Wisconsin SNAP benefits are called FoodShare, they are administered by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS), and they load onto a QUEST card once a month. The card buys food and a short list of food-related items at approved grocery stores, convenience stores, farmers markets, and approved online retailers. The amount depends on household size and income. For federal fiscal year 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027, the maximum monthly allotment ranges from $306 for one person to $1,841 for eight people. This guide covers what FoodShare actually pays for once you are approved, how DHS calculates your monthly amount, what the QUEST card cannot buy, and the rules that can change or end your benefit mid-certification.
If you are still working out whether you qualify or what the income limits are, see Wisconsin SNAP Eligibility 2026. For your exact monthly deposit date, see Wisconsin EBT Deposit Schedule 2026. You can also check FoodShare alongside other Wisconsin programs on our Wisconsin benefits page.
What Wisconsin FoodShare Covers
The QUEST card works like a prepaid debit card at the register, and federal rules set what it buys no matter which state issued it. DHS lists these as approved purchases:
- Breads and cereals
- Fruits and vegetables, fresh, frozen, or canned
- Meats, fish, and poultry
- Dairy products
- Snack foods
- Non-alcoholic drinks
- Seeds and plants that grow food for your family to eat
What the QUEST Card Does Not Cover
- Beer, wine, liquor, cigarettes, and tobacco
- Vitamins, medicines, and supplements
- Hot foods, meaning food cooked and served hot at the store
- Any food eaten inside the store
- Pet food
- Cleaning supplies, paper products, and other household supplies
- Cosmetics, soap, toothpaste, and other hygiene items
One detail that trips people up at the deli counter: a food is only disqualified if it is hot at the time it is sold. A rotisserie chicken sold hot cannot be bought with FoodShare. The same chicken, chilled and sold cold from a refrigerated case, can be.
Wisconsin Does Not Have a Restaurant Meals Program
Some states let certain SNAP households buy hot, prepared restaurant food with their EBT card through the federal Restaurant Meals Program. Wisconsin is not one of them. As of 2026, USDA lists the participating states as Arizona, California, Illinois (Cook and Franklin counties only), Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Rhode Island, and Virginia. In Wisconsin, the QUEST card only pays for food you prepare yourself. There are narrow exceptions. FoodShare can pay for meals at an authorized group meal site for older adults or from a home-delivered meal provider, and for meals at a drug and alcohol treatment center, a domestic violence shelter, a homeless shelter, or a group home for people with disabilities, if the site can accept EBT.
Buying Groceries Online With FoodShare
Wisconsin allows online grocery purchases with the QUEST card. DHS lists these participating retailers: ALDI, Amazon, Instacart, Lou Perrine's Gas and Grocery, Meijer, Ptacek's IGA, Sam's Club Scan and Go, Schnuck's Market, Target, Uber Eats, Walmart Grocery, and Woodman's Markets. USDA's Wisconsin list is longer and also includes Costco, Pick 'n Save, Metro Market, Hy-Vee, Save A Lot, and Whole Foods.
Your QUEST card pays for the eligible food in the order. Federal rules do not let SNAP dollars cover delivery fees, service charges, tips, or membership fees, so you need a second payment method for those. Curbside pickup, where a retailer offers it, avoids the delivery fee entirely.
Double Up Food Bucks Wisconsin
Wisconsin runs a statewide produce incentive called Double Up Food Bucks Wisconsin. When you spend FoodShare dollars at a participating location, you earn a dollar-for-dollar match of up to $20 per week to spend on fruits and vegetables. The match covers fresh, cut, frozen, dried, and canned fruits and vegetables packed in water or 100% juice.
The program runs at more than 50 locations statewide, including farmers markets, grocery stores, food cooperatives, and CSA programs, with current locations listed by Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin at feedingamericawi.org/DoubleUpFoodBucks. Some individual markets also run their own locally funded match with different caps, so ask at the market's information booth.
