Alabama EBT Card Balance
Program: Food Assistance Program · Administered by Alabama Department of Human Resources (DHR), through its Food Assistance Division
Updated August 2026
Alabama calls its SNAP program the Food Assistance Program, and it's run by the Alabama Department of Human Resources (DHR) through county DHR offices across the state. Approved households don't receive a paper check or coupons — their monthly benefit is loaded automatically onto an EBT (Electronic Benefit Transfer) card that works like a debit card at grocery stores, farmers markets, and other authorized retailers.
Because the money loads on a set day each month rather than arriving all at once with a receipt, it's easy to lose track of exactly what's left on the card, especially when a household is stretching benefits across several trips to the store. Checking your balance before you shop is the simplest way to avoid a declined transaction at the register.
How to Check Your Alabama EBT Balance
Check online
Log in with your card number to view your balance and transaction history.
https://www.connectebt.comUse the mobile app
ConnectEBT is the official app for Alabama EBT cardholders, available on iOS and Android.
Check your last receipt
Your remaining balance is printed at the bottom of the receipt from your most recent EBT purchase.
Where You Can Use Your Alabama EBT Card
Your EBT card works like a debit card at any USDA-authorized retailer nationwide — major grocery chains and big-box stores such as Walmart, Target, Kroger, Costco, Sam's Club, Aldi, Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, and most local and regional supermarkets, plus many convenience stores and farmers markets. A growing number of retailers, including Walmart.com and Amazon, also accept SNAP EBT for online grocery orders in many areas, though delivery and service fees usually can't be paid with benefits.
SNAP benefits cover food and food-producing seeds or plants, but not hot prepared foods, alcohol, tobacco, or non-food items — some states also restrict specific items like soda or candy, noted below if it applies to Alabama.
Alabama SNAP Income Limits
The federal government's standard rule for SNAP is that a household's gross monthly income can't exceed 130% of the federal poverty level. Alabama follows that standard limit rather than raising it further — unlike many other states, Alabama has not adopted a broader Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility policy that lifts the ceiling to 200%.
In practice, that means most Alabama households need gross income at or below 130% of the poverty line to qualify for the Food Assistance Program, though households where everyone is elderly or has a disability only have to meet a net income test after deductions, not the gross income test.
| Household Size | Max Monthly Gross Income |
|---|---|
| 1 | $1,729 |
| 2 | $2,344 |
| 3 | $2,960 |
| 4 | $3,575 |
| 5 | $4,190 |
| 6 | $4,806 |
| 7 | $5,421 |
| 8 | $6,036 |
For each additional household member beyond 8, add about $615/month. Based on 2026 federal poverty guidelines at 130% — figures update annually and individual eligibility depends on more than gross income, so confirm your exact amount with Alabama Department of Human Resources (DHR), through its Food Assistance Division.
EBT Fraud & Card Skimming Protection
Protect your benefits from theft
EBT cards nationwide have been targeted by criminals who attach hidden skimming devices to card readers and ATMs to capture card numbers and PINs, then clone the card and drain the account remotely. Congress temporarily allowed states to use federal funds to reimburse SNAP households for benefits stolen this way between October 2022 and December 20, 2024, but that authority expired at the end of 2024 and, as of mid-2026, has not been renewed — several bills to restore it are pending in Congress but none have passed.
Alabama has been hit especially hard, with reports putting statewide EBT theft losses in the tens of millions of dollars, and DHR has confirmed it's no longer able to process new claims for benefits stolen after the federal deadline passed. If your card or PIN is compromised, call your county DHR office or the EBT Customer Service line at 1-800-997-8888 right away to cancel the card. Don't share your PIN with anyone, check your balance regularly so you notice unauthorized charges quickly, and ask DHR about getting a chip-enabled card if one is available in your county.
Alabama-Specific EBT Information
One thing that sets Alabama apart right now is the scale of its EBT fraud problem: state officials and local news outlets have reported Alabama among the hardest-hit states in the country for card-skimming losses, prompting DHR to caution recipients repeatedly about phone scammers impersonating the agency and to push for more secure, chip-enabled EBT cards.