Illinois EBT Card Balance
CheckEBTCardBalance is an independent informational resource and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the USDA, any state government, or any EBT card issuer. Always confirm details directly with the official source before relying on them.
Program Name
SNAP
Customer Service
1-800-678-5465
24/7, toll-free
Income Limit
165% of FPL
Gross monthly income
Illinois administers its food assistance benefits simply as SNAP, without a special state program name, through the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS). Approved households receive their monthly benefits on the Illinois Link Card, an EBT card used like a debit card at grocery stores, farmers markets, and certain other authorized locations statewide.
Because Link Card benefits are loaded on a set schedule each month rather than all at once, tracking your balance regularly helps you budget your grocery spending and avoid surprises at checkout.
Illinois offers a SNAP Restaurant Meals Program, a state option that lets elderly (60 and older) and disabled SNAP recipients, their spouses, and homeless households use their Link Card to buy hot, prepared meals at participating restaurants rather than only at grocery stores. Not every state offers this option, and it directly benefits Illinois households who may have difficulty cooking or storing food at home.
How to Check Your Illinois EBT Balance
Check online
Log in with your card number to view your balance and transaction history.
https://www.ebtedge.comUse the mobile app
ebtEDGE is the official app for Illinois EBT cardholders, available on iOS and Android.
Check your last receipt
Your remaining balance is printed at the bottom of the receipt from your most recent EBT purchase.
Card declined, locked, or PIN not working? See our EBT card troubleshooting guide.
Where You Can Use Your Illinois EBT Card
Your EBT card works like a debit card at any USDA-authorized retailer nationwide — major grocery chains and big-box stores such as Walmart, Target, Kroger, Costco, Sam's Club, Aldi, Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, and most local and regional supermarkets, plus many convenience stores and farmers markets. A growing number of retailers, including Walmart.com, Amazon, DoorDash, and Uber Eats, also accept SNAP EBT for online grocery orders in many areas, though delivery and service fees usually can't be paid with benefits.
SNAP benefits cover food and food-producing seeds or plants, but not hot prepared foods, alcohol, tobacco, or non-food items — some states also restrict specific items like soda or candy, noted below if it applies to Illinois.
Illinois operates a SNAP Restaurant Meals Program in Cook and Franklin Counties only. Eligible elderly, disabled, or homeless SNAP participants (and their spouses) can use their EBT card to buy prepared meals at participating restaurants there.
Source: USDA Food and Nutrition Administration — Restaurant Meals Program
Illinois SNAP Income Limits
The federal SNAP gross income limit is normally 130% of the federal poverty level, but Illinois uses its Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility (BBCE) option to raise that limit to 165% of the poverty level.
In practical terms, this higher threshold allows more working households with modest incomes to qualify for SNAP in Illinois than the federal minimum would otherwise allow, and states that adopt BBCE, including Illinois, typically also remove a separate asset or resource test, so having a car or a modest savings account generally won't disqualify an otherwise eligible household.
| Household Size | Max Monthly Gross Income |
|---|---|
| 1 | $2,195 |
| 2 | $2,975 |
| 3 | $3,757 |
| 4 | $4,538 |
| 5 | $5,318 |
| 6 | $6,100 |
| 7 | $6,881 |
| 8 | $7,661 |
For each additional household member beyond 8, add about $781/month. Based on 2026 federal poverty guidelines at 165% — figures update annually and individual eligibility depends on more than gross income, so confirm your exact amount with Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS).
Source: USDA Food and Nutrition Administration — SNAP Eligibility
EBT Fraud & Card Skimming Protection
Protect your benefits from theft
Skimming devices hidden on card readers and ATMs let thieves capture Illinois Link card numbers and PINs, a problem that has hit SNAP households statewide. The Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) accepted EBT theft claims for benefits stolen between October 1, 2022 and September 30, 2024 under the temporary federal reimbursement program, but that window has now closed — IDHS has confirmed Illinois is no longer reimbursing SNAP/EBT fraud victims for benefits stolen after it expired.
If your benefits are stolen, call the Illinois Link Help Line at 1-800-678-LINK (5465) right away to report the theft and cancel your card, and consider filing a police report. Regularly check your Link account online or in the app, and use the account's security features — including blocking out-of-state and internet transactions when you're not using them — to reduce your risk going forward.
Source: USDA Food and Nutrition Administration — SNAP Fraud Prevention
Using Your Illinois EBT Card Out of State or Online
Traveling or shopping online?
Illinois Link cardholders can — and, per IDHS's own guidance, are encouraged to — block out-of-state and internet transactions directly through their Link account as a security measure; this isn't necessarily on by default, but it's a real, actively-promoted feature. Call the Illinois Link Help Line at 1-800-678-LINK (5465) or manage it through your online Link account to turn this on or off, including right before you travel out of state or shop online.
Compare Other States
EBT rules, income limits, and customer service numbers are set state by state. These share Illinois's census region — useful if you're moving, or comparing how another state runs the program.
Helpful Guides
EBT Stores
Find SNAP-authorized stores near you by ZIP code or current location.
Learn more →Where to Use EBT
See whether a specific retailer, from Costco to McDonald's, accepts EBT.
Learn more →What Can You Buy
What your EBT card does and doesn't cover, including hot food and online orders.
Learn more →Lost/Damaged Card
How to report a lost or stolen card, or replace a damaged or expired one.
Learn more →Card Not Working?
Troubleshoot a declined, locked, or frozen EBT card, a forgotten PIN, or a deposit that hasn't shown up yet.
Learn more →Work Requirements
What changed for SNAP work requirements and recertification under the 2025 law.
Learn more →Farmers Markets
How EBT tokens work at farmers markets, plus programs that double what you spend.
Learn more →