Posted on 10/28/2009 5:11:06 PM PDT by Justaham
PORTLAND, Ore. - With many families suddenly struggling to feed themselves, the big warehouse clubs known for king-size packages of steak and jumbo boxes of Cheerios are increasingly competing with grocery stores for the 36 million Americans now on food stamps.
Costco Wholesale Corp. said Wednesday that it would start accepting food stamps at its warehouse clubs nationwide after testing them at stores in New York. That is a big about-face for a chain that has catered to the bargain-hunting affluent with its gourmet foods, and a reflection of the fact food-stamp use has hit new highs.
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
Gee will they accept food stamps for their membership fee?
The article said they won’t accept food stamps for membership dues.
Excellent question. You don’t need a membership to buy alcohol (in California). So if food stampers can buy without a membership, why would I continue to shop there and support that?
I didn’t think food stamps could be turned down anywhere.
“Americas a great country. Someday we’ll drive to the poor house in the finest automobiles’’.- Will Rogers. Yup, folks will be driving up in Cadillac Esplanades paying for grub with food stamps. What a country.
Wonder how this will work with the 2% Executive Membership rebate program?
How about California IOU’s? Any chance they’ll take those?
Well that does it I refuse to pay to shop in a store that allows those people in!
Well, I hope that Costco will be opening special checkout lines for Food Stampers, or this customer is histoi.
NOT going to stand in line all damned day waiting for the cashiers to sort out each and every item of purchase. Seems like all too many Stampers require the cashiers to think for them.
‘Seems like all too many Stampers require the cashiers to think for them.’
They already require us to buy the food for them. The butcher shop I go to accepts the Link card so I try not to go around the first of each month.
I was in there and asked them about it and they said they DID NOT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT. They asked where I heard this from and I said the local paper!
I’ll bet they have been losing money because of so many losing jobs and not affording to shop there like they once did.
Yes, in AZ not every store accepts them. You cannot buy alcohol with the food stamps debit card either which is a good thing.
In AZ it is a debit card and you use it just like you would your bank debit card.
The Russian community in New York has been doing just that for years.
Since my comment I’ve found that a permit is required for a store to accept food stamps. Apparently Costco has simply never seen the need for the permit. I guess I’ve just never seen any stores that didn’t accept them before.
I don’t believe alcohol has ever been something that someone could buy on grub stubs.
Ditto. The lines at my local Costco are far too often so long that I have been known to abandon my cart with 3 or 4 items and buy them elsewhere.
For us, Costco is good for things such as milk, eggs, butter, bananas, their kitchen trash bags.......
I did not know a permit was needed to accept food stamps.
And I have seen much shorter lines over the last year or so at our local Costco.
I believe food stamps are still under the control of the department of agriculture so a permit doesn’t surprise me.
Years ago a girlfriend of mine tried using food stamps in Frisco Texas and was told that they don’t accept Michigan stamps in Texas. We later found that it was false because they’re part of a federal program.
They sure can be turned down. Dearborn Sausage doesn’t accept them. I will go out of my way to shop at a store that does NOT accept food stamps.
Food stamps are not accepted in many stores in LA. Perhaps Michigan has different rules.
A food stamp debit card issued by Louisiana can't be used outside of Louisiana. Someone told me this just the other day, because I suggested that she drive to Vicksburg to shop at a larger WalMart Supercenter.
Wow, the animosity towards people who are trying to feed their families during a rough time. Who cares? Flame away..
I post this because I’ve met hard times and actually applied for the 40 bucks a week ill get if I’m approved. I’m trying to get on my feet.
No worries, goeminoles. I’ve met people who have met hard times in the last year, and they too have applied for food stamps to survive.
Households can use food stamp benefits to buy breads,
cereals, fruits, vegetables, meats, fish, poultry, dairy, and
plants and seeds to grow food for your household to eat.Households cannot use food stamp benefits to buy nonfood
items such as pet foods, soaps, paper products, household
supplies, grooming items, alcoholic beverages, tobacco,
vitamins, medicines, food to eat in the store, or hot foods.
Some of the posts on here are pretty sad indicators of how even Good Folks can think sometimes.
If things continue the way this administration wants it to continue .. Don’t be surprised if You wake up one day to find that YOU have become one of the very same folks that you disdain!
Yep—that is the way it is in Arizona, also.
What do you mean “someday”, the FS Queens have been driving up to my store in Caddies, Lincolns, etc. with spinners for years.
Towards the end of the article, the author says that the stores want to keep the business when the economy gets better. He’s assuming these Queens will actually get off food stamps. Hasn’t happened here. They’re on for life - and their children’s lives, and their children’s lives.....
Yes, permits are required for retailers. You also have to stock certain items in each dept. to be eligible. Something like a 7-11 doesn’t qualify because they don’t carry enough foodstuffs. The retailer can also refuse to play. I get inspected by the state once per year to be sure I carry all the qualifying items.
You cannot buy alcohol, tobacco, or dry goods on food stamps. Nor prepared food from the deli.
Oh yes it can. My point-of-sale system is set up to accept all states. Like someone said earlier in the responses, it is a federal program. Enforcement however, is performed by the individual states.
Just about all the convenience stores here, including 7-11, accept the Washington State EBT cards now. They have signs up stating that in their windows. Eligible items are charged separately from non-eligible items electronically; no need to sort them out physically (an earlier comment was unclear on this).
My POS (point-of-sale)system does the same thing. At the end of the sale, the non-eliglibe balance is due. Each item on the receipt has a designator as to whether it is FS eligible or not. The Queens still argue with me even though they have been on food stamps their entire adult life.
My local 7-11’s don’t accept them as they don’t carry the requisite items. the ones in your area must.
I can't argue with you, as I have never had a food stamp debit card, but I am telling you that the State of Louisiana states, in writing, that the EBT cards can't be used outside of this state.
I understand that the food stamp program, as a whole, is a federal program administered by the Dept. of Agriculture. It is one of the largest budget items of that department. The debit cards that I see being used in the stores have a nice graphic of the Louisiana map and read that they are the property of the State of Louisiana. Apparently the state administers the federal funds.
Yeah what’s the problem? Anyway I work inside a Costco (but not for Costco) and the thing is that people are having to move in with their parents, or that people are losing their homes and jobs in this bad economy so they are moving back home or in with relatives. Well of course Costco sells bulk items so it’s a good dead for a big family or a lot of people living in the same home to shop for the bulk deals at Costco. I say welcome, because when Costco is doing more business my job is more secure too.
lefty red diaper owner
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