Gopuff Becomes First Instant Commerce Company to Accept SNAP EBT Nationwide

PHILADELPHIA (NOV. 1 2024) – Gopuff, the leading Instant Commerce platform, today announced it is now accepting Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) payment for all eligible online purchases nationwide. Last year, SNAP served an average of 42.1 million participants per month. Now, as the first Instant Commerce company to accept SNAP, Gopuff will offer unparalleled convenience, affordability and access to food for millions of SNAP-eligible Americans.

“For more than a decade, we have been bringing high-quality, affordable food and pantry staples to customers in minutes,” said Yakir Gola, co-CEO and co-founder of Gopuff. “As we continue to advance our efforts to provide meaningful value to our customers, we are honored to now allow SNAP-eligible families access to the groceries they need in the fastest and most affordable way.”

With the launch, Gopuff becomes the first and only Instant Commerce company to gain USDA approval for accepting SNAP payments, meaning several hundred Gopuff micro-fulfillment centers and stores can now begin accepting online SNAP payments.

Senator John Fetterman added, “I’m proud and honored to support this effort by Gopuff to make its services eligible for SNAP. This change would significantly help people living in food deserts access healthy and nutritious food, and modernize the delivery of SNAP to the current day.”

Online access to groceries is not just a convenience for many SNAP shoppers, it’s a necessity:

• One in five SNAP recipients has a disability,
• Many serve as primary caregivers for more than nine hours per week, and
• Many more live in food deserts with limited transportation options, making it difficult to access food.

With the ability to deliver affordable groceries in as fast as 15 minutes, Gopuff is uniquely positioned to help improve food access: Gopuff already delivers millions of orders to customers in food deserts each year and the company recently launched a Fresh Grocery initiative, adding hundreds of affordably priced fruits, vegetables, dairy, poultry, and fresh bread to its platform. In fact, during pilot testing, popular products among SNAP-eligible Gopuff customers included baby formula, water, bananas, orange juice and milk, among other grocery items.

To enable SNAP payments on its platform, Gopuff engaged with Forage, the only USDA-approved third-party payment processor that offers best-in-class software combined with a dedicated team of in-house experts to guide retailers through the USDA’s tech integration authorization process.

Using SNAP on Gopuff is easy:

1. Download the Gopuff app (iOS and Android)
2. Add an EBT card as a payment method
3. Purchase eligible food items using SNAP benefits
   1. Shoppers can also check their EBT balance at checkout and use multiple payment methods for a single order to cover non-SNAP items.
4. Orders are prepared in Gopuff’s local micro-fulfillment centers and brought to customers’ doors by delivery partners in as fast as 15 minutes.

The launch of SNAP acceptance is in line with Gopuff’s long-standing commitment to fighting food insecurity in the many communities where it operates. Since 2019, the company has worked with Feeding America to support local food banks across the U.S. In the past two years, Gopuff locations have donated nearly 2 million pounds of food to the Feeding America network of food banks for neighbors in need. Earlier this year, Gopuff joined the White House Challenge to End Hunger, committing to fighting food insecurity by donating food, helping direct resources to where they’re needed most, and much more. Most recently, Gopuff delivered over $260,000 worth of product, including water and non-perishable food, to those impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton in Florida.

In addition, and amid rising costs of living, Gopuff has increased its efforts to provide greater value to customers nationwide, including by expanding its private label offerings to bring customers access to a greater assortment of high-quality products at affordable prices. Additionally, Gopuff’s FAM membership program now offers lower than big box retailer prices on hundreds of top-selling essentials – including $2 organic eggs. As a result, FAM members save an average of $25/month ($300/year) at a time when it’s needed most.