Papa Murphy's does not accept EBT cards for pizza or any other food items

Papa Murphy's is a take-and-bake pizza chain where you pick up an unbaked pizza and cook it at home. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) does not permit EBT payment at Papa Murphy's because the pizzas are sold ready-to-eat or ready-to-heat, which falls outside what SNAP (the food program behind EBT cards) covers. SNAP pays only for raw or uncooked food you prepare yourself at home — not for food that has been prepared, assembled, or heated by a business.

This rule applies even though you are taking the pizza home to bake it. The moment Papa Murphy's assembles the ingredients into a pizza and packages it for sale, it becomes a prepared food item in USDA terms, regardless of whether you finish cooking it yourself.

Key Takeaways

  • Papa Murphy's does not take EBT because SNAP only covers unprepared food you cook from scratch at home, not assembled or prepared items.
  • The fact that you bake the pizza yourself at home does not change its status as a prepared food under SNAP rules.
  • Grocery stores, farmers markets, and some co-ops accept EBT for ingredients you can use to make your own pizza at home.
  • No pizza chain — whether delivery, carryout, or take-and-bake — accepts EBT for any pizza product.

What SNAP actually covers at food stores

EBT cards work at stores that sell unprepared groceries: supermarkets, farmers markets, some convenience stores, and food co-ops. You can buy flour, yeast, tomato sauce, cheese, and toppings with SNAP benefits and make pizza at home. You can also buy frozen pizzas that you bake yourself, because those are sold as raw or minimally processed food products.

The distinction is not about cooking method — it is about who did the preparation. If a business assembled it, SNAP does not cover it. If you assembled it from raw ingredients, SNAP does.

Where you cannot use EBT for food

EBT does not work at any restaurant, pizza chain, or food service business, whether the food is hot, cold, assembled, or partially cooked. This includes:

  • Domino's, Pizza Hut, Little Caesars, and all other pizza delivery or carryout chains
  • Papa Murphy's and other take-and-bake pizza shops
  • Fast food restaurants
  • Sit-down restaurants
  • Food trucks and street vendors
  • Deli counters that sell hot prepared food
  • Bakeries selling prepared baked goods

Some states run a separate program called the Restaurant Meals Program that lets certain people (usually elderly, disabled, or homeless) use SNAP at participating restaurants, but Papa Murphy's does not participate in any state's program, and the program is rare and limited.

What you can buy with EBT at a grocery store

At any store that accepts EBT, you can purchase:

  • Bread, flour, and baking ingredients
  • Produce: fresh, frozen, or canned fruits and vegetables
  • Meat, poultry, and fish (raw or frozen)
  • Dairy products: milk, cheese, yogurt, eggs
  • Frozen pizzas (uncooked or partially cooked)
  • Canned and packaged foods
  • Snack foods and beverages (with some limits on what counts as food)
  • Seeds and plants that produce food

You cannot buy hot food from a deli counter, prepared salads, rotisserie chicken, or anything the store heated or assembled before you bought it.

How to find stores that accept EBT near you

Use the USDA's official store locator at fns.usda.gov/snap/retailers. Enter your address or zip code to see every authorized SNAP retailer in your area — supermarkets, farmers markets, and co-ops. The locator shows you which stores accept EBT and what types of food they carry.

Farmers markets that accept EBT often double your benefits on produce purchases through state or local matching programs. Call ahead to confirm the market takes EBT and ask whether they offer matching.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use EBT at any pizza place if I cook it myself?

No. The rule is not about who cooks it — it is about who prepared it before sale. If a business assembled the pizza, you cannot use EBT there, even if you finish cooking it at home. You can only use EBT at grocery stores to buy ingredients and make pizza from scratch yourself.

What about frozen pizza from a grocery store?

Yes, you can use EBT to buy frozen pizza at a grocery store. Frozen pizzas are considered unprepared food because they are sold in a raw or minimally processed state, even though you heat them at home. The key is that the store did not assemble them as a prepared meal for you to eat.

Does Papa Murphy's take any government benefits?

Papa Murphy's accepts standard payment methods like debit cards, credit cards, and cash, but not EBT or SNAP. Some locations may accept other programs, but you should call ahead to confirm. No pizza chain accepts EBT.

Can I use EBT at a restaurant if I have a disability?

Some states run the Restaurant Meals Program for elderly, disabled, or homeless people, but it is rare and Papa Murphy's does not participate. Check your state's SNAP office website to see if your state offers this program and which restaurants participate. Most people with disabilities still use EBT only at grocery stores.

What if I buy a frozen pizza and the store heats it for me?

If the store heats or prepares the pizza after you buy it, you cannot use EBT for that transaction. EBT covers the frozen pizza itself, but not the service of heating it. You would need to pay out of pocket for any preparation service.