BJ’s adds SNAP EBT as payment method for Instacart customers

Dive Brief:

BJ’s Wholesale Club has started accepting SNAP benefits from online grocery shoppers who want to have their purchases delivered by Instacart, the companies announced Friday.
The club retailer's customers can now use Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) as a payment method on Instacart’s app or website and receive their order in as little as an hour.
The development continues a trend among retailers to enable shoppers to use government benefits to pay for groceries through their e-commerce channels.

Dive Insight:

BJ’s move to offer grocery delivery services to SNAP customers who want to use Instacart follows the retailer’s announcement in September 2022 that it would accept SNAP EBT payments from shoppers through its own e-commerce site and app.

BJ’s is the first club retailer to accept SNAP benefits from Instacart customers, the companies said in Friday’s announcement. Shoppers can use their SNAP EBT card along with another payment method to cover the cost of their order, enabling people to buy items that are not SNAP-eligible at the same time. The program covers all of BJ’s 238 locations in 19 states.

The retailer indicated that its decision to accept SNAP benefits from online shoppers reflects a goal of helping people with mobility difficulties. “We know our members can face shopping challenges, such as transportation and accessibility issues, so we are thrilled to provide an additional way for members to shop using SNAP through Instacart,” BJ’s Chief Digital Officer Monica Schwartz said in a statement.

Instcart said its partnership with BJ’s is connected with its efforts to provide shoppers with convenient grocery shopping options. Sarah Mastrorocco, vice president and general manager of Instacart Health, said in a statement that the company has seen “the transformative impact grocery delivery can have on expanding access to nutritious food … SNAP recipients tell us that grocery delivery helps stretch their food budgets while saving them time.”

Instacart and BJ’s made their SNAP EBT announcement the same week that Kroger said it has started accepting SNAP online purchasing chainwide after trialing the capability during the pandemic.