Instacart becomes first online grocery platform to launch SNAP eligibility screener for customers

Instacart, the San Francisco-based grocery delivery company, has launched an all-new Supplemental Nutrition Access Program (SNAP) eligibility tool that lets consumers anonymously check whether they qualify for benefits in less than 60 seconds, the company announced in a Thursday press release. Powered by Advocatia Solutions, Inc., the new tool also allows customers to find relevant state resources to make the enrollment process more efficient. 

“Everyone deserves access to fresh, nutritious food, and we're committed to using the power of Instacart to break down barriers that too often stand in the way,” Dani Dudeck, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at Instacart, said in a statement. “With food insecurity at an all-time high in the U.S., affecting more than one in every eight people, it's more important than ever to raise awareness of critical assistance programs like SNAP that can help families meet their needs. By introducing our SNAP eligibility screener, we're making it simpler for families to find out if they qualify and take the first steps toward putting more food on their tables.”

Instacart is the first online grocery marketplace to launch a tool focused on SNAP eligibility on its platform. In 2023, Instacart “became the first online grocery marketplace to expand online SNAP acceptance to all 50 states and Washington, D.C.,” per its recent press release. The grocery marketplace first launched online SNAP acceptance in 2020. Today, it can connect nearly 98% of U.S. households enrolled in SNAP to approximately 180 retail banners and over 300,000 retailers online, including Costco, Kroger, Aldi and Sprouts.   

As of April 2023, 41.9 million people in 22.2 million households across the country (or 12.5% of the total U.S. population) received SNAP benefits, according to the Pew Research Center. In the 2022 fiscal year — which was from Oct. 2021 through Sept. 2022 — an average of 41.2 million people in 21.6 million households received monthly SNAP benefits.

Research conducted by the non-profit organization No Kid Hungry, the University of Kentucky and Instacart found that “online grocery shopping helps low-income families, including SNAP households, stretch their food budgets, save time, reduce stress, and purchase more produce without increasing their total grocery spend,” Instacart said in its press release.