Forage becomes EBT SNAP payment processor for Toast

San Francisco, California (September 20, 2024) – Forage, the San Francisco-based payments company, today announced a new collaboration with Toast’s cloud-based, all-in-one digital technology platform purpose-built for the food and beverage community. This new integration will enable Toast customers to be able to accept EBT SNAP benefits, formerly known as food stamps.

Over 42 million Americans rely on government assistance, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), to afford food. In recent years, food insecurity has risen sharply, and 1 in 8 Americans receive SNAP benefits to feed themselves and their families. With this integration, Toast customers can now accept SNAP benefits as a payment method, allowing them to serve guests across their communities, regardless of payment method.

“At Toast, hospitality is in our DNA. This means many things to us, starting with helping our restaurant and retail customers welcome all guests, including those who use EBT SNAP benefits,” says Omri Traub, General Manager of Retail at Toast. “Along with Toast.org, our social impact arm, Toast is dedicated to enriching the food ecosystem for all. In Forage, we found a like-minded technology partner. Our combined solution lets our customers do both what's right and what's good for their business.”

Forage is a USDA-approved EBT payments processor that helps retailers seamlessly accept government benefits. By integrating Forage’s flexible, reliable software development kits (SDKs) and pre-built components, Toast can offer a solution that allows retailers and restaurants to use Toast’s existing technology stack, onboard with low friction, and seamlessly achieve USDA certification to accept SNAP benefits at the Point of Sale (POS).

“Forage is on a mission to feed low-income families, and we believe the best way we can do that is to make it as easy as possible for businesses to accept EBT SNAP," says Ofek Lavian, CEO and Co-Founder of Forage. “We are proud to partner with Toast retailers and restaurants and get local businesses, no matter how big or small, to provide better access to food for low-income Americans.”

Earlier this year, Toast and Forage launched EBT SNAP for retailers like Halal Madina Market.

“EBT customers are our VIP customers, they represent almost 15-20% of our business. It’s critical for us to be able to support and benefit them, with the Toast and Forage integration, now we can,” says Musa Siddeeq, General Manager and Owner of Halal Madina Market. “Enabling Forage on our Toast POS was seamless - almost like they are part of Toast - and both we and our customers have been pleased with being able to take EBT payments simply and discreetly.”