William Lipovsky
While World Market sells a variety of international foods, its stores generally don’t take EBT.
However, since individual stores apply for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) approval, the policy varies by location.[1][2][3]
We contacted various World Market locations across the U.S., including Alabama, Florida, Kansas, Michigan, New Mexico, and Oregon; none of the stores I checked accept EBT.
You also can’t use EBT for purchases at World Market’s website.[4]
Store Eligibility
SNAP is overseen by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
To become a USDA-authorized EBT/SNAP retailer, a World Market store must meet one of the following criteria:[5]
- Must stock a specific variety and quantity of staple food items
- Must make more than 50% of its gross retail sales from staple food items
World Market stores typically carry more housewares than staple food items, so most locations do not meet the above requirements.[1][3]
Finding EBT-Approved Locations
Corporate representatives for World Market were unable to confirm the total number of EBT-approved stores.[2]
You can contact your nearest World Market to find out about its status as a SNAP-approved retailer or check the USDA’s SNAP retailer locator.
If your local World Market doesn’t take EBT, the SNAP retailer locator will show other stores nearby where you can use your SNAP benefits.
You can also see my list of stores that accept EBT.
EBT-Eligible Purchases
At approved stores, SNAP recipients can only use benefits to buy food items like bread, meat, and packaged snacks.
Before shopping at a participating World Market or elsewhere, check out my list of what you can and can’t buy with EBT.
