[proud American in Canada]

No, it isn’t right. I guess at least the kids would be eating.

But I don’t know how the EBT works. Can any store accept it? Even a liquor store (I would hope not).

Can people use the card to buy something, then return it and get cash?

[sheana]

There are 2 different types of benefits loaded on an ebt card. One is cash, which they can use just like a debit card almost anywhere now. The other is food stamps which can be spent anywhere they take food stamps.

[steve86]

Can people use the card to buy something, then return it and get cash?

You can't do that with the food (SNAP) part of it unless the store refunded money without seeing the receipt (might work once or twice). With the cash part (TANF), yes, because the item was purchased with cash (debit) to begin with. Stores have to be enrolled in the TANF and/or SNAP programs with the correct terminals to accept either one.

[bytesmith]

Can people use the card to buy something, then return it and get cash?

They buy with the EBT card and then sell the item(s) for cash.

[AuH2ORepublican]

“Can people use the card to buy something, then return it and get cash?”

---

I don’t think so, but last year I read a terrific article from National Review’s Kevin Williamson in which he explains how cases of EBT Pepsi are exchanged in the black market and pretty much are the basic unit of currency in much of Appalachia.

Here, I found it: http://m.nationalreview.com/article/367903/white-ghetto-kevin-d-williamson

As Williamson says, beautiful country, but with a broken society thanks to Big Government.