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Amazon eyes nationwide acceptance of SNAP EBT for online grocery payments

E-tail giant extends its reach to more than 99% of SNAP households

Russell Redman

April 28, 2022

3 Min Read
Amazon_Prime_grocery_delivery_bag_copy.png
SNAP customers can shop for groceries online with Amazon through its Amazon Grocery and Amazon Fresh services, both with free shipping available.Amazon

Amazon is working to enable virtually all households participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to use electronic benefits transfer (EBT) to pay for online grocery orders. 

Seattle-based Amazon said yesterday that its e-grocery services now reach SNAP recipients in 48 states and the District of Columbia — with Montana and Louisiana the most recent additions — giving over 99% of SNAP households the ability to use their benefits online with the e-tailer. Through early April, just under 22 million households received SNAP benefits.

SNAP customers can shop for groceries via two Amazon services: Amazon Grocery (shelf-stable food and household items, in varying sizes) and Amazon Fresh (fresh foods such as produce, meat and other items, available in selected metropolitan regions), both with free shipping available. To reduce barriers to entry for online grocery shopping, Amazon noted that it has waived the Prime membership requirement for SNAP participants to access Amazon Fresh.

“With online acceptance of SNAP, Amazon’s selection, competitive pricing and home delivery can improve the grocery shopping experience for SNAP participants,” Amazon said in a blog post on Wednesday announcing expanded SNAP EBT access.

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An Amazon Fresh store associate readies online grocery orders for pickup.

Amazon is one of the original retailer participants — along with Walmart — in the SNAP Online Purchasing Pilot, launched in April 2019 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) to allow SNAP beneficiaries to buy groceries online for delivery or pickup.

Related:Wegmans launches SNAP EBT payments for Instacart orders

The pilot stems from the 2014 Farm Bill, which authorized the USDA to test online purchasing for recipients before rolling it out nationally. FNS, which administers SNAP, issued a call for retailer volunteers for the pilot in September 2016 and then in January 2017 offered participation in the initiative’s first phase to Amazon, Walmart, ShopRite, Safeway, Hy-Vee, FreshDirect, Dash’s Market and Wright’s Markets. Dozens of chain and independent grocers now take part in the program.

“What launched in 2019 as a pilot for expansion into only 10 states has quickly fast-tracked to a nearly national program in order to meet the evolving needs of customers, both during and after the COVID-19 crisis,” Amazon stated in the blog. “Amazon volunteered to participate as a retailer in the USDA’s SNAP Online Purchasing Pilot in 2016 because we believe in its goals and to ensure that all customers have the opportunity to order groceries online.”

Currently, Amazon said, SNAP recipients in 38 states and the District of Columbia can pay directly via SNAP EBT for Amazon online grocery purchases. Those states include Alabama, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming. The company added that it’s working to expand SNAP EBT functionality to more states.

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

Overall, SNAP online grocery shopping is now available in 49 states and D.C., with Alaska being the only state where the service hasn’t yet been approved. Amazon, Walmart and Aldi are the only grocery retailers enabling SNAP online grocery shopping on a national scale. 

“Amazon is proud to continue to expand online SNAP acceptance to beneficiaries in more states,” Amazon said in the blog, “and we remain committed to making food accessible through online grocery shopping, offering all customers convenience, time savings and low prices delivered straight to their door.”

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About the Author

Russell Redman

Senior Editor
Supermarket News

Russell Redman has served as senior editor at Supermarket News since April 2018, his second tour with the publication. In his current role, he handles daily news coverage for the SN website and contributes news and features for the print magazine, as well as participates in special projects, podcasts and webinars and attends industry events. Russ joined SN from Racher Press Inc.’s Chain Drug Review and Mass Market Retailers magazines, where he served as desk/online editor for more than nine years, covering the food/drug/mass retail sector. 

Russell Redman’s more than 30 years of experience in journalism span a range of editorial manager, editor, reporter/writer and digital roles at a variety of publications and websites covering a breadth of industries, including retailing, pharmacy/health care, IT, digital home, financial technology, financial services, real estate/commercial property, pro audio/video and film. He started his career in 1989 as a local news reporter and editor, covering community news and politics in Long Island, N.Y. His background also includes an earlier stint at Supermarket News as center store editor and then financial editor in the mid-1990s. Russ holds a B.A. in journalism (minor in political science) from Hofstra University, where he also earned a certificate in digital/social media marketing in November 2016.

Russell Redman’s experience:

Supermarket News - Informa
Senior Editor 
April 2018 - present

Chain Drug Review/Mass Market Retailers - Racher Press
Desk/Online Editor 
Sept. 2008 - March 2018

CRN magazine - CMP Media
Managing Editor
May 2000 - June 2007

Bank Systems & Technology - Miller Freeman
Executive Editor/Managing Editor
Dec. 1996 - May 2000

Supermarket News - Fairchild Publications
Financial Editor/Associate Editor
April 1995 - Dec. 1996 

Shopping Centers Today Magazine - ICSC 
Desk Editor/Assistant Editor
Dec. 1992 - April 1995

Testa Communications
Assistant Editor/Contributing Editor (Music & Sound Retailer, Post, Producer, Sound & Communications and DJ Times magazines)
Jan. 1991 - Dec. 1992 

American Banker/Bond Buyer
Copy Editor
Oct. 1990 - Jan. 1991 

This Week newspaper - Chanry Communications
Reporter/Editor
May 1989 - July 1990

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