Can You Buy Charcoal With SNAP/Food Stamps/EBT? Answered

You cannot buy Charcoal with your SNAP benefits/EBT card.

Though charcoal can be used for food preparation, SNAP benefits are only valid for food intended to be eaten at home; other household supplies, like charcoal or cleaning products, are not EBT-eligible.

Charcoal is most commonly purchased in briquette form for cooking and grilling, but some people take activated charcoal as a dietary supplement. Even in this form, you cannot use your SNAP benefits to buy charcoal; vitamins and medicines are excluded.

We confirmed this information by checking official SNAP program documentation from the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service.

For information about what you can buy with EBT, see our list of eligible and ineligible items. You may also want to see our list of grocery stores that accept EBT.