UPDATED June 1, 2020--Online purchasing of food with SNAP benefits.
The Department of Social Services is working with participating food retailers—Amazon, Walmart and ShopRite--to offer online purchasing of food with SNAP benefits in Connecticut.
After federal approval and successful system testing by the state’s electronic benefit transfer (EBT) vendor, online food purchasing will be implemented over a two-day period on Tuesday, June 2, and Wednesday, June 3. SNAP enrollees will be able to use SNAP benefits available on their EBT debit-type card to purchase eligible food items online for delivery or curbside pickup at participating food retailers.
Retailers approved for the initial launch of online SNAP purchasing are Amazon, including Amazon Pantry and Amazon Fresh; 12 Walmart stores (please click here for list); and Wakefern Food Corp., with 22 participating ShopRite stores (please click here for list).
SNAP enrollees will be able to place food orders online by using the identifying numbers on their EBT cards and individually selected PINs.
Please note that only SNAP benefits on EBT cards can be used for online purchases. At this time, cash assistance benefits on EBT cards cannot be used for any part of online shopping, including shipping, delivery or service fees.
Federal rules do not allow any SNAP benefits to be used for shipping, delivery or service fees, but some food retailers may choose to waive fees (as Amazon does for orders over $35). Online shopping customers using SNAP benefits will be able to use other debit or credit cards to pay for any fees and/or any non-SNAP-eligible items they wish to purchase.
SNAP benefits are funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), which also regulates which foods are eligible for purchase with the benefits. FNS is the authorizing agency for food retailers participating in the program. For information about enrolling in SNAP EBT and online food sales through SNAP, food retailers can visit www.fns.usda.gov/snap/retailer-requirements-provide-online-purchasing.
To read the federal approval announcement, click here. For more information about the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in Connecticut, visit www.ct.gov/snap.