We want to make it easy for you to use your FoodShare benefits. Your Wisconsin QUEST card is a safe and easy way to buy your food. Your QUEST card is a plastic debit card. It has your name, card number, and the Wisconsin QUEST logo on it.
We will send your QUEST card to your mailing address. It will include instructions for setting your four-digit personal identification number (PIN). You will use your PIN each time you buy food with your QUEST card.
You may use your QUEST card as many times as you want each month, as long as money is available in your account. No minimal spending limit. No extra fees.
The amount of money on your QUEST card is called your account balance. Here are easy ways to check your balance:
You can only use your QUEST card to buy food. If you buy other items at the same time, you need to use another form of payment to buy the non-food items.
You can use your QUEST card to pay for food at stores and some farmers markets. You can use it online and at other places that accept EBT (electronic benefit transfer) payments.
When you go shopping, look for signs at the store or farmers market to see if they accept EBT payments. When you check out, pay by swiping your QUEST card at the register. You will need to enter your PIN (personal identification number).
Some grocery stores let you order food online or over the phone, then pay with an EBT card when you pick up your food. You might pick up either curbside or in the store. When you pick up your order, you will swipe your QUEST card and enter your PIN. You can’t pay for your food ahead of time. Ask your local grocery stores if they offer this option.
You can order and pay for your food online through Amazon, Walmart Grocery, ALDI (with Instacart), Target, Lou Perrine’s Gas and Grocery, Meijer, Ptacek’s IGA, Sam’s Club Scan and Go, Schnuck’s Market, and Woodman's Markets. These stores have an EBT card payment option. When paying online, you need to enter your QUEST card number and PIN each time you check out.
Some of these stores may deliver to you. If the store charges an extra fee for delivery, you must use a different payment method to pay the delivery fee. You can only use your QUEST card to pay for the food. You can’t use your QUEST card to pay the delivery fee.
If you have any problems paying online with your QUEST card, check your account balance. If you have money available and still can’t complete your order, contact the store’s customer service for help.
Note: At this time, the federal government has only approved Amazon, Walmart, ALDI, Target, Lou Perrine’s Gas and Grocery, Meijer, Miller and Son's Supermarket, Ptacek’s IGA, Sam’s Club Scan and Go, Schnuck’s Market, and Woodman’s Markets to accept online QUEST card payments in Wisconsin. The government may approve other stores in the future. Find a list of approved online retailers at Online SNAP Retailers.
You may use your QUEST card to pay for meals at a group site for senior citizens or have your meals delivered to your home. Ask if the site or provider can accept EBT payments.
You also can use your QUEST card to pay for meals at one of these places if the site can accept EBT payments:
At these locations, you might use your QUEST card at each meal or only once a month.
Learn more about using your card:
We want to make sure your QUEST card is working for you. Call QUEST Card Service at 877-415-5164:
If you are approved for expedited benefits or if you can’t use your QUEST card because it’s damaged, lost, or stolen, you may be able to get a temporary QUEST card. These are issued at your agency.
A temporary card is for FoodShare households that need immediate access to their benefits and cannot wait for a permanent card to come in the mail. Requesting a temporary QUEST card does not guarantee that a temporary card will be issued.
A temporary card will stop working after 30 days or after a new permanent QUEST card is activated, whichever comes first. The same day a temporary card is issued, a new permanent QUEST card will be requested for you. It will be sent to the address that is on file for you.
There is a limit of one temporary card per case, per 12-month period. There are a few exceptions to this limit:
A temporary QUEST card works just like a permanent QUEST card.
If you call the agency, a staff member can walk you through the eligibility criteria for a temporary card. However, a final decision will only be made in person at the agency.
If a permanent card has been requested for your case in the last seven days and you are issued a temporary card, the permanent card that has been mailed will be deactivated. That means that when it arrives, you won’t be able to use it.
Once a temporary card is issued, another permanent card will be put in the mail. When that permanent card arrives, you will need to activate it to start using it. Once you do that, the temporary card will be deactivated.
Only you and the people who are formally listed in your account can get a temporary QUEST card for your household. Examples of individuals who are allowed to pick up a temporary QUEST card include:
FoodShare benefits continue to be a target for fraud. FoodShare fraud can result in you losing the money in your account, which may prevent you from being able to buy food with your FoodShare benefits. It is important that you take steps to protect your identify and your benefits.
Learn more about how to protect your FoodShare benefits including tips to create a more secure password, how to change your password, and what to do if you suspect fraud.
The misuse of public funds affects each person who lives in Wisconsin. All individuals are encouraged to report suspected fraud, waste, and abuse to the Office of Inspector General (OIG) at 877-865-3432 or online.
The OIG's mission is to protect Wisconsin taxpayers by tracking and prevent fraud, waste, and abuse in public assistance programs administered by DHS. Learn more about the OIG.
