVID-19 faced likely increases in food insecurity, but, specifically, in minority communities.
With Aldi and Instacart’s collaboration, more EBT SNAP-eligible families have access to affordable produce.
How Does EBT Work at Aldi?
Using EBT SNAP at Aldi is extremely simple and convenient for all EBT card holders’ preferred method of grocery shopping.
Customers with SNAP EBT benefits can walk into an Aldi store, order groceries online for curbside pickup, or elect for the store to deliver through Instacart.
SNAP participants who shop at a physical Aldi location should have their SNAP EBT card with them, while those who prefer to shop online and have their items ready at arrival can see if their local Aldi US store provides curbside pickup options.
By going to shop.aldi.us, customers can create an order and choose to pay with their EBT SNAP card. For delivery orders, Aldi operates its deliveries through Instacart.
Deliveries through Instacart and online purchasing through the Aldi website require SNAP recipients to Fill out their EBT card information, and another payment method to cover costs that are not covered by food stamps.
Note, that there is a small pickup fee for curbside pickup and a larger fee for grocery delivery.
Eligible EBT Food Items
As is with every grocery store, EBT SNAP benefit holders can’t use their food stamps to purchase non-prepared, i.e., hot-and-ready meals, liquors, tobacco, vitamins and supplements, live animals, or pet foods.
So, with that, the items that are eligible for purchase with an EBT card are:
- Fruits,
- Vegetables
- Poultry,
- Meat,
- Dairy products,
- Cereal,
- Bread,
- Snack foods,
- Non-alcoholic drinks, and
- Plants and seeds that provide food.
What Can I Buy at Aldi With EBT SNAP Benefits?
With EBT SNAP, you can buy Aldi-brand and brand-name food produce like:
- Fresh and packaged fruit and vegetable items,
- Packaged meat and seafood like ground beef and salmon
- Dips and tapenades,
- Dairy products like milk, eggs, cheese, yogurt, butter, and more,
- Chips
- Crackers
- Nut and trail mix snacks
- Popcorn
- Pasta
- Cereal
- Beef Jerky
- Frozen items like.
- Meats and seafood,
- Fruits and vegetables,
- Ice-cream,
- Pizza, and
- Microwave meals.
- Condiments, spice, seasonings, dressings, cake mixes, syrup,
- Various bakery items like bread, bagels, rolls, and more,
- Canned produce,
- And non-alcoholic drinks like sodas and orange juice.
State-Specific ALDI Eligibility
According to the Aldi website, the supermarket has over 2,000 stores located in 37 states and Washington D.C. that all accept EBT SNAP payment methods.
ALDI US currently has locations in:
- Alabama
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Nebraska
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Vermont
- Virginia
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
About Aldi: Aldi Süd and Aldi Nord
Aldi’s story begins in 1913 when Anna Albrecht opened a discount grocery store in Essen, Germany.
Eventually, Anna passed the store to her sons Karl and Theo Albrecht who ran the store in postwar Germany.
In the 60s, the brothers got into a dispute over whether or not to sell cigarettes in their stores.
The disagreement resulted in the split of Aldi into Aldi Süd and Aldi Nord.
The two Aldis continued rapid growth and expansion around Europe and, eventually, into North America.
The first Aldi brand-name store, owned and operated by Aldi Süd, opened in Iowa in 1967.
Then, in 1979 Aldi Nord expanded into North America after purchasing Trader Joe’s.
Today, Aldi Süd and Aldi Nord have a combined 11,000 locations worldwide, 210,000 employees, and a revenue of $134.67 billion according to the National Retail Federation.
This makes them the fourth-largest retailer in the U.S.
Final Thoughts
Now that we know how simple and convenient it is to use EBT SNAP with Aldi, you can quickly find the closest Aldi store near you by using Aldi’s store locator here.
Hopefully, with our guide, you’ve learned that Aldi accepts EBT.
And, how to use your benefits card to purchase curbside pick up and delivery.
As well as a better understanding of some of the items one can buy with food stamps at Aldi.
