WASHINGTON DC (May 21, 2020) – US Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced on March 20 that households in 13 new states — Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Virginia — will soon be able to purchase food online with their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. Once operational, online purchasing will be available in 36 states and the District of Columbia, home to more than 90% of SNAP participants.
In addition, Sec Perdue also announced an expansion of independently-owned and operated retail stores beyond those included in the original pilot. Soon, more SNAP authorized retailers, under multiple store banners, will be accepting SNAP benefits online.
“We are expanding new flexibilities and innovative programs to make sure Americans across this country have safe and nutritious food during this national emergency,” said Sec Perdue. “Enabling people to purchase foods online will go a long way in helping Americans follow CDC social-distancing guidelines and help slow the spread of the coronavirus. USDA is mandated with the noble goal of feeding Americans when they need it most, and we are fulfilling that mission with new, innovative programs during this national emergency.”
Background:
On April 18, 2019, Sec Sonny Perdue announced the launch of the two-year SNAP online purchasing-pilot that began in New York before being rolled out to additional states. As part of its response to COVID-19, USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) has worked closely with all interested states, retailers, and benefit processors to make online purchasing a reality for more SNAP households.
In less than six weeks, amidst an unprecedented situation, USDA has expanded SNAP online-purchasing to 36 states and the District of Columbia — nearly three-quarters of the states, covering 90% of SNAP households.
Currently, the SNAP online purchasing-pilot is operational in 18 states and the District of Columbia, with additional states going live each week. For the latest list of states and retailers accepting online SNAP purchases, please refer to our online purchasing website.
For retailers and states that are not yet able to participate in online purchasing, FNS recommends utilizing other options that retailers may already provide, such as Pay at Pick-up (also known as “Click and Collect”), where SNAP cardholders can shop online and then pay for their purchase using their EBT card at pick-up. SNAP recipients also have the ability to add an authorized user to their card to make purchases on their behalf.
During these challenging times, FNS has approved over 2,800 program flexibilities across its 15 nutrition-assistance programs. For up to date information and to learn more about flexibilities being used in FNS nutrition programs, please visit http://www.fns.usda.gov/coronavirus or follow us at @USDANutrition.
FNS administers 15 nutrition assistance programs that leverage American’s agricultural abundance to ensure children and low-income individuals and families have nutritious food to eat. FNS also co-develops the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which provide science-based nutrition recommendations and serve as the cornerstone of federal nutrition policy.
