SAN FRANCISCO & ROCHESTER, N.Y.—Wegmans customers can now pay with Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) payments via Instacart at 106 stores in Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Virginia, according to a news release.
“The introduction of EBT SNAP payments for online orders increases accessibility to our wide selection of groceries, including fresh, wholesome and packaged foods, throughout our communities. This is incredibly important for our customers and our company, as we strive to help people live healthier, better lives through food,” said Erica Tickle, vice president of e-commerce at Wegmans. “Offering EBT SNAP payments through the Instacart website and mobile app is a great first step, and we look forward to expanding this capability to Wegmans.com and our mobile app later this year.”
Wegmans and Instacart partnered to gain approval from the United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service to accept EBT and SNAP payments.
“The Instacart and Wegmans partnership is a one-of-a-kind opportunity for New Yorkers who rely on EBT SNAP to gain affordable, convenient access to their favorite grocery store,” said New York State Assemblymember Harry Bronson (D-Rochester/Chili/Henrietta). “I am proud of what this partnership will bring to my district and our community, especially for those who are unable to leave their homes or lack transportation.”
Where available, EBT SNAP participants are able to shop from Wegmans via the Instacart website and mobile app. Once an Instacart customer profile is created, customers can enter their EBT food card information as a form of payment in their profile. Customers will need a secondary form of payment for non-food items such as taxes, tips and fees per federal SNAP guidelines.
Customers can then enter their ZIP code to determine if they are near a Wegmans store, and begin shopping and selecting items from the retailer’s EBT-eligible products. Once items are added to their cart, customers will be able to select how much of their benefits they would like to allocate to the order. Orders for delivery and pickup can be placed by customers for receipt in as fast as 30 minutes or scheduled several days in advance.
With the addition of Wegmans, Instacart now powers EBT SNAP payments for more than 60 retailers across 39 states and Washington, D.C., spanning more than 7,000 stores nationwide. More than half of all federally approved retailers accept EBT SNAP online through the Instacart platform.
The number of U.S. households using SNAP benefits to buy groceries online saw a 50-fold increase last year after the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) expanded options for food stamp recipients to shop online. The USDA said that more than 3.2 million food-stamp households shopped online in January, doubling from a year before.
Target announced it will begin accepting SNAP payment for online orders through Shipt. Walmart and Amazon have been offering online payments with SNAP since 2019.
Wesco, a Western Michigan-based c-store chain, began accepting SNAP payments this month for on-demand home delivery and curbside pickup at its 55 locations. 7-Eleven Hawaii also launched home delivery and curbside pickup for SNAP customers at its 65 locations across Oahu, Big Island, Kauai and Maui. Both companies have partnered with Vroom Delivery for the launch.
The online SNAP program is independent of in-store SNAP programs. Retailers must apply separately in partnership with an e-commerce platform that has been certified by FNS.