SNAP: Instacart is the only online grocery marketplace to accept your benefits in all 50 U.S. states.
Instacart, the online grocery marketplace, became the first company to accept SNAP payments online in all 50 U.S. states and Washington DC, without restriction
This Thursday, Instacart announced that you will now be able to pay with your Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) EBT card in any of the 50 U.S. states and Washington DC. With this, the grocery company becomes the first and only online grocer to accept SNAP payments nationwide.
The company recently launched online SNAP acceptance in Alaska with the Albertsons Companies Safeway sign, completing the commitment Instacart made in 2022 as part of the launch of its Instacart Health initiative and the White House National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition and Health to bring SNAP online in all 50 states this year.
“Our mission is to create a world where everyone has access to the food they love. By expanding SNAP online uptake to all 50 states, we are fulfilling our mission by modernizing access and connecting more communities to affordable, nutritious food,” said Dani Dudeck, Instacart’s Director of Corporate Affairs, in a statement. “Now SNAP families in every state can enjoy the benefits of online grocery shopping from a variety of local retailers that meet their unique personal tastes, needs and budgets.”
Instacart now offers online SNAP acceptance from more than 120 retail posters in more than 10,000 stores, more than any other online grocery marketplace.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service (USDA FNS), more than 42 million people, more than 12% of the U.S. population, are enrolled in SNAP. With the expansion, Instacart now reaches nearly 95% of U.S. households enrolled in SNAP.
“We are proud to have reached this milestone together with the USDA, state agencies and our retail partners across the country, and we look forward to continuing this work to ensure that all families can access the food they need to thrive,” Dudeck highlighted.
Instacart first brought SNAP online in 2020. Since then, it worked closely with USDA FNS to pioneer the retail onboarding process and expand access to online SNAP payments nationwide. The company said 33.8 million people live in food-limited households, including 5 million children.
“USDA is committed to ensuring that all families have access to nutritious, affordable food, and we recognize the important role of private sector leaders in expanding equitable access to SNAP online purchases,” said Stacy Dean, deputy assistant secretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services. “These partnerships strengthen our collective commitment to advance President Biden’s National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition and Health.”
With the launch of seven Safeway locations in Alaska, Instacart now partners with Albertsons Companies to offer online SNAP acceptance at 13 banners in 33 states and Washington DC.
“At Albertsons Companies, we are committed to solving food insecurity and want to ensure that all of our local communities can shop from our banners, regardless of access to a physical store,” said Stephen Menaquale, senior vice president of e-commerce for Albertsons Companies. “Through our partnership with Instacart, we offer SNAP recipients the same one-day delivery and help overcome mobility challenges, including physical disability and lack of transportation, to better serve our customers.”
Now all SNAP recipients will be able to shop for groceries on Instacart from local retailers and have the option of delivery or pickup in as little as 30 minutes, as well as schedule your shopping several days in advance.
Also, Instacart offers a membership, known as Instacart+, with special discounts of up to 50% off for SNAP participants. With Instacart+, households can access free delivery and pickup on orders over $35, 5% credit on pickup orders and reduced service fees on every order.