Instacart Expands EBT SNAP Program to Most of the Country

Online grocery platform Instacart on Monday expanded its Electronic Benefits Transfer and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program offering, commonly known as EBT SNAP, to cover almost the entire country. 

Low-income shoppers can now purchase groceries using EBT SNAP and Instacart in 10 additional states—Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Louisiana, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming—through the Instacart app and retailers’ Instacart-powered e-commerce platforms.

The move brings the program's reach to 49 states and Washington, D.C. 

The first grocers to accept EBT SNAP online in these new markets are Boise, Idaho-based Albertsons Cos. and Phoenix-based Sprouts Farmers Market. With these expansions, Instacart now accepts EBT SNAP payments for more than 60 retail banners spanning more than 8,000 stores, opening its platform to more shoppers as grocery prices continue to climb.

Grocers of all sizes can now use Instacart’s Carrot Payments to accept EBT SNAP payments online, “reaching nearly 30 million people experiencing food insecurity across the U.S.,” Instacart said in a statement.

Instacart Platform enables grocers to accept EBT SNAP through the Instacart app and on their own digital properties built with Instacart Platform e-commerce solutions Carrot Storefront and Carrot Storefront Pro. Leveraging Carrot Payments across e-commerce experiences, grocers can accept new payment types online, including EBT SNAP, Apple Pay, PayPal and others. 

“At Instacart, our goal is to continue unlocking access to nutritious food for those who need it most,” said Sarah Mastrorocco, VP of Access to Food & Nutrition, in a statement. “We’ve long advocated to expand online EBT SNAP acceptance, and we’re proud to bring this critical service to people in 10 additional states in partnership with grocers that people know, love and trust."

The expansion gives more consumers access to the convenience of same-day delivery and grocery pickup, Mastrorocco said.

“We look forward to continuing to expand this program and enabling more retailers to accept EBT SNAP payments online through the Instacart Platform,” Mastrorocco said.

Grocery retailers Meijer, Price Chopper/Market 32 and Tops Friendly Markets recently expanded EBT SNAP acceptance online with Instacart.

EBT SNAP customers now have even more choice when shopping for essentials from their preferred grocers, Instacart said. Where available, EBT SNAP participants can shop for pickup or delivery via the Instacart app and grocers’ Instacart Platform-powered websites and apps. Orders for delivery and pickup can be placed by customers for receipt in as fast as 30 minutes or they can be scheduled several days in advance.

Among the expansions Instacart announced Monday:

“Research shows that a large percentage of EBT recipients face mobility challenges due to a disability, lack of transportation or caring for young children, which can prevent them from physically visiting a store," Albertsons' COO Susan Morris said in a statement. "As a trusted community grocer committed to solving food insecurity, we want to make healthy foods available to those at risk by offering multiple private, secure, and convenient shopping options. This program allows shoppers to use their EBT cards to make online purchases for home delivery or free store pick-up, which is a critical part of our ongoing efforts to create a flexible and convenient shopping experience for all customers.”

Tops Friendly Markets has been an Instacart partner for a number of years, President John Persons said in a statement. “Our evolving partnership continues to grow and now includes digital/mobile, catering and EBT SNAP solutions to provide even more affordability and convenience," Persons said.