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Frequently Asked Questions
Get answers about Double Up Food Bucks New York. Not in NYS? Visit the National Network.
General Program Questions
Field & Fork Network’s Double Up Food Bucks program is New York State’s healthy food incentive program. This program doubles the value of federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) nutrition benefits spent at participating farmers’ markets and mobile markets, helping people bring home more locally grown fruits and vegetables.
When you use SNAP, Double Up matches your fruit and vegetable purchases dollar for dollar, up to $20 a day. That means families can get twice the fresh fruits and veggies.
Anyone using SNAP benefits is automatically eligible for the program. If you have an EBT Card, you are eligible for Double Up.
Statewide, more than 220 grocery stores, co-op grocery stores, mobile markets, farmers markets, farm stands and corner stores participate in Double Up. Find a location or call us at 800-682-5016 to find a participating site near you.
Double Up Food Bucks can only be used to purchase New York-grown fruits & vegetables, herbs and produce bearing plants.
Visit the information booth or ask a cashier at any participating Double Up Food Bucks market for more information. As long as you use SNAP benefits, you qualify for the program!
In most locations, Double Up Food Bucks runs from July 1 through October 31. In our Healthy Corner Stores, grocery locations, and some year-round farmers/mobile markets, year-round access to the program is available. Shoppers that spend SNAP benefits can use the program every day that participating locations are open!
You can recommend a location to us or call us at 800.682.5016 to tell us where you want Double Up to take root in your area.
Visit our Community Resources page for other New York food assistance resources to help you and your family.
No, Double Up does not match WIC purchases.
Call 3-1-1 or visit Access NYC to get immediate support finding emergency food programs, food pantries, community meals, and more.
For more programs and resources, visit our Community Resources page.
In order to qualify for SNAP benefits, you must meet certain requirements for income and expenses determined by the State of New York. To see if you qualify and apply for benefits, go to www.mybenefits.ny.gov or call 1-800-342-3009. You can also contact your local food bank for information on where to go in your community to apply for benefits, or call the United Way’s 2-1-1 service (dial 2-1-1 on any phone).
If you shop with a Double Up card, you can call the number on the back of the card or ask a staff member at the market or store you are visiting to check your balance for you.
There are many ways to get involved. We always appreciate help spreading the word and have free flyers and posters about the program in English and Spanish. You can download them on our Resources page, call 800-682-5016, or email us to get hard copies.
Double Up at the Grocery Store and Corner Store
Double Up Food Bucks works slightly different at retail locations than at farmers markets. There are also small differences between participating grocery stores.
There are a few different ways the program works in grocery and corner store locations:
- Coupon: With eligible purchases, you receive up to a $5 coupon with the value of your Double Up Food Bucks that you can redeem on your next visit.
- Loyalty card: At corner stores and some participating Farmers Markets, you can swipe your Loyalty Card with your EBT card when you check out, and all of your points will be stored on your card. The points never expire, and can be used at any location that accepts the card.
- Double Up Food Bucks card: Some stores use the Double Up Food Bucks loyalty card that you can swipe with your EBT card when you check out. Your Double Up Food Bucks are stored on your card.
As of July 2023, Tops Markets has initiated a pilot program offering Double Up Food Bucks in two select locations:
- Jefferson-Riley Tops located at 1275 Jefferson Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14208
- Portage Road Tops located at 1000 Portage Road, Niagara Falls, NY 14301
When you use your EBT card and SNAP benefits to purchase eligible fresh produce, you will automatically earn up to $5 a day issued as a Double Up Food Bucks coupon. If you earn Double Up Food Bucks, a coupon will automatically be printed and presented to you. If you use the self-checkout lanes, be sure to retrieve your coupon from the coupon printer located next to the self-checkout terminal. Coupons can be redeemed on a future purchase that includes eligible products. Refer to the graphic below for eligible products.
The coupon can be spent at any participating Tops location (two locations listed above). The value of the coupon is stated on the coupon.
As the program continues to grow, additional Tops locations may be added to the program. Check back often for updates and new locations. Find one near you
Double Up Food Bucks can be spent on any fresh fruits and vegetables in the store where you earned the Double Up Food Bucks.
There are more than 220 participating locations (farmers markets, grocery stores, farm stands, corner stores and mobile markets) across New York. Find one close to you.
As of July 2023, Tops Markets has initiated a pilot program offering Double Up Food Bucks in two select locations: Jefferson-Riley Tops located at 1275 Jefferson Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14208; and Portage Road Tops located at 1000 Portage Road, Niagara Falls, NY 14301. At these two Tops Market locations, SNAP shoppers can earn up to a $5 coupon (printed at the checkout) on SNAP produce purchases, which can be used towards fresh produce on a future visit.
Wegmans and Walmart do yet not participate in our program.
As the program continues to grow, additional locations and grocery stores may be added. Check back often for updates and new locations. Find one near you
At this time, unfortunately not all of our Loyalty Cards at Grocery Stores can be used at other locations. All of the Loyalty Cards from Corner Stores, however, can be used at other participating corner stores and some Farmers Markets!
Since your Double Up card is connected to your EBT card, just go to where you originally signed up and get a new one!
