Food stamps: How to use SNAP benefits to pay for food delivery service
Eden Villalovas
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DoorDash, a food delivery service, announced the option to use Electric Benefit Transfer cards through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in select markets. SNAP participants can use their benefits to pay for eligible groceries and delivery to their home.
Seeking to broaden food access, the online food delivery platform will offer SNAP and EBT payments in over 4,000 grocery and convenience locations, including ALDI, Albertsons, Meijer, Safeway, and some 7-Eleven stores, with many merchants’ participation starting in July.
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According to the company’s press release on Wednesday, SNAP recipients will receive the benefits of a DashPass membership, a subscription service that offers certain benefits such as $0 delivery fees on eligible orders that meet minimum subtotals, for two months without charge.
“The rise of on-demand grocery delivery has had a transformational impact on food access,” Fuad Hannon, vice president of New Verticals at DoorDash, said in a statement. “This is especially true for vulnerable populations, including seniors, people living in food deserts, and those facing disability or transportation barriers.”
The new feature will affect “more than 2.3 million people who are living in USDA-defined food deserts and over 4.3 million people living in communities where over 1 in 10 households receive SNAP/EBT benefits,” according to DoorDash.
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SNAP beneficiaries can add their EBT card to the payment method section of the DoorDash app under Program Cards, similar to adding a debit or credit card. DoorDash will provide a unique link to redeem their two-month free DashPass membership.
“We’re proud to partner with these merchants to offer SNAP recipients access to quality groceries conveniently through our platform,” Hannon said. “Through the power of local delivery, enabling SNAP/EBT payments can make a profound impact on reducing food insecurity and connecting people to groceries and the essential items they need.”