First Rosie independent grocer goes live with SNAP online EBT payment

Grocery e-commerce provider Rosie has officially launched acceptance of electronic benefit transfer (EBT) payments for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) online orders at its first independent grocer.

Ithaca, N.Y.-based Rosie said Wednesday that Davis Food & Drug in Utah now allows SNAP benefits recipients to pay for groceries bought online using their EBT cards. The retailer, with three stores in Vernal, Roosevelt and La Verkin, offers online grocery pickup and delivery through its Davis Direct service, powered by Rosie.

“Accepting SNAP payments online is going to make a world of difference,” Jodi Drake, e-commerce lead at Davis Food & Drug, said in a statement. “Serving our community is what we do best, and we’re now able to fulfill a need our customers have thanks to Rosie. To make it even more convenient for shoppers, we’re excited to announce Davis stores will be waiving the pickup fee for everyone beginning Wednesday, Feb. 9.”

With online service a daily tool for food shoppers, acceptance of SNAP EBT payments for e-grocery purchases has become critical for independent supermarkets, according to Rosie.

Under the SNAP Online Purchasing Pilot, launched in April 2019 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), 47 states and the District of Columbia now allow SNAP beneficiaries to shop and pay for groceries online. In Utah, SNAP online EBT payments are accepted only at Davis Food & Drug, Walmart and Amazon.

Related:Associated Grocers of Baton Rouge partners with Rosie on e-commerce

Citing federal data from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Rosie noted that one in nine Americans rely on benefits provided via EBT, making acceptance of SNAP online payments critical. The nation’s largest nutrition assistance program, SNAP has more than 40 million annual participations, and over two-thirds are families with children, with another third being households with senior citizens or people with disabilities. 

“With grocery e-commerce a part of our everyday lives, it’s essential that independent grocers have the tools they need to provide solutions to the underserved in their community, and compete and win against national chains,” according to Jon Mareane, software rollouts lead at Rosie. “Technology continues to advance, and we’re proud to be part of a program that is impacting hundreds of thousands of SNAP recipients nationwide.”

FNS, which administers SNAP, issued a call for retailer volunteers for the SNAP Online Purchasing Pilot in September 2016 and then in January 2017 offered participation in the pilot’s first phase to Amazon, Walmart, ShopRite, Safeway and Hy-Vee, as well as to online grocer FreshDirect and independent grocers Dash’s Market and Wright’s Markets. Rosie said its technology and development teams have prioritized SNAP online functionality with the help of its retailers, FNS and Fiserv since grocery partner Dash’s Market — now with four stores in the Buffalo, N.Y., area — was selected by the USDA to take part in the SNAP Online Purchasing Pilot.

Related:Little Giant Farmer’s Market launches SNAP EBT payment for online orders

Along with independent supermarket operators, Rosie serves as an e-commerce partner of leading grocery wholesalers, including Associated Food Stores, Associated Grocers Inc., Associated Wholesale Grocers, Bozzuto’s, C&S Wholesale Grocers, Piggly Wiggly Alabama Distributing Co. and URM Stores.