A federal program that helps low-income families and children to maintain the food they need can really work and meet the original goals. However, it has disadvantages, such as the fact that some companies are not participants and therefore the choice for SNAP beneficiaries remains small. If you are one of the SNAP beneficiaries, you must have experienced that it is very difficult to find a meal kit delivery service that accepts EBT.
In general, grocery delivery really saves you in certain moments of life – you can live far away from supermarkets and constantly ride back and forth wastes time and fuel, or in times of pandemic you are not eager to be in crowded places.
Therefore, it is not surprising that many people turn to food delivery services. It saves time, money, and even mood. Often you do not need to ask the question “What to prepare for dinner?” Everything is already planned and almost cooked for you, in addition to the great value of getting fresh and nutritious meals.
Who qualifies for SNAP
The primary goal of the federally-sponsored SNAP program is to reduce hunger among low-income populations. They provide the food that people need, and that is why some stores and services allow people in need to use EBT.
In order to be able to use EBT, you need to apply for food stamp benefits in your state of residence. To qualify for SNAP benefits, applicants must meet the requirements, with income being the main criteria.
Can HelloFresh accept EBT
HelloFresh is probably one of the best-known food delivery services. However, at the moment they do not accept food stamps and do not participate in the federal pilot program geared towards enabling EBT cardholders to make purchases online.
HelloFresh now only accepts Visa, America Express, Mastercard, and Discover credit cards. They also accept PayPal and debit cards with a Visa or Mastercard logo. There was a mention from Hello Fresh that they plan to develop the payment system and add other methods of payment in the future, but nothing was said about EBT.
Still, there is hope for SNAP beneficiaries. USDA is running a pilot program for EBT grocery delivery. Hopefully, many meal delivery services will continue to join the program and add EBT to their payment methods.
Once approved, you’ll qualify for food stamp benefits. A SNAP account with the details of your financial needs is loaded every month. You’ll then receive an EBT card to buy from approved retailers directly from your food stamp account balance.
Do any meal delivery services accept EBT
Food delivery services give their customers the opportunity to get a delivery of half-ready and planned in advance for further rapid preparation. And usually, it’s just groceries delivered to your home, and they all should actually be EBT eligible since they’re not even delivering fully cooked food.
One of the services that deliver products and allow you to use EBT is Top Box. And, unfortunately, this is the only option for now. It is not bad, but the delivery works only in certain regions.
Alternatively, you can get food delivery from grocery stores that accept EBT. Fresh Direct is among the grocery stores participating in the federal pilot program allowing customers to purchase groceries and other SNAP-eligible products online. Customers select the EBT option at checkout and then pay in person with their EBT card when their order is delivered.
Except that you can not buy more than $30 in this store, so the limit if you buy through EBT.
The same method is used by stores like Aldi and Whole Foods or retailers like Amazon and Walmart. Amazon Fresh and Amazon Pantry also accept EBT. Also, if you are an EBT or Medicaid recipient and plan to order food online, you can get a discount on their Prime membership through Amazon.
Though many states don’t participate in the Restaurant Meals Program, so it will be not easy to find services that deliver ready-made meals and accept EBT.