Wisconsin FoodShare Maximum Monthly Allotments, FY2027
USDA sets the maximum allotment each federal fiscal year. These figures apply to Wisconsin and the other 47 contiguous states plus the District of Columbia, and they run from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.
| Household Size | Maximum Monthly Allotment |
|---|
| 1 | $306 |
| 2 | $562 |
| 3 | $808 |
| 4 | $1,023 |
| 5 | $1,217 |
| 6 | $1,463 |
| 7 | $1,616 |
| 8 | $1,841 |
| Each additional person | +$225 |
Households of 18 or more have their own published figure for FY2027, a flat $3,887, rather than the size-8 amount plus $225 per person.
The maximum is a ceiling, not a flat payment. It is what a household with zero net income receives. Most approved Wisconsin households get less, because the formula subtracts a share of net income from it.
Minimum Benefit
A 1 or 2 person household that qualifies for any FoodShare gets at least $25 a month in FY2027, even when the formula produces a smaller number. The minimum does not apply to households of 3 or more, which can calculate out to $0 and simply receive nothing.
How Wisconsin Calculates Your FoodShare Amount
The formula is the same one every state uses:
Monthly benefit = maximum allotment for your household size minus 30% of your net monthly income
Net income is gross monthly income minus the allowed deductions:
- Standard deduction. $217 a month for households of 1 to 3, $229 for 4, $268 for 5, and $308 for 6 or more (FY2027 figures).
- Earned income deduction. 20% of income from a job or self-employment comes off before anything else.
- Dependent care deduction. The full cost of child care or care for a dependent that lets you work, look for work, or attend training or school.
- Excess shelter deduction. Rent or mortgage, utilities, and similar housing costs above half of your remaining income, capped at $769 a month. There is no cap if your household includes someone 60 or older or living with a disability.
- Medical expense deduction. For households with an elderly or disabled member, out-of-pocket medical costs above $35 a month are deductible in full.
One change worth noting: home internet costs no longer count toward the shelter or utility deduction anywhere in the country. That has been true since July 4, 2025 under federal law, so a household that was getting credit for internet in an older certification will not see it in a new calculation.
Worked Example
A single Milwaukee renter earning $1,600 a month with $750 in rent and utilities:
- Gross income: $1,600
- Standard deduction: minus $217
- Earned income deduction (20% of $1,600): minus $320
- Income after those two deductions: $1,063
- Half of that: $531.50
- Housing costs ($750) minus half of adjusted income ($531.50): $218.50 excess shelter deduction
- Net income: $1,063 minus $218.50 equals $844.50
- 30% of net income, rounded up: $254
- Benefit: $306 maximum minus $254 equals about $52 a month
This is an illustration. Your local income maintenance agency runs the real calculation using verified income and expenses, and small differences in reported rent, utilities, or child care change the result. Documenting your actual costs is the biggest thing in your control, because every deduction lowers net income and raises the payment.
Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility and the Asset Test
Wisconsin uses Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility, which raises the gross income limit to 200% of the federal poverty level, well above the federal default of 130%. A household under that gross limit is categorically eligible and skips the separate net income test entirely. DHS publishes these gross monthly limits for October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027:
| Household Size | Gross Monthly Income Limit (200% FPL) |
|---|
| 1 | $2,660 |
| 2 | $3,608 |
| 3 | $4,554 |
| 4 | $5,500 |
| 5 | $6,448 |
| 6 | $7,394 |
| 7 | $8,340 |
| 8 | $9,288 |
| Each additional person | +$948 |
Wisconsin has also eliminated the asset test for FoodShare households. Your bank balance, retirement accounts, and vehicles do not count against you. For the rare household that does not qualify through categorical eligibility, the federal resource limits still apply: $3,000 for most households, $4,750 for a household with a member who is 60 or older or living with a disability.
