The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits provide low-income individuals and families with EBT cards for nutrition assistance. Beneficiaries with an EBT card are allowed to purchase qualified food items from authorized food retailers. Yet, are EBT meal delivery packages accepted?
Frugalreality.com noted that there are numerous reasons why some recipients may require delivery kits, including the fact that the local grocery store is out of stock or that you lack the time to visit a crowded market. Also, the delivery aspect might save time and fuel.
SNAP Benefits Options
Nevertheless, according to Frugalreality.com, Top Box Foods appears to be the only meal delivery service that accepts EBT at this time, as its leading competitors Hello Fresh and Blue Apron do not accept EBT as a payment method.
As the majority of meal-delivery providers do not accept EBT cards, SNAP customers have limited options.
FrugalReality.com stated that the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has started a federal pilot program to allow states to add EBT cards as an online payment option, allowing grocery stores and meal delivery businesses to begin accepting EBT and SNAP food stamps.
According to a press release, Instacart and ALDI will expand EBT SNAP interoperability in December 2020.
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Online Payments
Since then, roughly 1,000 additional ALDI outlets in 23 states and Washington, D.C. accept online EBT SNAP payments. This expansion follows the USDA Food and Nutrition Service’s recent clearance allowing Instacart and ALDI to expand their online EBT SNAP trial, according to the release.
ALDI is thrilled to be the first supermarket store to accept EBT SNAP benefits online via Instacart for grocery delivery and curbside pickup, an ALDI executive stated at the time.
Following successful pilots in California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and Texas, this service is currently offered at approximately 90% of ALDI stores in 29 states and the District of Columbia.
According to Instacart’s website, EBT SNAP can be used to get groceries from over 50 grocery stores, including but not limited to Meijer, Food Lion, Price Chopper, Wegmans, Albertsons, and Market Bistro.
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