Visit the customer service desk or any checkout at any participating Double Up Food Bucks retailer for more information. Many locations will require a short application before receiving a card. As long as you use SNAP benefits you qualify for the program!
The program is at over 200 sites across New York State! Find one close to you.
In our Healthy Corner Stores and grocery locations there is year-round access to the program. Customers who use SNAP can use the program every day that participating locations are open!
Shopping at the Farmers Market
For every $2 spent with your SNAP benefits at participating farmers markets, you receive $2 of Double Up Food Bucks to spend on any New York-grown fruits and vegetables, up to $20 per day.
Many markets distribute Double Up Food Bucks as tokens, which can be used at any farmers market that participates in Double Up across the state. Look for the Market Manager or information booth at your local market to get your tokens.
SNAP benefits can be spent on any SNAP-eligible items at the farmers market including fruits, vegetables, bread, eggs, and meat.
Double Up matches the money spent with your SNAP benefits and gives you up to $20 to spend on New York grown fruits, vegetables, herbs and produce bearing plants.
Double Up Food Bucks is available at New York farmers markets from July-October. Check our location map to see which participating farmers markets near you are open.
Double Up Food Bucks is available at over 165 farmers markets across New York. Find one close to you.
No, there is no minimum amount. However, at farmers markets that use $2 Double Up tokens, you can get the most out of your dollars by spending in increments of $2.
The sky’s the limit! Each day, you can spend as much as you want using your SNAP benefits. However, Double Up Food Bucks only matches purchases up to $20 per day.
For example, if you spend $30 in SNAP benefits at the market, you will receive $20 in Double Up Food Bucks.
Most vendors that sell New York-grown fruits and vegetables at participating farmers markets accept Double Up Food Bucks. Look for Double Up Food Bucks signs displayed at market stalls or ask vendors before making a purchase.
Visit the market office or information booth. When you receive your SNAP tokens, they will match them with Double Up tokens.
No, the tokens do not expire.
Yes, you can return Double Up tokens, but you must have equal value in SNAP tokens. For instance, to return $10 of Double Up Food Bucks tokens, you must have $10 of SNAP tokens.
Tokens can be spent at other participating farmers markets that accept tokens. At grocery stores, or at markets that only use the Double Up card or coupons for purchases, tokens are not accepted.
See what types of incentive—tokens, Double Up card, and more—are accepted at a location near you.
SNAP customers can use the program every day that participating locations are open during the Double Up Food Bucks Farmers Market program season, which runs from July 1 through October 31 in most locations. Our Healthy Corner Stores provide year-round access to the program.
At farmers’ markets that use silver Double Up Food Bucks tokens, you must spend a minimum of $2 in SNAP benefits in order to receive the matching $2 in free Double Up Food Bucks (each silver Double Up token is worth $2). At farmers’ markets that use Loyalty Cards, you must spend a minimum of $1 in SNAP benefits in order to receive the matching $1 in free Double Up Food Bucks.
There is no limit on how much money SNAP customers can spend using their SNAP benefits each day!
Farmers markets use two types of currencies to run the Double Up program.
Some markets match what customers spend in their SNAP benefits with free Double Up Food Bucks silver tokens (each worth $2), while others use customer Loyalty Cards.
You can use Double Up Food Bucks at any participating location in New York State. For example, you could earn your Double Up Food Bucks in Buffalo but spend them at a participating farmers’ market in Jamestown.
Silver Double Up Food Bucks tokens can only be used to purchase New York-grown fruits and vegetables with eligible vendors at participating farmers markets. The silver Double Up tokens are given to you for free at the farmers market info booth when you use your SNAP benefits to shop at participating farmers markets. Each silver Double Up token is worth $2 and has no cash value.
The value of the silver Double Up tokens does not come off your SNAP benefits balance. Double Up silver tokens can only be used for fresh, New York-grown fruits and vegetables.
The SNAP tokens can be used to purchase any SNAP-eligible items at the market, including fruits, vegetables, bread, cheese, and meats. These tokens must be spent at the market at which you received them. The value of these tokens does come off your SNAP benefits balance.
Visit the information booth or market office at any participating Double Up Food Bucks market for more information. As long as you use SNAP benefits, you quality for the program!
Getting Involved
Tell others about us! We are always happy when people spread the word.
You can also help Double Up take root in your community by volunteering, recommending a community partner, and more.
Get in touch and we’ll be happy to discuss it with you.
SNAP and EBT
SNAP is a federal food assistance program that provides electronic benefits that can be used like cash so that people in need can purchase healthy food.
Double Up Food Bucks doubles the value of SNAP benefits spent at participating farmers markets and grocery stores.
SNAP is the federal program that provides food assistance to those who need it. EBT stands for “Electronic Benefits Transfer” and is the mechanism to use SNAP benefits.
In New York, people who are eligible for SNAP are provided an EBT Card. The EBT Card is used to purchase eligible food products and access benefits electronically, through EBT.
Visit NY.gov to see if you qualify to receive SNAP benefits.
For immediate help finding emergency food programs, food pantries, community meals, and more, call 3-1-1 or visit Access NYC.
