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Wegmans launches SNAP EBT payments for Instacart orders

Regional grocer plans to expand functionality to its own website, mobile app

Russell Redman

April 13, 2022

3 Min Read
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Wegmans and Instacart partnered to gain approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service to accept EBT SNAP payments.Wegmans

Wegmans Food Markets has begun accepting Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) electronic benefits transfer (EBT) payments for Instacart online grocery orders chainwide.

San Francisco-based Instacart said Wednesday that all 106 Wegmans supermarkets in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Massachusetts, Virginia and North Carolina now enable SNAP beneficiaries ordering groceries through the Instacart online marketplace and mobile app to use their EBT cards to complete purchases.

“The introduction of EBT SNAP payments for online orders increases accessibility to our wide selection of groceries, including fresh, wholesome and packaged foods, throughout our communities. This is incredibly important for our customers and our company, as we strive to help people live healthier, better lives through food,” Erica Tickle, vice president of e-commerce at Wegmans, said in a statement.

Rochester, N.Y.-based Wegmans and Instacart partnered to gain approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service to accept EBT SNAP payments. Under the SNAP Online Purchasing Pilot, launched by the USDA’s FNS in April 2019, 49 states (except Alaska) and the District of Columbia now allow SNAP beneficiaries to shop and pay for groceries online.

Related:Instacart looks to drive grocers’ digital transformations

“Offering EBT SNAP payments through the Instacart website and mobile app is a great first step, and we look forward to expanding this capability to Wegmans.com and our mobile app later this year,” Tickle added.

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With the addition of Wegmans, Instacart now enables EBT SNAP payments for over 60 retailers in 39 states and D.C.

Instacart and Wegmans first partnered in 2017 and now offer delivery and pickup from all Wegmans stores. To use the EBT online service, Wegmans SNAP customers create an Instacart profile and enter their EBT card information as a form of payment, along with a secondary payment form to cover nonfood items such as taxes, tips and fees. After selecting a nearby Wegmans store, they can then begin adding EBT SNAP-eligible products to their virtual cart. Customers also will be able to designate the amount of SNAP benefits to apply to their order. Orders can be placed for same-day delivery and pickup service, in as fast as 30 minutes, or scheduled several days in advance.

“Today, we’re proud to expand our partnership with Wegmans and provide East Coast families a more convenient, accessible way to access nutritious food and pantry staples,” commented Sarah Mastrorocco, vice president of access to food and nutrition at Instacart. “Online grocery shouldn’t just be a luxury, and to get there, we need to ensure delivery and pickup are affordable for everyone. We’re thrilled to provide households that rely on EBT SNAP benefits with more access to Wegmans’ quality produce and expansive selection across the East Coast.”

Related:Wegmans set to enter Connecticut

With the addition of Wegmans, 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.

“I am proud of what this partnership will bring to my district and our community, especially for those who are unable to leave their homes or lack transportation,” New York State Assemblyman Harry Bronson (D., Rochester/Chili/Henrietta) said in a statement.

Instacart added that it pioneered the retailer onboarding process for EBT SNAP online payments and remains the only platform that expedites retailer certification for that capability. More than half of all federally approved retailers accept EBT SNAP online through the Instacart platform, serving more than 25 million people experiencing food insecurity across the U.S., the company said.

"This will prove critical in expanding access to fresh, affordable food across the region,” stated New York State Assemblywoman Sarah Clark, (D., Brighton/Irondequoit/Rochester). “I applaud Wegmans for pursuing this partnership and look forward to the program's growth.”

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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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