While cooking is a pleasurable activity in normal circumstances, it may appear to add to a disadvantaged person’s daily struggles. For the aged, disabled, or homeless, this is the situation. As a result, a neighboring KFC fast-food establishment that accepts an EBT card is a win-win situation. Most of these persons are unable to cook or lack the resources to transport raw food and prepare it at home. Is KFC a place that accepts food stamps?
Generally, SNAP rules prohibit using EBT cards to purchase hot, prepared food at the point of sale. That’s what fast-food restaurants like KFC do. They serve ready-to-eat, hot prepared meals to their customers, like the famous .
All KFC food is automatically ineligible for SNAP purchase as a result of this. Is that correct? Certainly, but not entirely, because the old, crippled, and homeless who are unable to cook require food to exist. Businesses such as KFC are eligible for the SNAP Restaurant Meals Program (RMP).
About KFC
Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) is America’s second-largest fast-food restaurant chain after McDonald’s. Headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, KFC has about 3,981 distributed across all 50 states.
SNAP-approved foods include chicken flesh and other poultry products, which can be purchased with an EBT card. However, there are some restrictions. Before you get too enthusiastic, find out if you can get chicken legs or breasts with EBT at KFC.
KFC accepts EBT in locations in Arizona, California, and Florida that participate in the Restaurant Meals Program (RMP). You must live in a state that participates in the RMP program and be permitted by your state to redeem SNAP benefits on hot or prepared items at the point of sale in order to use your EBT card at a KFC store.
However, just around six states have an operational RMP program, including California, Arizona, Michigan, Illinois, Rhode Island, and Maryland. As a result, you won’t be able to use your EBT card at most KFC restaurants around the country.
Even in states where EBT is accepted, KFC outlets are unlikely to accept SNAP benefits. It’s a good idea to phone ahead to see if a particular KFC accepts food stamps.
To learn more about how the RMP program works, read on.
Do KFC take EBT?
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Yes, KFC accepts EBT in states that participate in the Restaurant Meals Program. The RMP program is meant to allow disadvantaged groups like the elderly, people with disabilities, and the homeless to eat. Reasons being, some of them are too old to cook or don’t have the ability or the means to carry and prepare meals from EBT-accepting grocery stores.
The federal food stamps law leaves it up to each state to decide whether or not to extend SNAP through the (RMP). Each state is at liberty to choose whether or not to allow EBT cards at fast-food restaurants like KFC.
Although federal law allows it, only a few states have extended through the Restaurant Meals Program (RMP). Unless you live in any of these states, you won’t be able to purchase hot prepared meals at KFC with an EBT card. States that participate in the Restaurant Meals Program include:
- Arizona
- California
- Illinois
- Maryland
- Michigan
- Rhode Island
In addition, Florida only offers restricted versions of the RMP, and KFC, along with Taco Bell and Pizza Hut, is one of the few establishments in the state that accept EBT. Each state has its own eligibility requirements for who can and cannot use an EBT card to eat out, as well as which establishments are acceptable.
How Does the SNAP Restaurant Meals Program Work with Fast Food?
To qualify for the Restaurant Meals Program in most states, you must be under the federal poverty threshold and either elderly, homeless, or disabled.
Overall, there are a few conditions that must be met before KFC will accept EBT. With an EBT card and SNAP, you can only eat at KFC if you meet three conditions:
- You must be a resident of a state that takes part in the Restaurant Meals Program (RMP).)
- You must be aged, disabled, or destitute to qualify.
- You must meet the standards of your state to be eligible for the Restaurant Meals Program (RMP).
As a result, your issue isn’t with KFC, but with the RMP program’s state and SNAP guidelines. KFC is more likely to process your SNAP benefits and serve you a fried chicken sandwich if your state participates in the RMP program and SNAP authorizes it.
Your Takeaway: If you live in one of the six states that extend SNAP through the Restaurant Meals Program (RMP) and meet the RMP’s eligibility requirements, you can use your EBT card at KFC. Because not all KFC locations accept EBT, you should phone ahead to double-check.
How to Use EBT Card at KFC?
Electronic Benefits Transfer is the abbreviation for Electronic Benefits Transfer. It’s a type of debit card that the government uses to give food stamps and other forms of financial assistance to low-income families and other disadvantaged groups through the SNAP program.
Once you qualify to receive SNAP benefits, an account is opened under your name, where your SNAP funds are loaded every month. To spend your SNAP funds hassle-free, you are issued an EBT card locked with a 4-digit PIN that is only known to you. You won’t be able to use your EBT a debit card that does not require a PIN.
Once you find a KFC fast food restaurant that accepts EBT, go ahead and purchase your chicken or any other food of your choice. At the checkout register, swipe your card and select EBT as the payment method. You’ll be prompted to enter your PIN. Simply enter your four-digit PIN to authorize the payment and prove you’re not Using a credit card that was stolen.
What is the RMP Program?
Restaurant Meal Program (RMP) is an acronym for Restaurant Meal Program. The program is only accessible in a few states and is done on its own. In California, for example, it is known as the CalFresh Restaurant Meals Program.
The goal of these restaurant meal programs is to assist people who are at danger of becoming chronically hungry. The program is designed to assist the elderly (those over the age of 60), disabled individuals, and homeless people, as well as their families.
The initial goal of implementing this program was to provide more independence to persons receiving SNAP benefits. SNAP benefits do not allow you to purchase hot or ready-to-eat meals, therefore the restaurant meals program was a means to get around this restriction.
You can receive food benefits if you are an adult over the age of 60, a person with a medically confirmed handicap, or the spouse of someone who comes into one of these two categories, according to the CalFresh RMP. This assistance program also includes homeless persons.
How Can a Restaurant Participate in the Restaurant Meals Program?
The RMP includes a number of eateries, but they must adhere to certain requirements in order to be qualified for the program. To participate in RMP, a restaurant must be located in a state that offers the program.
Aside from that, the restaurant must also obtain state approval. They must next submit a signed agreement to the Department of Food and Nutrition Services (FNS). The FNS must also give the establishment permission to take SNAP assistance. This means that eateries cannot participate in the RMP program unless they also provide SNAP benefits to their customers.
Before being able to join in the program, restaurants must meet certain fundamental norms and conditions. Let’s use the state of Illinois as an example. Throughout the program, restaurants in this state must follow all applicable federal, state, and local laws. A public health operating authorization and general liability insurance are also required.
Additional criteria include the availability of sit-down seats, the provision of low-cost meals, and the exclusion of sales tax, meals tax, and gratuity charges. Although there are no costs associated with participating in the program, the restaurant must pay for the POS equipment it will use.
All locations of a chain of restaurants or several restaurants owned by the same person must be filed for approval. Adding new locations to the software necessitates the addition of new documentation.
After the restaurant has been accepted for the program, they will need to make some changes to the equipment they utilize. They can either purchase new EBT-accepting equipment or contact their third-party processor to have the new service added to their existing devices.
Other Fast Food Restaurants That Accept EBT
KFC isn’t the only place that takes EBT. You should be aware of other restaurants in the area that accept food stamps.
Some eateries that accept EBT in RMP-participating states are listed below:
- Blimpie
- Burger King
- Del Taco
- Dairy Queen
- Domino’s Pizza is a pizza delivery service.
- El Pollo Loco
- Firehouse Subs
- Burger Shoppe
- Carl’s Jr. is a fast-food restaurant chain.
- Chicken from Churches
- Quiznos
- Subway
- Taco Bell
- Wendy’s
- Taco Bell
- Golden Corral
- Howies on the prowl
- The Cartoon Network’s “Jack in the Box”
- Jamba Juice
- Pizza by Papa John’s
- Pizza Hut
Restaurants That Don’t accept EBT
It’s also crucial to know which restaurants don’t accept EBT, such as:
- Arby’s
- Restaurants A&W
- Chipotle Mexican Grill
- Cinnabon
- Panda Express
- Popeyes
- Qdoba Mexican Grill
- Starbucks
- Sonic Drive-In
- Panera Bread
- Wingstop
- WingStreet
- Whataburger
- White Castle
- Zaxby’s
- Shake Shack
- The Cheesecake Factory
- Tim Hortons
- Chick-fil-A
- Culver’s
- Dunkin’
- Einstein Bros. Bagels
- Five Guys Burger
- Hardee’s
- In-N-Out Burger
- Jimmy Johns is a musician from the United States.
- Long John Silvers
Alternatively, you can also use your SNAP benefits at places like Trader Joe’s is a chain of supermarkets that sells, Walgreens, CVS, Sam’s Club is a membership club that caters to, and Whole Foods.
Does KFC Accept EBT Summary
In some states that participate in the RMP program, KFC accepts EBT at select locations. Each states can choose whether or not to extend SNAP through the Restaurant Meals Program (RMP). If you live in a state that participates in the RMP program and meet the program’s eligibility requirements, you can only use your EBT card at KFC.
Since not all KFC locations accept EBT, we encourage you to call ahead to ask whether the specific location you intend to visit accepts EBT. It’s also important that you make it your habit to carry alternative payment methods like a Chip-enabled debit/credit card or cash when visiting KFC or any other fast-food restaurants mentioned above that accept EBT.
Want to order fast-food delivery from home? See our guide on EBT-accepting fast-food joints that deliver.
