The U.S. Department of Agriculture must approve retailers who wish to participate in the FNS online purchasing program. NCDHHS encourages other EBT retailers to pursue USDA approval to become authorized online retailers. All EBT retailers in North Carolina have received information from USDA about how to become approved for online FNS purchases. More information for retailers is available on the USDA website.
In May 2020, North Carolina became one of the first 10 states to implement online purchasing for FNS.
FNS participants can use their EBT cards to purchase eligible food items from online retailers. Any additional charges that are not food items, such as service and delivery charges, cannot be paid for with EBT benefits. The FNS participant will be required to pay for the additional charges with another form of payment, such as a debit or credit card.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services today announced the Food and Nutrition Services program has expanded participation in the FNS Online Purchasing Program from seven retailers to 11. FNS recipients can access these 11 retailers online to make food purchases with their Electronic Benefit Transfer cards.
Authorized retailers in North Carolina accepting FNS EBT payments online are:
