Ohio EBT Card Balance
Program: SNAP · Administered by Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS), delivered locally through county Job and Family Services offices
Updated August 2026
Ohio's SNAP benefits are loaded onto a card commonly known as the Ohio Direction Card, administered by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) through local county Job and Family Services offices. Each month, your approved SNAP benefit deposits automatically onto the card, which works like a debit card at grocery stores and other authorized retailers.
How to Check Your Ohio 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 Ohio 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 Ohio 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 Ohio.
Ohio SNAP Income Limits
The federal SNAP gross income limit is 130% of the Federal Poverty Level, and unlike many other states, Ohio has not raised that limit through Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility (BBCE); the current USDA Food and Nutrition Service chart confirms Ohio's gross income threshold remains at the federal standard of 130%. Where Ohio does use BBCE is on the asset side: the program generally does not apply a separate savings or resource test, so a household's bank balance or vehicle value typically isn't counted against SNAP eligibility, even though the income limit itself stays at 130%.
| 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 Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS), delivered locally through county Job and Family Services offices.
EBT Fraud & Card Skimming Protection
Protect your benefits from theft
Skimming and cloning of EBT cards, where thieves copy a card's stripe data and PIN to create a duplicate, has affected SNAP households across the country, including Ohio. Federal law required states to reimburse benefits stolen this way between October 2022 and December 20, 2024, but that federal replacement authority has since expired and Congress has not renewed it, so there is no automatic guarantee of reimbursement for benefits stolen today.
If your Ohio Direction Card is lost, stolen, or you suspect skimming, call ODJFS's EBT Customer Service line at 1-866-386-3071 right away to freeze the card and request a replacement. Since May 13, 2026, Ohio Direction Cards also default to blocking online and out-of-state purchases as an added layer of protection; you can temporarily unlock the card through ConnectEBT.com, the ConnectEBT app, or by phone when you need to make one of those purchases. Beyond that, never share your PIN, change it regularly, and check your balance often to spot anything unusual quickly.
Ohio-Specific EBT Information
Starting May 13, 2026, ODJFS changed the default settings on the Ohio Direction Card so that online purchases and out-of-state purchases are blocked automatically as an anti-fraud measure. Cardholders now have to actively unlock the card for a 30, 60, or 90-minute window through ConnectEBT.com, the ConnectEBT app, or by phone before making an online or out-of-state purchase; in-state, in-person purchases are unaffected by the change.