Instacart expands online federal benefit services
Instacart is launching new features for Electronic Benefits Transfer and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (EBT SNAP) recipients.
The on-demand delivery provider is marking one year of accepting EBT SNAP payments (often called “food stamps”) by waiving the delivery and pickup fees on all EBT SNAP orders from Jan. 1 - Mar. 31, 2022, for customers using a valid EBT card associated with their Instacart account in connection with their purchase. This new promotion follows Instacart’s offer of free delivery or pickup on the first three EBT SNAP customer orders for the past year.
In addition to partnering with traditional grocers, Instacart is now also enabling a number of retailers to accept EBT SNAP payments through its virtual convenience offering. EBT SNAP convenience delivery is available in partnership with Ahold Delhaize USA banners including Food Lion Now, GIANT Instant Delivery, Giant Food Convenience, Hannaford Now, MARTIN’s Instant Delivery and Stop & Shop Express, all of which can be found within the Convenience Hub on the Instacart marketplace.
Since launching EBT SNAP payments in partnership with Aldi in November 2020, Instacart has expanded its EBT SNAP footprint to include more than 40 retailers across more than 5,600 stores in 39 states and Washington, D.C. Over the last year, Instacart has continued to partner with a roster of retailers that accept EBT SNAP, which now includes Ahold Delhaize USA, Brookshire’s, Earth Fare, Fairplay Foods, Food Bazaar, Harps Foods, Homeland, Little Giant Farmer’s Market, My County Market, PAQ, Inc. (Food 4 Less California and Rancho San Miguel), Price Chopper/Market 32, Publix, The Save Mart Companies, Schnucks, Strack & Van Til, Tops Markets, Wakefern Food Corp., and Woodman’s Markets.
Instacart has also enabled EBT SNAP payments via its Instacart Enterprise white label platform in partnership with the web and online platforms of BJ’s Wholesale Club, Brookshire’s, Food Bazaar, Food Lion, Harps Food Stores, Homeland, Publix, The Save Mart Companies, Schnucks, Strack & Van Til, Tops Markets, and Wakefern Food Corp. Instacart Enterprise powers the turnkey and white-label e-commerce platforms for more than 175 retailers across North America, including Wegmans and Costco Canada.
Where available, EBT SNAP participants are able to shop from select retailers via the Instacart website and mobile app, as well as select retailers’ websites and apps. Once an Instacart customer profile is created, customers can enter their EBT food card information as a form of payment in their profile. Customers will need a secondary form of payment for non-food items such as taxes, tips and fees per federal SNAP guidelines. Customers can then enter their ZIP code to determine if they are near a participating retailer, and begin shopping and selecting items from retailers’ EBT-eligible products. Once items are added to their cart, customers will be able to select how much of their benefits they would like to allocate to the order.
“We believe grocery delivery and pickup shouldn’t be a luxury for some – they should be accessible to everyone,” said Fidji Simo, CEO of Instacart. “We’re proud of the progress we’ve made since launching EBT SNAP payments, and are grateful to our retail and USDA FNS partners for helping us bridge the food accessibility gap for millions of Americans. Looking ahead, we’re committed to expanding our EBT SNAP offering and investing in additional programs that offer consumers more accessible, affordable and nutritious ways to feed their families.”
Instacart has partnered with more than 700 national, regional and local retailers, including unique brand names, to deliver from more than 65,000 stores across more than 5,500 cities in North America.