Instacart now lets grocers accept EBT SNAP payments online

Instacart, the leading grocery technology company in North America, today announced that Electronic Benefits Transfer and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (EBT SNAP) can now be used to buy groceries online in 10 additional states – Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Louisiana, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming – through the Instacart App and retailers' Instacart Platform-powered e-commerce experiences. Albertsons Companies and Sprouts Farmers Market are among the first to accept EBT SNAP online in these states. With today's news, grocers of all sizes can use Carrot Payments, an Instacart Platform solution, to accept EBT SNAP payments online and at scale across 49 states and Washington D.C., reaching nearly 30 million people experiencing food insecurity across the U.S.

Instacart Platform enables grocers to accept EBT SNAP through the Instacart App and on their own digital properties built with Instacart Platform e-commerce solutions Carrot Storefront and Carrot Storefront Pro. Leveraging Carrot Payments across e-commerce experiences, grocers can easily accept new payment types online, including EBT SNAP, Apple Pay, PayPal, and others.

"At Instacart, our goal is to continue unlocking access to nutritious food for those who need it most. We've long advocated to expand online EBT SNAP acceptance, and we're proud to bring this critical service to people in 10 additional states in partnership with grocers that people know, love and trust," said Sarah Mastrorocco, Vice President of Access to Food & Nutrition. "Our partners offer a broad selection of fresh food and pantry staples, and with this expansion, we're giving more families access to nourishment, paired with the convenience of same-day delivery and pickup. We look forward to continuing to expand this program and enabling more retailers to accept EBT SNAP payments online through the Instacart Platform."

Instacart has also recently expanded EBT SNAP acceptance online with Meijer, Price Chopper/Market 32 and Tops Friendly Markets. EBT SNAP customers now have even more choice when shopping for essentials from their preferred grocers:

• Albertsons Companies customers can use EBT SNAP to purchase groceries and essentials from four banners including Albertsons, Pavilions, Safeway and Vons, with additional banners rolling out on the Instacart App later this year.
• Sprouts customers in 23 states can use EBT SNAP to purchase groceries for delivery or pickup using the Instacart App from more than 380 stores.
• Meijer customers can use EBT SNAP to shop for groceries on the Instacart App in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin for delivery from more than 250 stores.
• Price Chopper/Market 32 customers in New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Vermont can use EBT SNAP to shop from more than 120 stores through the Instacart App or Price Chopper/Market 32's Carrot Storefront Pro website.
• Tops Friendly Markets customers can use EBT SNAP to shop from more than 70 stores across New York, Vermont and Northern Pennsylvania for delivery or pickup via the Instacart App or Tops Friendly Markets' Carrot Storefront Pro website.

With these expansions, Instacart now powers EBT SNAP payments for more than 60 retail banners spanning more than 8,000 stores.

"Research shows that a large percentage of EBT recipients face mobility challenges due to a disability, lack of transportation or caring for young children, which can prevent them from physically visiting a store. As a trusted community grocer committed to solving food insecurity, we want to make healthy foods available to those at risk by offering multiple private, secure, and convenient shopping options," said Susan Morris, Chief Operating Officer for Albertsons Companies. "This program allows shoppers to use their EBT cards to make online purchases for home delivery or free store pick-up, which is a critical part of our ongoing efforts to create a flexible and convenient shopping experience for all customers."

"Sprouts is a leader in making the highest quality fresh foods accessible to all. Online shopping for delivery and pickup offers our customers that accessibility and convenience to fit any lifestyle," said Nick Konat, President and Chief Operating Officer of Sprouts. "Through this expanded partnership with Instacart, we can offer our customers the option to use their SNAP benefits when ordering their fresh and nutritious foods online, allowing them greater convenience, accessibility and affordability."