Aldi and Instacart have expanded their integration of electronic benefit transfer (EBT) payments from the Supplementary Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) into online supermarket orders to nearly 1,000 supermarket stores at deep discounts.
EBT SNAP online payment for Instacart delivery and pick-up orders launched Thursday at Aldi stores in 23 states and Washington, DC The companies unveiled their SNAP EBT partnership in late October, launching the capacity for more than 60 Aldi stores in Georgia in November and then to More than 570 Aldi stores in Illinois, California, Florida, Pennsylvania and Texas in early December.
“Aldi is proud to be the first food retailer to accept EBT SNAP benefits as an online payment method via Instacart for delivery and collection on the sidewalk,” said Scott Patton, vice president of national customer interaction services at US Aldi, in a statement. “This service is now available in almost 90% of Aldi stores in 29 states and in Washington, DC, after successful pilots in California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Pennsylvania and Texas.”
With the integrated capacity, SNAP EBT participants can purchase fresh food and groceries from Aldi through Instacart’s same-day delivery and collection services. SNAP customers buy Aldi on the retailer’s page on Instacart’s online marketplace and mobile app. After configuring an Instacart profile, customers enter the information on the EBT food card as a form of payment. A secondary form of payment for non-food items – such as taxes, tips and fees, according to SNAP guidelines – will also be required.
Then, customers enter their zip code to find a participating Aldi store, and then they can start buying Aldi’s EBT SNAP qualified products. After filling their virtual shopping carts, customers select delivery or pick-up and determine how much of the SNAP benefits they would like to allocate to the order. Instacart personal shoppers select and package customer orders and prepare them for collection or delivery within the designated time.
New with the expansion, Instacart said it will waive delivery and / or collection fees on up to the first three SNAP EBT orders for each customer with a valid EBT card associated with their Instacart account. The San Francisco-based company said the offer, available for a period of 90 days from yesterday, will help subsidize costs for SNAP EBT beneficiaries.
“Today, we are proud to continue our mission and continue our commitment to being a long-term solution for EBT SNAP families across America,” commented Andrew Nodes, vice president of retail at Instacart. “As the country continues to struggle with COVID-19, we recognize the important role that Instacart and its retail partners play in making the same day delivery and collection of food available to more people across the country. We are proud of the work we have done with Aldi and the USDA Food and Nutrition Service to unlock EBT SNAP online payments for more families and look forward to continuing to expand this important program. “
Along with the District of Columbia, the expansion includes Alabama, Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota , Ohio, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
“This SNAP pilot comes at a critical point in our response to the pandemic, when we are focused on doing everything we can to take our community to the other side of it,” said Mayor Muriel Bowser in a statement. “Now more than ever, Washington residents in all eight wards need a way to access nutritious food safely and, at the same time, limit their exposure to other people. Delivery and take-away services played an important role in our response. And now, by ensuring that EBT SNAP recipients can access Aldi delivery through Instacart, more DC residents can get the fresh fruits, vegetables and groceries they need, while slowing the spread of the virus and protecting your families “.
SNAP customers who buy Aldi through Instacart enter the information on the EBT food card as a form of payment.
According to the SNAP Online Purchasing Pilot, launched by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) in April 2019, 46 states and the District of Columbia now allow SNAP beneficiaries to purchase and pay for groceries online. The latest launch by Aldi and Instacart follows FNS approval, allowing the two companies to expand their EBT SNAP pilot online.
“I am excited to hear of Instacart and Alid’s intensified efforts to expand safe purchase and delivery options for New Yorkers participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and I applaud [New York State] Sen. Kaminsky for getting S8247-A sanctioned, ”said Senator Roxanne Persaud, chairman of the NYS Senate Social Services Committee. “The levels of food insecurity that New Yorkers experienced in 2020 brings to light the indiscriminate nature of hunger and the need that has long plagued communities in our great state. We must continue to reach out to more needy New Yorkers. “
Aldi US, based in Batavia, Illinois, began offering delivery service through Instacart in 2018. Currently, Instacart delivers over 2,000 Aldi stores in 36 states.
“I am pleased to see the expansion of the Electronic Benefits Transfer and Supplementary Nutrition Assistance Program (EBT SNAP) in Illinois through the Gov’s public-private partnership. [J.B.] Pritzker, IDHS, Aldi and Instacart ”, commented Illinois State Rep. Jaime Andrade. “This initiative is a significant step towards ensuring equitable access to food for everyone”.