In the quiet kitchens of Texas, a blue and white plastic card has become a support system for millions. The SNAP Benefits Lone Star Card, more than just a piece of plastic, is the modern face of a social contract, a bridge between need and nutrition in the nation’s second-largest state.
It works with the discretion of a debit card, but its payload is unique: the benefits of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps, and in some cases, cash assistance.
Use Your SNAP EBT Card in Thousands of Stores in Texas
It’s accepted at any establishment displaying the “EBT Accepted” or “We accept SNAP benefits” sign, from the sprawling H-E-B stores in the suburbs to the family-run grocery stores on the dusty backroads of the Rio Grande Valley. This ubiquity of its use is perhaps its most powerful feature of this tool, designed to dilute the stigma in the simplicity of a magnetic swipe.
But behind this mundane interface lies a complex system, a deposit schedule that dictates the monthly rhythm for countless households. This is where the bureaucracy becomes personalized. For families who entered the system after June 1, 2020, the day the funds magically appear in their account is determined by the last two digits of their Eligibility Determination Group (EDG) number. A code that seems random, but which assigns dates between the 16th and 28th of each month.
TX SNAP Benefits Certified After June 1st, 2020
- If your EDG ends in 00-03, the benefits are available on the 16th of the month.
- If it ends in 04-06, the 17th.
- For those ending in 07-10, the 18th.
- Termination 11-13: day 19.
- Termination 14-17: day 20.
- Termination 18-20: day 21.
- Termination 21-24: day 22.
- Termination 25-27: day 23.
- Termination 28-31: day 24.
- Termination 32-34: day 25.
- Termination 35-38: day 26.
- Termination 39-41: day 27.
- Termination 42-45: day 28.
- Termination 46-49: day 27.
- Termination 50-53: day 28.
- Termination 54-57: day 16.
- Termination 58-60: day 17.
- Termination 61-64: day 18.
- Termination 65-67: day 19.
- Termination 68-71: day 20.
- Termination 72-74: day 21.
- Termination 75-78: day 22.
- Termination 79-81: day 23.
- Termination 82-85: day 24.
- Termination 86-88: day 25.
- Termination 89-92: day 26.
- Termination 93-95: day 27.
- Termination 96-99: day 28.
TX SNAP Benefits Certified Before June 1st, 2020
There is, however, a group that operates on a different cycle, a vestige of the previous system. Households certified before that pivotal date of June 2020 receive their benefits in the first half of the month, governed only by the last digit of their EDG (Early Childhood Development Certificate).
- A final digit ‘0’ means funds on the first day of the month.
- Digit ‘1’: day 3.
- Digit ‘2’: day 5.
- Digit ‘3’: day 6.
- Digit ‘4’: day 7.
- Digit ‘5’: day 9.
- Digit ‘6’: day 11.
- Digit ‘7’: day 12.
- Digit ‘8’: day 13.
- A digit ‘9’ implies a wait until the 15th.
Use Your Smartphone to Control Your SNAP Benefits
The key to mastering this digital system isn’t a state secret, but a smartphone app. Companies like Propel have created tools that transform your phone into a control center for your survival budget. Check balances, track transactions, even find nearby stores that accept EBT—all from a touchscreen.
This pairing of social assistance with cutting-edge technology represents the forced evolution of public aid, attempting to bridge the digital divide while addressing a basic need.
Take Control of Your SNAP Benefits
When the card is lost or the PIN is forgotten, a statewide hotline, 1-800-777-7328, can bring a fast yet safe solution. And for those seeking to enter the system, the path, though intricate, has clear pathways. The online application through the Texas Health and Human Services portal is the most common route.
For those less connected, a call to the Texas SNAP hotline (1-877-541-7905) can direct them to a local office, where human interaction takes over. Food banks, scattered throughout the state, act as beacons of practical help, offering application assistance in addition to food.
What Are the Maximum SNAP Benefit Amounts This Year?
For the 48 contiguous states and the District of Columbia, in January 2026, the maximum monthly SNAP amounts begin at $298 for one person. They go up to $546 for two, $785 for three, and $994 for a four-person household. For larger families, the maximum allowance is $1,183 for five people, $1,421 for six, $1,571 for seven, and $1,789 for eight. An additional payment of $224 is made for each person after the eighth.
It is important to note that the minimum benefit for one- or two-person households remains at $24, and that these amounts are higher in Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, and the Virgin Islands.
