The Giant Company launches SNAP EBT payment for online orders

The Giant Company has begun accepting electronic benefit transfer (EBT) payments for online grocery orders from Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) customers in its home state of Pennsylvania.

Carlisle, Pa.-based Giant said Thursday that SNAP participants can shop online through its Giant Direct and Martin’s Direct services and pay with their Pennsylvania EBT ACCESS card, for both grocery pickup and delivery orders. About 1.8 million people in Pennsylvania currently use SNAP benefits, the grocer said, citing data from the state’s Department of Human Services.

“Making sure the communities we serve have access to nutritious food is at the core of who The Giant Company is and central to our purpose of connecting families for a better future,” Matt Simon, vice president of brand experience at Giant, said in a statement. “Now, customers who participate in SNAP can enjoy the convenience of online shopping, while still receiving the same low prices and maximizing their SNAP benefits for the food they need to share a healthy meal with their family.”

To shop via Giant Direct or Martin’s Direct, SNAP customers add their EBT card information, put groceries in their virtual cart and then enter their PIN to pay for eligible items. SNAP benefits can be used only on specific food items, just as when SNAP participants shop in stores, Giant noted. The retailer said minimum order requirements won’t apply to SNAP online customers, but pickup and delivery fees will be applied to each order.

Related:Tops to expand SNAP EBT payment for Instacart orders

Plans call for Giant to start accepting SNAP EBT payment for online orders in Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia later this month. Overall, the grocer operates about 190 stores under the Giant, Martin’s and Giant Heirloom Market banners plus more than 150 online pickup hubs and grocery delivery service in hundreds of ZIP codes in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia. 

“Though we are beginning to emerge from the public health crisis, COVID-19 still remains a danger to many, especially because many SNAP recipients are older and may have chronic health conditions,” commented Meg Snead, acting secretary for the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services. “The SNAP Online Purchasing Pilot has given thousands of Pennsylvanians the ability to safely shop for fresh groceries and pantry staples during this health crisis. We are grateful that The Giant Company has joined this program, and we encourage SNAP recipients to take advantage of this convenience.”

The Giant Company is the third Ahold Delhaize USA supermarket chain to enable SNAP EBT payment for online orders. Food Lion began accepting EBT for SNAP online grocery orders chainwide in May, while Landover, Md.-based Giant Food started offering that payment option for SNAP online customers last month.

Related:Publix, Save Mart, Price Chopper launch SNAP EBT for Instacart orders

Under the SNAP Online Purchasing Pilot, launched by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) in April 2019, 47 states and the District of Columbia now allow SNAP beneficiaries to shop and pay for groceries online.