Skip to content But the rollout has been uneven and controversial — with critics saying these restrictions police the choices of low‑income families and ignore the fact that many people choose these items legitimately within tight budgets. Additionally, the restrictions don’t prevent someone from buying these items outright with cash — just with SNAP benefits — which critics argue could create confusion at checkout or add complexity to already tight household budgets.
2. “Split Tender” at Checkout Is Being Introduced
Alongside purchase restrictions, a new checkout process — often called **“split tender” — is starting to be implemented in some areas.
Under this system, if someone using SNAP benefits attempts to purchase both eligible and restricted items in the same transaction, the EBT card will automatically separate the purchase at checkout. Food