Can You Use WIC At Aldi?

WIC, or the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, was founded in the 1970s as a way of ensuring that pregnant women and new mothers, as well as their newborns and toddlers, had access to nutritious foods. Each mother gets an allotment of money to purchase very specific items, like milk, cheese, juice, eggs, and other wholesome items, and it even covers baby formula. However, that baby formula is the sticking point for why the fastest-growing supermarket chain in the U.S., as well as one of the cheapest, Aldi, does not accept WIC.

As mentioned, the WIC program is very specific about what types of foods are eligible to be purchased, and that includes, in some cases, which brands moms can buy. WIC's federal guidelines stipulate that only name-brand formulas can be purchased through the financial assistance program (the specific brand varies by state, but only one is given a contract in each state). So Aldi is automatically disqualified; the mostly in-house brand-selling supermarket chain only sells its own brand of formula.

It's an all-or-nothing deal, too; retailers must meet all of the qualifications, including the requirements put forth by each individual state in which the chains are present. So even if Aldi did start to carry the appropriate name brands (which isn't likely, but still), it's a lot of paperwork to become a WIC-friendly retailer.

While Aldi does not accept WIC due to incompatibility of product offerings, the German grocery chain does accept SNAP EBT. SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly known as food stamps), and EBT Cash are accepted at all Aldi locations, and you can use it in the "manned" checkout lane (where the cashiers are seated) or the self-checkout kiosks, if your store has those. And it couldn't be any easier, either; you'll just swipe the card like it's a debit or credit card, and the machine will automatically read that it's EBT. Then, you can select EBT Food (SNAP) or EBT Cash.

Pretty much all of Aldi's food is covered by SNAP, because the only food restrictions that would apply are on alcohol — which some Aldi stores sell — and hot, prepared foods, which no Aldi stores sell. Of course, any of its non-food items, including its many blink-and-you'll-miss-them Aldi Finds, are also not eligible under SNAP guidelines.

Even better, if you don't want to enter an Aldi store — the lack of self-control inside these supermarkets is real — you can also use your SNAP EBT benefits through the retailer's pick-up and delivery partner, Instacart. While benefits are not for use on any fees (pick-up or delivery, including tip) that you might incur, you can nonetheless pay for your groceries using SNAP, with the convenience of online shopping. Just add your EBT card as a form of payment to your Instacart account.