Instacart Brings Online SNAP Acceptance to Online Shopping Nationwide
People can now use their benefits to buy groceries online in all 50 states.
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No matter where you live in the United States — from Alabama to Wyoming, Alaska to Wisconsin, and every state between and beyond — you can now use your Electronic Benefits Transfer for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (EBT SNAP) to buy groceries online via Instacart. The online-grocery-delivery company has just become the first (and, it says, only) such platform to accept SNAP in all 50 states, as well as Washington D.C. — thanks to the advent of online SNAP acceptance in Alaska at Albertsons/Safeway stores.
After initiating online SNAP access in 2020, Instacart has worked closely with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service to expand it. The milestone marks the fulfillment of a 2022 pledge made by the delivery platform and the White House National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition and Health to bring access to all 50 states. Instacart now reaches almost 95 percent of U.S. households enrolled in SNAP, with SNAP payment acceptance on deliveries from more than 10,000 stores across 120 retail chains. (For a sense of scale, more than 42 million people – over 12 percent of U.S. residents – are enrolled in SNAP.)
“Our mission is to create a world where everyone has access to the food they love. By expanding online SNAP acceptance to all 50 states, we’re delivering on our mission by modernizing access and connecting more communities to affordable and nutritious foods,” Dani Dudeck, Instacart’s chief corporate affairs officer, says in a statement. “Now SNAP families in every state can enjoy the benefits of online grocery from a variety of local retailers that meet their unique tastes, needs and personal budgets. We’re proud to have reached this landmark alongside USDA, state agencies and our retail partners across the country, and we look forward to continuing this work to ensure every family can access the food they need to thrive.”
So, now, SNAP participants living all over the country can go on Instacart to shop for groceries to be delivered or picked up from local retailers in as quickly as 30 minutes, or schedule delivery or pickup days in advance. Instacart is also offering anyone shopping with EBT SNAP a discounted Instacart+ membership providing access to free delivery and pickup on orders over $35, reduced service fees on every order, and five percent credit back on orders placed for pickup.
Online grocery shopping helps lower-income families in myriad ways, including helping with budgeting and meal planning, saving time and money and avoiding any discomfort when using benefits to pay for groceries in stores, according to a 2022 study published by the University of Kentucky, No Kid Hungry and Instacart. What’s more, according to the research, SNAP recipients and lower-income households tend to purchase more produce online than in stores — without spending more.
Deputy Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services Stacy Dean celebrated the nationwide milestone in online SNAP access: The USDA is “committed to ensuring every family has access to affordable, nutritious food, and we recognize the important role of private sector leaders in expanding equitable access to SNAP online shopping,” she says.
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