USDA Celebrates SNAP Online Purchasing Now Available in All 50 States  

WASHINGTON, June 9, 2023 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced today that, in partnership with states, territories and retailers across the country, online purchasing using Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits is now available in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. This expansion represents a major milestone in the history of SNAP and continues to provide greater convenience and access to healthy food options for tens of millions of Americans.

Alaska has become the 50th state to join the steady expansion since USDA first launched SNAP online purchasing four years ago as a pilot in New York. The availability of online purchasing in Alaska is an important step in promoting equity and access to food in remote and rural areas.

USDA has been expanding the SNAP online purchasing pilot by approving and adding additional retailers. Since March 2020, 208 additional retailer chains have joined the program, representing thousands of actual stores.

“As we celebrate this important milestone, we recognize the hard work of our state partners, implementing agencies, and diverse retailers to make online grocery shopping a convenient, safe and secure way for SNAP participants to shop for food,” said Stacy Dean, deputy under secretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services. “Expanding the diversity and reach of SNAP online shopping helps advance our goal of modernizing SNAP and providing better access to healthy, safe, affordable foods.”

In April 2023, nearly 3.7 million SNAP households shopped online, which is a substantial increase from March 2020, when about 35,000 SNAP households shopped online.

In the last four months, 56 retailers were added to the program, representing 2,051 store locations. A few of those retailers include Blue Parkway Sun Fresh in Kansas City, 1,258 Kroger stores and 118 Raley’s stores.

USDA is actively providing support to all stakeholders who are interested in offering SNAP online purchasing and is dedicated to bringing more diverse new grocers online, with a focus on smaller, independent stores. The department provided the National Grocers Association Foundation with $5 million from the American Rescue Plan to provide much-needed technical assistance to retailers interested in offering online purchasing through the SNAP EBT Modernization Technical Assistance Center.

For more information about the program and the full list of retailers approved to provide SNAP online purchasing, visit the SNAP Online webpage. USDA also recommends visiting your local retailer’s website to find out whether grocery delivery is available for your location.

USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service works to end hunger and improve food and nutrition security through a suite of 16 nutrition assistance programs, such as the school breakfast and lunch programs, WIC and SNAP. Together, these programs serve 1 in 4 Americans over the course of a year, promoting consistent and equitable access to healthy, safe, and affordable food essential to optimal health and well-being. FNS also provides science-based nutrition recommendations through the co-development of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. FNS’s report, “Leveraging the White House Conference to Promote and Elevate Nutrition Security: The Role of the USDA Food and Nutrition Service,” highlights ways the agency will support the Biden-Harris Administration’s National Strategy, released in conjunction with the historic White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health in September 2022. To learn more about FNS, visit www.fns.usda.gov and follow @USDANutrition. 

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