Can You Buy a Wedding or Birthday Cake With Food Stamps?
This information is current as of April 16, 2022.
Weddings and birthdays are memorable experiences that can run up a hefty bill. So if you receive food stamps through your state’s SNAP, you may be asking, “Can you buy a wedding cake with food stamps?”
You can buy a wedding or birthday cake with food stamps if the store or bakery accepts food stamp payments. Some retailers may not allow you to personalize the cake. In contrast, others will add on decorations for free or extra charge.
This article will help you find a retailer in your area that makes fresh cakes for weddings and birthdays and break down how to use your food stamps at bakeries and stores near you.
How to Buy a Wedding or Birthday Cake With Food Stamps
Although many people still use the term food stamps, the SNAP program currently gives out benefits through EBT cards. These cards are used like debit cards to purchase approved food items at select retailers.
The federal SNAP page provides guidelines around what SNAP can and cannot purchase. Still, there is little to no mention of bakery items in these guidelines. The prohibited list does include hot prepared meals. However, we can assume bakery items do not count because things like bread, cookies, and cakes are cooled down before selling.
To purchase a wedding or birthday cake with food stamps, you’ll need to:
- Find an EBT-accepting bakery near you
- Choose a pre-made birthday or wedding cake
- Ask about additional decoration costs
- Purchase your cake
1. Find An EBT-Accepting Bakery Near You
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) provides a SNAP retailer locater online to help you find all of the places that accept SNAP in your area. Choose your city and enter your zip code to see a complete list of grocery stores and bakeries in your area.
If you’re not familiar with these stores, you may want to call ahead to make sure they sell cakes for special occasions.
Below is a list of the most common bakeries and grocery stores with bakeries across the U.S. that accept SNAP payments.
- Meijer
- Great Harvest Bread Company
- Walmart
- Kroger
- Aunt Millie’s Bakery Outlet
- Whole Foods
- WinCo Foods
- Food Giant
- Vons
- Shoprite
- Piggly Wiggly
- Winn-Dixie
- Food Lion
- Fred Myer
- Wegmans
- Franz Bakery Outlets
- Hy-Vee
- Publix
- Aldi
- Bimbo Bakery Outlets
- Tops Friendly Markets
- Albertsons
- Pepperidge Farm Outlet Stores
- Safeway
2. Choose a Premade Birthday or Wedding Cake
Most bakeries only accept SNAP payments for pre-made cakes. This means you probably won’t be able to custom-order a cake with the exact fillings and icing you want. However, you can always try your luck and ask the bakery employee themselves. There’s a chance you may be able to custom order your cake’s flavors while paying with EBT.
If your bakery only offers pre-made cakes in exchange for food stamps, not to worry. Most retailers on the list offer plenty of cake options, from fruity flavors to delicious chocolate layers.
3. Ask About Additional Decoration Costs
If you’re preparing for a birthday or wedding, you may want a personalized message written on your cake. This could be a “Happy Birthday” message or maybe a miniature bride and groom figurine to place on a wedding cake.
Each retailer has different procedures and prices for decorating pre-made cakes. Some may add a short message for free, while others will charge a separate fee. While you can pay for your cake with your EBT card, you won’t be able to use EBT for decorative charges or additions to your cake.
This means you should bring extra cash or another form of payment if you plan to add on any extras to your cake.
The best way to find out how much your design will cost and what payment methods are accepted is by asking the bakery employees directly. An alternative option would be to add decorations to the cake yourself. While messages may be trickier, you can economically add small figurines from the Dollar Store to spruce up your cake for any occasion.
4. Purchase Your Cake
Once your cake is ready to go, it’s time to pay for it with your food stamps. Take the cake to the nearest register, whether at the bakery section or the regular checkout. Let the teller know you’ll be paying with your EBT card.
Once they’ve scanned the cake, swipe, tap, or insert your card into the card machine. Enter your PIN and confirm the transaction. Suppose you have any additional non-SNAP items or extra decoration charges. In that case, you’ll then have to pay for those with another payment method.
Now it’s time to enjoy that special event!
Making a Cake with Food Stamps
Don’t have access to EBT-accepting bakeries? Are all the cakes in your local bakery expensive? You could try to make your special-event cake at home.
You can use your food stamps to buy all the necessary ingredients to bake a cake. Then, you can use an easy-for-beginners recipe to create a delicious dessert if you’re new to baking. You can even top it off with homemade, simple vanilla icing.
Birthday and Wedding Freebies
Birthday and wedding celebrations don’t have to stop at the party. There are plenty of freebies for both birthday boys/girls and newlyweds alike.
If the birthday is for a special boy or girl, check out these 25 birthday freebies for kids. Engaged couples and newlyweds can also enjoy these freebies and hacks for adults.
Final Thoughts
So, can you buy a wedding cake with food stamps? As long as the bakery accepts EBT payments, you should be able to quickly buy a pre-made wedding or birthday cake with your food stamps.
Personalized cakes or extra decorations may cost you extra out-of-pocket. Still, you can usually find pre-made cakes that already have some birthday message or unique event decorations.
Overall, let SNAP help you enjoy your special day. But, then, it’s time to have your cake and eat it too!
Save Money on Your Wireless Phone Service
Are you looking for assistance with your wireless phone service? If you qualify for SNAP benefits you may be eligible for Lifeline or the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). Both Lifeline and ACP are government programs that help low-income consumers receive free or heavily discounted communication services.
Click here to find out more and apply for this valuable benefit.
Get a Tablet for $10.01
If you qualify, you can get an 8″ tablet for just $10.01. Apply here to get started!
