Instacart Expands Online SNAP Payment Acceptance Nationwide

Online grocery marketplace Instacart now accepts Electronic Benefits Transfer for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (EBT SNAP) payments throughout the entire United States.

With the recent addition of Alaska, the company now accepts SNAP online in all 50 states and Washington D.C., with more than 120 retail banners and over 10,000 stores, reaching nearly 95% of households enrolled in SNAP, Instacart said in a Thursday (Aug. 10) press release.

“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, chief corporate affairs officer at Instacart, said in the release. “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.”

Instacart, working alongside the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service (USDA FNS), launched the retail onboarding process in 2020, paving the way for expanding access to online SNAP payments across the country, according to the press release.

Research shows that online groceries can help families alleviate mobility barriers, better manage their food budgets, assist with meal planning, and save time and money while using their benefits, the release said.

SNAP recipients and families in lower income households who grocery shop online purchase more fruits and vegetables than in-store shoppers, without increasing their total grocery bill, per the release. To give families additional access to same-day delivery and pickup, Instacart has developed a discounted Instacart+ membership for SNAP participants.

“We’ve seen firsthand that grocery delivery can play a powerful role in expanding access to nutrition — a cornerstone of our mission and Instacart Health initiative,” Sarah Mastrorocco, vice president and general manager at Instacart Health, said in the release. “With the launch of online SNAP acceptance in Alaska, we’re helping more people nourish themselves and their families.”

Instacart’s rival in the aggregator space, DoorDash, announced in June that it was adding the ability to accept SNAP EBT payments.

That news came on the heels of many grocers like Walmart and Kroger integrating these payments both into their own direct ordering channels and into their third-party storefronts.