BJ’s Wholesale, Rivals Chase Trade-Down Consumer Trend via SNAP EBT

Aiming to offer its members flexibility and convenience, membership warehouse club operator BJ’s Wholesale Club has begun accepting Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) payments when members check out on BJs.com or the company’s mobile app.

When using SNAP EBT cards to shop online, BJ’s members can also select from multiple delivery methods and choose to split payments to use both their EBT card and a debit or credit card, according to a Friday (Sept. 16) press release.

“EBT payment options afford our members the time and money saving benefits that we know they love and expect from BJ’s,” BJ’s Wholesale Club Executive Vice President and Chief Digital Officer Monica Schwartz said in the release. “When using our app or shopping online, BJ’s is here to help make shopping easier and more convenient for our members’ busy lifestyle.”

The announcement comes three days after Walmart said it had made updates to its online shopping channels to make it easier for SNAP EBT recipients to shop and pay.

Read more: Walmart Ramps up Online Site Personalization to Improve EBT, Gift Registry

For example, when shopping for grocery items on Walmart.com, customers can filter to see EBT- or SNAP-eligible items and then use their EBT or SNAP debit cards to pay at checkout.

As PYMNTS reported Thursday (Sept. 15), Walmart is just one of a growing number of grocers and aggregators that are finding ways to accept and streamline the use of SNAP EBT payments through their digital channels.

See more: Walmart Simplifies Online EBT Use; Kroger Expands Private Label

In doing so, these merchants have the opportunity to win the digital loyalty of SNAP EBT participants — a population that includes 41 million people nationwide, as of June, according to data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

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