Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
Convenience stores provide essential access to nutrition for low income Americans who live in rural or urban environments. Convenience stores are often the only establishments easily accessible by walking or public transportation, or the only food retail locations open for business with extended or 24-hour service.
NACS encourages all SNAP retailers to begin updating their POS systems to be able to accept EBT chip-enabled cards, as USDA is overseeing efforts to modernize the program and enhance SNAP benefit protection in multiple states.
The convenience store industry supports removing the hot foods restriction because it gives low-income Americans commonsense flexibility and will help stores more easily comply with program requirements.
NACS is urging USDA to finalize a definition of “variety” of food that is workable for small format stores in the program.