How Long Can I Use My EBT Card Out Of State (And Why)?

Exact Answer: 365 days

The time limit for using the benefits of an EBT card inside or outside the state is not more than 1 year or 12 months. If the person is a participant of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, then the person would be able to claim the benefits of an EBT card.

By using the Electronic Benefits Transfer card, the person can save money. Not all the stores come under SNAP, but the SNAP authorized retail stores are available for purchasing groceries. The benefits of an EBT card can be claimed in 50 states for around 1 year.

Once, the person purchases the grocery from the SNAP authorized retail store, the money would be debited from the EBT account. The person is not supposed to pay money differently for purchased products.

How Long Can I Use My EBT Card Out Of State?

The benefits of EBT were introduced by the United States which is now used worldwide. The person can claim benefits for food and cash by using the EBT card. Under food benefit, the cardholder is allowed to purchase the items which come under the category of food.

Non-alcoholic beverages are also covered under the food benefits of the EBT card. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is responsible for distributing the food items to all the EBT cardholders.

The refugee benefits or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families are covered under the cash benefits of the EBT Card. It’s vital that the cardholder should purchase food items from all the retail shops authorized by the USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

All the EBT cash holders can withdraw the cash from any ATM which is a part of the program. The cash benefits can also be used by the cardholder to purchase any item from the authorized retail stores. People receive cashback under the cash benefits.

The cash benefits can only be claimed and received by using the EBT card. The people willing to become a part of all these benefits can apply for the EBT card. The people are required to fill the form and submit it to the Food Stamp office.

There are some eligibility criteria that are supposed to be satisfied by the applicant to qualify for the benefits of an EBT card. If the applicant is capable of getting the EBT card, then the person would be eligible for getting all the benefits.

The State’s EBT contractor would be informed about all the applicants that are eligible for the card benefits. A PIN is provided to the cardholder for using the card in any retail store authorized by SNAP.

Why Can I Use My EBT Card Out Of State For This Long?

The benefits of the EBT card is huge but come with usage restriction. The only restriction for using the EBT card is the time limit. No applicant is allowed to use the EBT card for more than 12 months as it is fixed by the authority.

Everyone can use the EBT card benefits, but not in all the stores. The card processing fees from the EBT SNAP account should not be sold by the applicant, as it is illegal under laws.

The guidelines of USDA SNAP are required to be strictly followed for applying and using the benefits of the EBT card. Any criminal use of the EBT card would is illegal under the state and federal laws of the state.
The cardholder is required to run the car through a POS. After this, the cardholder should enter the secret PIN to proceed further.

The verifier is responsible for sending a denial or acceptance of the card by verifying the PIN. The account balance of the card is also checked before sending an authorization.
The retailer’s account will be credited with the money debited from the EBT card holder’s account.

Conclusion

The EBT card should be used for legal purposes or without any criminal intention. The person is allowed to buy the products from the SNAP authorized stores before the expiry of the card. The benefits of an EBT card stay for around one year for all the EBT applicants.

References

1. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1499404617309521
2. https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/146994/