How and When Benefits Arrive
Wisconsin issues FoodShare on a date set by the eighth digit of the head of household's Social Security number, spread across the 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 8th, 9th, 11th, 12th, 14th, and 15th of each month. Your first month is prorated from your application date and may arrive off-cycle before the case settles into the regular schedule. The full calendar is in Wisconsin EBT Deposit Schedule 2026.
Once a benefit loads, it stays on the card and rolls over month to month. Wisconsin expunges benefits from an account that has gone 274 days (about 9 months) without a purchase. The clock resets every time you use the card to buy eligible food, regardless of the amount.
Checking Your Balance
- Online: Log in at the ebtEDGE website under Cardholder Login
- App: The ebtEDGE mobile app, or MyACCESS for case information
- Phone: QUEST Card Service at 1-877-415-5164
- Receipt: Your remaining balance prints at the bottom of every QUEST purchase receipt
Using the card outside Wisconsin. Since March 1, 2026, QUEST cards work by default only in Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, and Minnesota, and online orders must be delivered to or picked up in one of those states. To use the card somewhere else, change the security setting by calling QUEST Card Service at 1-877-415-5164 or in ebtEDGE under Protect My Account. The setting goes back to the default at midnight on the first of every month.
Lost Card, Stolen Benefits, and Spoiled Food
Lost, stolen, or damaged card. Call QUEST Card Service at 1-877-415-5164 and request a replacement. The card is mailed to the address on your case, and you set a new four-digit PIN when it arrives. Report it the moment you notice, because anyone with the card and the PIN can spend the balance.
Benefits stolen by card skimming. This is the hard answer. The federal authority that required states to replace electronically stolen SNAP benefits expired December 20, 2024, and Congress has not renewed it. Benefits skimmed or stolen after that date generally cannot be replaced in Wisconsin. Protect the card instead: change your PIN regularly, avoid PIN pads that look loose or bulky, check your balance after the deposit date, and freeze or lock the card between uses if your account offers it.
Food that spoiled. This is different, and it is still replaceable. If food you bought with FoodShare or Summer EBT was destroyed by a household misfortune such as a flood, a fire, an extended power outage, or an appliance failure, you can request replacement benefits. Report the loss to your agency within 10 days, then complete the request within 10 days of reporting it. File online by logging into ACCESS and selecting Food Benefits Replacement Request, by phone or in person with your local agency, or by mailing or faxing form F-00330. You may be asked for documentation such as a fire department or police report, though proof is generally not required when a state of emergency has been declared. The replacement is the lesser of your claimed loss or the full allotment issued for that month.
Summer EBT for Children
Wisconsin participates in Summer EBT, the federal summer grocery benefit for school-aged children. For summer 2026, families received $120 for each eligible child, which is $40 for each of June, July, and August. The main issuance went out Saturday, June 6, 2026, and the application deadline was August 27, 2026.
Most children do not need an application. A child automatically qualified for 2026 if they had an approved free or reduced price school meal application at a National School Lunch Program school for the 2025-2026 school year, or if their household was enrolled in FoodShare, Wisconsin Works (W-2), the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations, or certain income-based Medicaid programs during that school year or the 2026 summer. Children counted as school-aged for 2026 were born between July 1, 2007 and August 31, 2020.
Wisconsin is already accepting applications for summer 2027, though eligibility decisions are not made until benefits are issued. Summer EBT dollars buy the same foods as FoodShare and can load onto an existing QUEST card.
The Work Requirement Can End Benefits Mid-Certification
Most Wisconsin FoodShare cases are certified for 12 months. Food units that include a migrant or seasonal farm worker, and units where all members are homeless, are certified for 6 months. Food units where every adult member is elderly, blind, or disabled with no counted earned income can be certified for as long as 36 months. DHS sends a renewal notice before your period ends, and renewing late stops benefits until the paperwork clears.
Separately from renewal, a federal work requirement can cut benefits off mid-certification. Adults 18 through 64 with no child aged 13 or younger in the home can receive only 3 months of FoodShare in a 3-year period unless they meet the requirement or have an exemption. Wisconsin's current 3-year period runs January 2025 through December 2027.
