Hey guys I had a reader reach out to me and asked a question about using EBT and coupons.
Here is her situation…(for name sake, I’m gonna call her Jane.)
Jane has been following the site and has been trying to shop with competitor and manufacture coupons but she has been paying with her EBT card. Jane has noticed that when she puts non-food items with her food item transaction; and after all coupons are used, EBT is paying for all the food items but she is left with paying for her non-food items (even though she had coupons for them).
Now, here is the problem…Jane knows that with a competitor coupon paired with a manufacture coupon she is supposed to get her non-food item free.
She has asked iheartbi-lo, What is she doing wrong and how to fix the problem still using her EBT to pay for your transactions.
Okay, after some investigation and sitting down and talking in great length to one of my Bi-LO managers; we have a solution!!!
If you are paying with an EBT card make sure all coupons are going in correctly. First, all competitor coupons are considered to be Bi-LO store coupon (or at least that is how the cashier is putting them into the system). Now, Bi-LO cashiers can put these coupons into their system two ways: as a store food item or as a store non-food item.
When Jane is left paying full price for her non-food item, the cashier has put the competitor coupon in the sytem as a store food coupon!!! Basically, it takes more money off the transaction that holds all the food items. Leaving you paying full price for the non-food item.
Hope this helps, Jane. Good luck!
*Please feel free if you have a comment about this subject or you have a suggestion to others out there that are in similar situations.
Yes, I am in a situation where I too have to have a little help with groceries and have EBT. I noticed the same thing happening with me and my solution was to just separate the non-food from the food. It made it so much more easier than monitoring how the cashier was putting in the coupon. Hope this helps.