Accept EBT SNAP payments
About EBT SNAP payments
With Square you can accept EBT SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) payments in person using your Square Register, Square Handheld, or Square Terminal. SNAP customers pay with their government-issued EBT card, and you can keep their checkout experience in one place instead of sending them to a separate terminal.
With EBT SNAP on Square, you can:
Mark items in your catalog as SNAP-eligible so Square can determine what can be paid for with EBT at checkout.
Show EBT SNAP amounts and remaining balance on receipts, helping buyers keep track of their benefits.
Before you begin
Accepting EBT SNAP payments is currently in beta testing. You can reach out to ebt-beta@squareup.com for any questions or feedback.
EBT SNAP payments are accepted on Square Register, Square Terminal, Square Handheld. EBT payments aren’t available on Square Stand, Square Reader, or other iOS devices at this time.
Sellers using Square Loyalty cannot accept EBT SNAP payments.
If you use newer chip-and-tap–only devices such as Square Register or Square Terminal, you’ll also need a compatible Square Reader to swipe EBT cards.
You need an active FNS (Food and Nutrition Service) number issued by the USDA to accept SNAP benefits. If you don't have one, apply for an FNS number on the USDA website before completing setup.
Your device must be running in Retail mode to accept EBT SNAP payments. Learn how to create and assign modes.
You need to have items marked SNAP eligible in order to process EBT payments. EBT SNAP can’t be used for custom amounts, mixed carts, or open tickets. Learn how to create and edit items.
EBT SNAP payments require a live network connection. You cannot process EBT SNAP transactions in offline mode.
Step 1: Enable EBT SNAP for your location
Before you can accept EBT SNAP payments, you need to submit your FNS number and enable EBT SNAP for each location where you want to accept it.
Sign in to Square Dashboard and go to Settings > Account & Settings > My Business > Locations.
Select the location you want to enable EBT SNAP at.
Select Payment Methods to open the Payment Method settings.
Select Apply next to EBT SNAP.
Enter your store email and your FNS number exactly as issued by the USDA.
Review the information and submit your application.
Check back after about an hour to confirm your FNS number has been verified and EBT SNAP is enabled for the location.
Once enrollment is approved, repeat this process for each additional location where you want to accept EBT SNAP. EBT SNAP will only appear as a payment option at checkout when the location has EBT SNAP enabled and the device is on a supported app version.
If your FNS number becomes inactive or expires, EBT SNAP transactions will be declined. Contact the USDA to restore your authorization, then update your FNS number in Square Dashboard and re-submit enrollment for the affected locations.
Step 2: Mark items as SNAP-eligible
Before you can accept EBT SNAP at checkout, you need to mark the items in your catalog that qualify for SNAP benefits. You are responsible for tagging items correctly according to USDA SNAP eligibility rules for your state.
Sign in to Square Dashboard and go to Items > Item library.
Click an item you want to mark as SNAP-eligible.
In the EBT / Assistance programs section, toggle on SNAP eligible.
If you have multiple locations, select the locations where the item should be SNAP-eligible.
Click Save.
Repeat for each SNAP-eligible item in your catalog.
If you're unsure whether an item qualifies, refer to the USDA SNAP eligibility guidance for your state's SNAP rules. If you have numerous items to update:
Sign in to Square Dashboard and go to Items > Item library.
Select Actions > Export library to download your items to a CSV file.
Update the SNAP Eligible column based on your item list.
Select Actions > Import library to re‑import the CSV.
Spot‑check a few items to confirm the items are marked correctly.
Step 3: Take an EBT SNAP payment
Once EBT SNAP is enabled for your location and your items are tagged, you can start accepting EBT SNAP payments on your Square Register.
Follow these steps when every item in the cart is SNAP-eligible:
- Open the Square Point of Sale app in retail mode and add SNAP-eligible items to the cart.
- Tap Charge.
- Ask the customer to swipe, insert, or tap their EBT card on the buyer-facing screen, then enter their PIN.
- Wait for the approval message and confirm the amount charged. Sales tax is automatically removed from EBT SNAP purchases for eligible items.
- Send or print the receipt. EBT SNAP receipts include the amount paid with EBT SNAP, the remaining SNAP balance (when provided by the network), and a hidden EBT card number.
EBT SNAP can only be used when all items in the cart are SNAP-eligible. If the cart contains any non-eligible items and the customer tries to pay with their EBT card, the EBT payment will fail.
Note: You cannot split a single transaction between EBT SNAP and another tender. To complete a sale with both SNAP-eligible and non-eligible items, you must run two separate transactions.
To complete the sale:
- Remove any non-eligible items from the cart.
- Take payment for the SNAP-eligible items using the customer’s EBT card.
- Ring up the non-eligible items (for example, alcohol or gift items) in a second transaction using another tender such as card or cash.
If the customer’s SNAP balance is too low to cover the eligible items, the EBT SNAP payment will decline. When a customer swipes their payment card and enters their PIN during checkout, the screen will display their current balance. When this happens, you can:
- Re-run the payment for a lower amount that fits within the customer’s remaining SNAP balance, or
- Cancel the EBT SNAP payment and complete the full sale with another tender such as card or cash.
Step 4: Issue a refund for an EBT SNAP purchase
Amounts paid with EBT SNAP must be refunded to the same EBT card. You can't refund EBT SNAP purchases to cash, gift cards, or store credit per SNAP program rules. Sellers are responsible for ensuring that refunds are processed correctly. To issue a refund:
Open the Square Point of Sale app in retail mode and go to your transaction history.
Locate the original EBT SNAP transaction.
Select Issue refund and follow the prompts.
If required, ask the customer to present their EBT card again to complete the refund.
The receipt will show an EBT refund line for the amount returned to the EBT account.
Review compliance responsibilities
Sellers are responsible for how EBT SNAP payments are accepted at your business. Key obligations include:
Tag items correctly. Only mark items as SNAP-eligible when they meet SNAP rules for your state. Review your tags whenever your menu or inventory changes. Charge SNAP only for eligible items. Use separate transactions so non-eligible items are never paid for with EBT SNAP.
Refund to the EBT card. Amounts paid with EBT SNAP must always be refunded to the same EBT account.
Keep your FNS number active. If your FNS number changes, is revoked, or expires, update it in Square Dashboard and re-submit enrollment. EBT SNAP transactions will be declined if your FNS number is inactive.
Protect card data. Do not store full EBT card numbers or PINs. If you send screenshots to Square Support, blur or crop any card details.
Follow local SNAP rules. SNAP eligibility rules and refund windows can vary by state. You are responsible for knowing and following the rules that apply to your locations. Visit the SNAP State Directory of Resources for more information.