There are three ways to meet it:
- Work at least 80 hours a month
- Take part in an allowable work program at least 80 hours a month, such as FoodShare Employment and Training (FSET), Wisconsin Works (W-2), or certain Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act programs
- Combine work and an allowable work program for at least 80 hours a month
FSET is Wisconsin's own answer to this rule. It is a free employment and training program open to anyone in a FoodShare household age 16 and over, and taking part for 80 hours a month satisfies the work requirement on its own. When your application or renewal is approved, anyone who needs to meet the requirement is referred to FSET automatically. If you are near the 3-month limit, FSET is usually the fastest route to keeping benefits, because it does not depend on finding a job first.
Exemptions published by DHS include being pregnant, being unable to work because of physical or mental health (which includes being unable to work because you are experiencing homelessness), being a Tribal member, caring for a child aged 5 or younger who does not live with you, caring for a person who cannot care for themselves, receiving or having applied for unemployment compensation, attending school or training at least half-time, and being in alcohol or drug treatment or rehabilitation. You may be asked for proof.
Geographic suspensions for FY2027. Under the 2025 federal law, a waiver of the time limit now requires local unemployment above 10%, which eliminated most of Wisconsin's prior waiver coverage. From October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027, DHS has suspended the time limit only for members living on Tribal lands and reservations. Six qualify because unemployment there is above 10%: the Forest County Potawatomi Community, the Ho-Chunk Nation, the Lac Du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, the St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin, and the Sokaogon Chippewa Community Mole Lake Band. DHS also suspended the time limit, using additional federal flexibilities, on the lands of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, the Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin, the Oneida Nation, and the Stockbridge-Munsee Community Band of Mohican Indians. All Tribal members, Urban Indians, and California Indians remain exempt regardless of where they live. Everyone 18 to 64 is still screened for exemptions at application and renewal, including people in a suspended area.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I buy hot food with my Wisconsin QUEST card?
No. Wisconsin does not participate in the Restaurant Meals Program, and federal rules bar food sold hot at the store. A food that was cooked and then chilled before sale is eligible. Authorized group meal sites for older adults, some home-delivered meal providers, and some shelters, treatment centers, and group homes can accept FoodShare.
Does my FoodShare amount change every month?
It can, if your reported income or expenses change. Under Wisconsin's simplified reporting rules, you only have to report three things between renewals: household income going above 130% of the federal poverty level (by the 10th of the following month), a work-requirement adult's hours dropping below 80 a month, or a substantial lottery or gambling win. You can report other changes, such as higher rent or new child care costs, at any time, and a higher cost can raise your payment.
What happens to FoodShare I do not spend?
It rolls over on the QUEST card. Wisconsin only removes benefits from an account after 274 days with no purchase.
Can Wisconsin replace FoodShare that was stolen off my card?
Generally no. The federal authority to replace electronically stolen SNAP benefits expired December 20, 2024 and has not been renewed. Report a lost or stolen card immediately at 1-877-415-5164 to stop further losses. Food destroyed by a power outage, flood, fire, or appliance failure is a different situation and can be replaced if you report it within 10 days.
How do I keep FoodShare past 3 months if I am not working?
Enroll in FSET and take part at least 80 hours a month, or confirm with your agency that you have an exemption. FSET is free and open to household members 16 and older, and you are referred to it automatically when your application or renewal is approved.
Can I use FoodShare at Wisconsin farmers markets?
Yes. Many markets accept the QUEST card, and more than 50 locations statewide take part in Double Up Food Bucks Wisconsin, which matches your FoodShare spending dollar for dollar up to $20 a week for fruits and vegetables.
Does FoodShare pay for grocery delivery fees?
No. Your QUEST card covers the eligible food in an online order, but SNAP rules do not allow it to pay delivery fees, service charges, tips, or membership fees. Curbside pickup avoids the fee where a retailer offers it.
