Target to Begin Accepting Food Stamps for Online Grocery Purchases

Starting later this year, Target will begin to accept food stamp purchases from shoppers who pay for online food orders.

The giant retail chain is joining its competitors Amazon and Walmart with the move.

Target will use its delivery service arm Shipt to deliver the customers’ grocery orders and the option to pay with food stamps will likely begin later this month, the company told Reuters.

Customers will be able to use their electronic benefits transfer or EBT card during checkout just like one would use a debit or credit card.

“That’s why the digital SNAP payment option we’re rolling out this year is so important to food and beverage,” Target’s chief food and beverage officer, Rick Gomez, said earlier this month during an earnings call. “It’s going to make our entire experience, in-store and online, accessible to all families, allowing them to shop on their terms, regardless of how they pay for their groceries.”

Target officials also announced that revenue from food and beverage sales is growing quickly as more shoppers choose the option to order groceries online. Last year, Target’s food and beverage purchases brought in $20.3 billion in revenue, which was $15 billion more than in 2019.

Some Target locations have already allowed EBT payments in-store. Walmart began offering SNAP payments for online orders in June 2019 and Amazon in 2020, CBS News reported.

Target customers who make purchases using a credit or debit card pay a $7 delivery fee for Shipt. However, it hasn’t been said if SNAP customers will be charged the same fee.