EBT is an easy way to get the financial assistance you need to cover food costs. While you may spend your benefits on groceries, you might also want to treat yourself or your kids.
Before you head to the ice cream shop, consider if you can use EBT. If not, you’ll need to find another way to pay.
Table of Contents
Can You Use EBT at Baskin Robbins?
You can’t use EBT to pay for ice cream or other products at Baskin Robbins. The store isn’t part of the EBT program, so even if the employees want to help, they can’t. Baskin Robbins would need to apply with the government to be able to accept EBT benefits.
Fortunately, there are other ways to pay for Baskin Robbins or to get the ice cream you want. That way, you can still enjoy a treat every once in a while.
Why Baskin Robbins Doesn’t Take EBT?
Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) is a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) program. Stores have to apply to the program and meet USDA requirements to be able to take EBT payments.
Odds are, Baskin Robbins hasn’t applied to this program. Or if they have, the USDA determined that Baskin Robbins didn’t meet the requirements. Odds are they probably won’t qualify because they don’t sell staple foods, such as produce, dairy, meat, and breads or cereals.
The USDA also doesn’t usually approve restaurants, though there are exceptions. Either way, Baskin Robbins is such a specialty store that they’ll probably never accept EBT payments. You’ll need to find a way to buy the ice cream if you still want it.
Other Methods to Pay for Baskin Robbins
If you’re on EBT, you can still enjoy some Baskin Robbins. But you’ll need to find another form of payment to cover the transaction.
Before you head to your local ice cream shop, consider your options. The following are some of the best ways to pay for ice cream.
Some are riskier than others, so consider your situation to make sure you can afford the treat.
Credit Card
One of the easiest ways to pay for Baskin Robbins is to put the total on a credit card. You’ll still have to pay for it, but you can hold off until the end of the billing cycle.
If you’re tight on cash, you can even pay it off over time. But you need to be careful, especially since EBT means you probably don’t have much money overall.
You’ll want to determine if it’s worth spending money on the ice cream and potentially on interest if you can’t pay it off this month. Sometimes, that’s worth it, but it’s not for everyone.
Gift Card
Another option is to use a gift card, either specifically for Baskin Robbins or a general Visa gift card. You can ask family and friends for gift cards for your birthday or holiday gifts.
Then, you’ll be able to use the card balance to cover your next ice cream trip. Of course, this may not be available all of the time.
You also might have to be patient and wait for your next gift. But you won’t have to risk going into further debt just to enjoy some ice cream.
Borrow From a Friend
Maybe you and a friend are hanging out and one of you decides to get ice cream. If you want to partake, you can ask your friend to lend you the cash.
That way, you can both enjoy a treat right now. You can pay them back over time or when you get your next paycheck.
Now, you should only do this if you know you can pay someone back. Don’t let a small trip and the following debt ruin your relationship.
Save Your Cash
Another option that requires some patience is to save the cash yourself. If you know you want to go to Baskin Robbins in a month, plan ahead.
Try to save $2 a week for the next few weeks. After a month, you’ll have $8, which is plenty to spend on ice cream. If you want to bring your family, you may need to save more, such as $20 to feed all of you.
Consider saving any change you get back when you use cash for other things. Then, you can put it all in a jar and count it up before heading to Baskin Robbins.
Use EBT to Buy Baskin Robbins
Maybe you don’t have any other payment options but really want Baskin Robbins. While you can’t go to the ice cream shop, you can find it at a grocery store.
Check your local stores to see if they carry cartons of Baskin Robbins flavors. The selection may be smaller than at the shop, but it’s something.
Of course, you’ll want to make sure that the grocery store accepts EBT payments. If so, you can grab a carton of ice cream and check out like normal. You can pay for any other groceries you have, and you and your family can enjoy a sweet treat at home.
Sadly, EBT isn’t an acceptable payment method at Baskin Robbins. The ice cream store doesn’t qualify to participate in the EBT program based on USDA guidelines. But you can use a credit card or cash to visit the store. Alternatively, you can find Baskin Robbins ice cream in some grocery stores that do take EBT payments.