Instacart announced Friday that it's giving customers who get SNAP benefits a 50% discount on their next grocery purchase to help alleviate pressure while the government gets ready to cut off food aid payments.
TL;DR
- Instacart offers SNAP recipients a 50% discount on their next grocery purchase.
- Gopuff provides $50 in complimentary groceries for SNAP/EBT cardholders throughout November.
- DoorDash waives service and delivery fees for SNAP recipients and delivers meals from food banks.
- Zip offers temporary, no-fee installment payment options for SNAP recipients during the payment halt.
Customers who ordered with a SNAP/EBT card in October are eligible for Instacart's discount, even if government payments proceed as scheduled on November 1st. Additionally, Instacart is increasing its support for food banks via online drives, from 100 to 300.
The San Francisco-based grocery delivery company said both programs amount to $5 million in direct relief.
“As SNAP funding faces unprecedented disruption and food banks brace for longer lines, we’re focused on practical, immediate solutions: helping families who use SNAP stretch their grocery dollars and helping food banks stock up to support their communities,” said Dani Dudeck, Instacart’s chief corporate affairs officer.
Instacart is among multiple major corporations responding to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's intention to halt payments for The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program starting November 1st, owing to the government shutdown.
Gopuff, a Philadelphia-based firm known for its rapid delivery of food and convenience goods, announced it will offer $50 in complimentary groceries throughout November for patrons with a SNAP/EBT card linked to their Gopuff profile. The company stated its commitment to allocating up to $10 million for this initiative.
San Francisco-based DoorDash said it would waive service and delivery fees for an estimated 300,000 orders for SNAP recipients in November. DoorDash said Friday that 25 grocery companies, including Sprouts, Dollar General, Giant Eagle, Stop & Shop, Winn-Dixie, BJ’s Wholesale Club and ShopRite, are partnering with DoorDash to cut those fees.
DoorDash said it would also deliver 1 million meals from food banks for free. The company said more than 2.4 million of its customers have a SNAP/EBT card linked to their DoorDash account.
Zip Co., a “buy now, pay later” app enabling users to establish payment installment plans for their purchases, announced on Friday that it will provide temporary, no-fee installment payment choices for SNAP recipients requiring assistance with grocery purchases should the government fail to make payments on November 1st. The company stated that eligible customers must complete a form within the Zip app.
Zip, which is based in Australia, said it was partnering with Forage, a company that processes government payments for retailers. Zip said it has 4.25 million active users, but it wouldn’t say how many are SNAP recipients.
Instacart hasn't revealed the number of its customers who utilize SNAP benefits. The company initiated the acceptance of online SNAP payments back in 2020. They provide reduced-price memberships for SNAP recipients and waive delivery fees on orders exceeding $35.