Instacart eases shopping for federal, employer benefit users
Instacart is making it easier for participants in several federal and employer benefit programs to shop for eligible products.
The grocery technology company is launching a new tool to help Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program’s Electronic Benefit Transfer (SNAP/EBT) recipients determine their eligibility, and is also helping flexible spending account (FSA) and health savings account (HSA) holders make seamless purchases.
Details of each effort follow:
SNAP/EBT eligibility screener
Instacart now offers a SNAP eligibility screener on its SNAP/EBT information page. The new tool, based on technology from Advocatia Solutions, lets consumers nationwide anonymously check whether they may be eligible for SNAP benefits in less than 60 seconds and find relevant state resources to help streamline enrollment.
According to Instacart, this rollout marks the first time an online grocery platform has offered a SNAP screening tool to consumers. Instacart accepts SNAP benefits at major retailers across the country, including Albertsons Cos. banners, Ahold Delhaize USA banners, Kroger Banners, Meijer, Hy-Vee, Publix.
The company began accepting online SNAP payments in 2020, and in 2023 became the first online grocery marketplace to expand online SNAP acceptance to all 50 states and Washington, D.C.
[READ MORE: Instacart is first online marketplace to accept SNAP payments in all 50 states]
"Everyone deserves access to fresh, nutritious food, and we’re committed to using the power of Instacart to break down barriers that too often stand in the way," said Dani Dudeck, chief corporate affairs officer at Instacart. "With food insecurity at an all-time high in the U.S., affecting more than one in every eight people, it’s more important than ever to raise awareness of critical assistance programs like SNAP that can help families meet their needs. By introducing our SNAP eligibility screener, we're making it simpler for families to find out if they qualify and take the first steps toward putting more food on their tables."
FSA/HSA payments
Instacart is making it easier for customers to spend funds from both FSA (employee benefit that sets aside pre-tax money for qualified expenses) and HSA (federal benefit that lets people save pre-tax money for qualified medical expenses) directly at checkout in its app.
This new integration accepts FSA and HSA payments for eligible products from every retailer available on the Instacart app and eliminates the need to manually submit receipts for reimbursement. In addition, customers can identify eligible items via the Instacart “FSA & HSA Shop,” as well as in-app labels for more than 40,000 qualifying items.
Based in San Francisco, Instacart partners with more than 1,500 national, regional, and local retail banners to facilitate online shopping, delivery and pickup services from more than 85,000 stores across North America.
