More regional retailers get on board with SNAP payments for online orders

Meijer stores in Michigan are now accepting Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for the retailer’s Meijer Pickup and Home Delivery shopping services.  

Meijer is accepting the payment capability at all Michigan stores, which allows customers with SNAP benefits to pay for Meijer Pickup or Meijer Home Delivery orders using an EBT (Electronic Benefits Transfer) card. The Grand Rapids, Mich.-based operator of 258 supercenters and grocery stores also plans to activate the payment capability for customers shopping in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin and Kentucky in the coming weeks. 

"We're excited to accept SNAP benefits across our Meijer Pickup and Delivery shopping experiences," said Derek Steele, vice president of customer strategy for Meijer. "We believe all customers should have access to personalized, convenient, digital shopping services and understand the added benefit this new payment capability provides."

The Meijer Pickup service, which is free on orders more than $35, does not a require membership, offers the same pricing available in store and includes access to all weekly sales and discounts. The service allows customers the flexibility to shop from anywhere and have a Meijer team member personally hand-select items and allow them to pick up within a few hours.

Related:Wegmans launches SNAP EBT payments for Instacart orders

Meijer Home Delivery lets people shop whenever they want from wherever they want, and have their order delivered at a time that's most convenient for them. The same-day home delivery service gives shoppers the flexibility to shop for everything they need, from fresh produce and grocery items to everyday essentials, and have a personal shopper hand-select the items and deliver them to their home within a few hours.

For a limited time, Meijer is offering new Pickup and Home Delivery customers $15 off their first 3 orders of $75 or more. When customers are placing their first order on Meijer.com or in the Meijer app they can enter the code SAVEBIG at checkout for the $15 discount to apply. The discount will automatically apply on their second and third orders over $75. 

Meijer Pickup is available from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. Meijer Home Delivery is available from 7 a.m. to midnight daily.

"Providing SNAP recipients with access to Meijer Pickup and Delivery will make shopping for affordable, fresh groceries and essentials a little easier for parents and families across the Midwest," Steele said. "We hope the new capability brings convenience and access to all our customers when ordering groceries online."

Related:Instacart ramps up SNAP EBT acceptance for online grocery

Bashas’ teams with Instacart

In Arizona, Bashas’ more than 100 grocery stores across the state are also now accepting EBT SNAP payments for eligible same-day delivery and curbside pickup orders placed online via Instacart.

Customers who use an EBT card to grocery shop can now apply their SNAP benefits to purchase groceries online from all Bashas’, AJ’s Fine Foods, Eddie’s Country Store and Food City locations through Instacart marketplace. Bashas’ is currently working to rollout this offering for its Diné stores across Arizona and New Mexico in the coming months.

Not having reliable transportation is a common barrier to groceries and good nutrition, so this added convenience reflects Bashas’ latest effort to reduce food insecurity, the retailer said.

“Online shopping is an especially useful option for those who are not able to visit our stores in person because they lack reliable transportation or have other limitations,” said Edward “Trey” Basha, president of the grocery chain. “Giving shoppers the ability to use their SNAP benefits when ordering their groceries online through Instacart makes nutritious food more convenient and affordable.”

Customers who use an EBT card to grocery shop can now apply their SNAP benefits to purchase groceries online from all Bashas’, AJ’s Fine Foods, Eddie’s Country Store and Food City locations through Instacart.

To order same-day grocery delivery or pickup online from Bashas’, Food City, Eddie’s Country Store, and AJ’s Fine Foods, customers must create a profile using Instacart’s website or mobile app. In the profile section, customers can enter their EBT SNAP card information as a form of payment. Customers will need a secondary form of payment for non-food items such as taxes, tips, and fees, per federal EBT SNAP guidelines.

Once a profile is established, customers can enter their ZIP code to find their nearest Bashas’ store and begin selecting items from the grocer’s EBT-eligible products. Once customers add items to their online cart, they will be able to specify how much of their EBT SNAP benefits they would like to allocate to the order.

With the addition of Bashas’, Instacart now powers EBT SNAP payments for more than 60 retailers in 39 states and the District of Columbia, spanning more than 7,000 stores nationwide. Instacart now offers the ability to accept EBT SNAP as part of recently launched Instacart Platform, a modular, omnichannel solutions suite that gives grocery retailers access to the technologies behind the Instacart consumer marketplace.

“At Instacart, our mission is to create a world where everyone has access to the food they love and more time to enjoy it together,” said Sarah Mastrorocco, vice president of access to food & nutrition at San Francisco-based retail enablement platform Instacart. “We’re proud to expand our partnership with Bashas’ and provide a more convenient way to obtain fresh, nutritional foods and pantry staples. Online grocery shopping shouldn’t just be a luxury, and to get there, we need to ensure delivery and pickup are affordable for everyone. Households that rely on EBT SNAP benefits now have more access to Bashas’ quality produce and expansive selection across Arizona.”