Yes, you can use your EBT card out of state.
You can use your SNAP benefits to buy groceries and seeds or plants that produce food. Items such as alcohol, tobacco products, vitamins, and non-food household items cannot be purchased with SNAP benefits.
No, pet food cannot be purchased with SNAP benefits.
You can visit NY.gov to see if you qualify to receive SNAP benefits.
For immediate help finding emergency food programs, food pantries, community meals, and more, call 3-1-1 or visit Access NYC.
Other New York programs and resources can be found on our Community Resources page.
Double Up at Potential and New Locations
Double Up Food Bucks is a nationwide fruit and vegetable incentive program, servicing millions of low-income SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) users with a dollar-for-dollar match to increase affordability and access to fresh healthy foods at farmers markets, farm stands, mobile markets, corner stores, and grocery stores. In New York State, Double Up has contributed to 1.4 million pounds of healthy food sales to over 32,000 customers, at more than 200 sites spanning 29 counties.
There are three common ways that Double Up Food Bucks could be implemented at your location:
Tokens – Tokens are used at farmers markets and mobile markets to work with their existing SNAP token currency system. They provide customers with a physical $2 token for every two dollars they redeem in SNAP tokens. The tokens are used like cash and given to each vendor in exchange for fresh, whole produce or fruiting plants. At the end of each market day, the market manager or whoever is responsible for the Double Up program, collects the tokens and tracks how many were given to each farmer for proper reimbursement.
Tablets & Loyalty Cards – For stores that have a register but not a sophisticated POS system, the most common and easiest solution is to have a tablet and card reader next to the register in the check-out area. Customers can sign up at the point of sale and all of the Double Up transactions are done on the Tablet through an application called Fresh Incentives. The app doesn’t have the capabilities to accept SNAP so the store will still require a separate machine to do SNAP transactions.
Integrated into Existing POS System – For stores with a sophisticated POS system, there is likely a longer process involved in getting the Fresh Incentives technology to work within the existing system and requires more back-end work. This is usually only at larger grocery stores. Since the integration is fully contingent on the specific POS system, training is done in-house.
Depending on the location type and size, Field & Fork Network staff will either train all of the staff at once how to use it or train the managers who will train the staff. Field & Fork Network tries to provide as many of the trainings as possible in person but there are instances when those trainings have to be online. There are ample resources that are provided to the store afterwards and F&FN staff is always available for further assistance.
Field & Fork Network will send you a check for the amount of Double Up redeemed at your location. It’s imperative that you submit your reports on time and ensure that we have the right address for you.
Once a month, someone from the Field & Fork Network team will send you a form that asks a few simple questions, such as SNAP spent, Double Up spent, and asks to confirm your mailing address. We send ample reminder emails to ensure nobody misses the deadline.
If the loyalty card system isn’t integrated into your POS system and you’re using a tablet, there are a few solutions that you can use based on what works best for you. Most places add a button to the register that indicates that they are performing a Double Up transaction. Some sites will manually reconcile using the Fresh Incentives website, mydoubleup.com.
Field & Fork Network does not require any documentation of this process. This is exclusively for the accounting/inventory purposes and ease of the store.
At this point, since Double Up Food Bucks only started launching in grocery stores in 2020, it has been a slow process to ensure that each type of POS system has a solution. Currently, the app is fully compatible with the following systems:
- ECRS Catapult
- LOC
- Clover
- Square
- TotilPay
RORC/DUMAC is in the process of having a solution developed. Field & Fork Network is partnered with the National Grocers Association and EPIC Technology Solutions to develop solutions for every POS system.
For more information, please reach out to the Site Coordinator, Bryan Gertz, at BGertz@fieldandforknetwork.com
For Farmers and Farmers Markets
Customers can only use Double Up Food Bucks to buy New York-grown fresh fruits and vegetables, and plants that grow edible foods. As always, customers can spend SNAP EBT card currency on almost anything edible at the market, except ready-to-eat prepared foods.
Double Up Food Bucks is a program with multiple goals: first is to help low-income families access more fresh, healthy foods, and second is to support local farmers. By restricting Double Up Food Bucks to New York-grown produce, the program helps local farmers boost their incomes, which is great for New York’s economy. Customers can still use regular SNAP Card benefits for other food items, like meats, cheeses, and fresh breads – and because they have twice as much to spend, vendors selling these items will see the benefits of DUFB as an increase in SNAP Card sales.
Yes! Double Up Food Bucks is a New York State program. There are more than 100 sites around New York participating in Double Up Food Bucks (visit here to find the other sites). Double Up Food Bucks is good at any participating market. SNAP Card tokens (the wooden ones) are only good at the market where they were issued.
To operate Double Up Food Bucks, farmers’ markets must have a manager to administer the program and report to Field & Fork Network, have the ability to accept SNAP benefits, and have a reliable vendor base that offers New York State grown fresh fruits and vegetables.
Markets can apply to be an EBT retailer and accept SNAP benefits by enrolling through the Food and Nutrition Service of the USDA. For more information click here.
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Use Double Up Food Bucks at 180+ participating grocery stores, farmer’s markets, and corner stores across New York.
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