SNAP can go toward groceries online
New Yorkers who receive food assistance from the federal government will be able to order and pay for groceries online for the first time, the Department of Agriculture announced Thursday.
Those taking part in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program who have electronic benefit transfer cards can start buying meats, produce and milk from Walmart and Amazon beginning today, and from ShopRite next week. The two-year pilot eventually will extend to those getting food assistance in Alabama, Nebraska, Iowa, New Jersey, Maryland, Oregon and Washington.
At a time when the shopping experience is increasingly shifting online, the pilot is a way to make sure that those who are lower income or who have difficulty getting to a store aren’t left out, federal officials said.
“People who receive SNAP benefits should have the opportunity to shop for food the same way more and more Americans shop for food, by ordering and paying for groceries online,” Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue said in a statement.
“As technology advances, it is important for SNAP to advance too, so we can ensure the same shopping options are available for both non-SNAP and SNAP recipients.”
Walmart has quickly ramped up its pickup and delivery service to compete with Amazon and others in the multibillion-dollar grocery space.
“We don’t think the way you pay should affect your access to the service,” says spokeswoman Molly Blakeman.
ShopRite and Amazon will offer the online shopping option in and around New York City, while Walmart will be available for those living in upstate New York. More stores should come on board over the next few months, the USDA says.
However, while the SNAP benefits will pay for eligible foods, they will not cover fees for having the products delivered. Walmart, for instance, charges delivery fees ranging from $7.95 to $9.95.
Fees are sometimes tacked on by stores to cover the increased cost of ferrying items to customers’ front doors, says Ernest Baskin, assistant professor of food marketing at St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia.