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       Sometime this past summer, Charmaine Garrett went to a convenience store near her home in Southeast Washington to buy a Rock Creek soda. She knew how much the item cost: $1.50. But when she looked at the receipt, she was charged 50 cents more.

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       Garrett asked why. The merchant told her the fee was charged to all who do not meet the $5 minimum for credit card transactions. Garrett protested: She paid with an electronic benefits transfer (EBT) card that contained her supplemental nutrition benefits, or SNAP benefits, which used to be called food stamps.

       It is illegal to charge transaction fees to people paying with a SNAP benefits card, but the merchant would not budge. So Garrett took action. “I paid it, got my receipt, and called the attorney general’s office,” she said. “I’m not obligated to pay that fee. I’m not going to pay it.”

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       Complaints like Garrett’s spurred D.C. Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb (D) to issue a consumer alert last week to D.C. residents and merchants concerning SNAP benefits, informing them of their rights at the register amid the holiday season. On Wednesday, Schwalb issued further guidance advising consumers to check that prices rung up at the register are as advertised.

       In a statement, Schwalb said his office “is working to ensure that Washingtonians know their rights, especially when purchasing basic necessities, such as groceries.”

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       “The advertised price must match the price at checkout, and SNAP customers cannot be discriminated against because of their payment method,” the statement said. “Issuing this consumer alert is part of our ongoing effort to inform consumers and work with District businesses so they comply with the law.”

       The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which administers the federal supplemental nutrition program, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

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       Schwalb’s guidance said that under federal law, people using SNAP benefits to make purchases must be treated like those paying by other means. Merchants are precluded from charging those paying with cards transaction fees or setting a minimum transaction amounts, according to the guidance.

       More than 145,000 D.C. residents used supplemental nutrition benefits in 2022, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Some products such as alcohol, vitamins and cleaning supplies, cannot be purchased with SNAP, according to the USDA website. Other products, including soda, are permitted.

       Garrett, who works in customer service at the Smithsonian, said that many people who receive supplemental nutrition benefits have children, and buying them sweets is not a crime.

       “There’s never a rule that says if you have EBT you have to buy specifically healthy stuff,” Garrett said. “That’s a disadvantage as well. Healthier stuff costs more money. It’s not always good for people on fixed income.”

       Customers who witness EBT-related violations can contact the D.C. attorney general’s office at 202-442-9828.

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