Dive Brief:
- Walgreens and DoorDash are partnering to offer SNAP EBT payments on orders at nearly 7,800 U.S. locations, the drugstore chain announced Wednesday.
- Walgreens will offer more than 4,000 SNAP-eligible items, including snacks and breakfast essentials, for delivery within one hour through the DoorDash app, the retailer said.
- DoorDash is waiving its delivery fee for up to three orders of $25 or more for customers who pay with SNAP and EBT at participating Walgreens that aren’t DashPass subscribers, per the press release.
Dive Insight:
Last June, DoorDash began accepting SNAP EBT payments for on-demand delivery of eligible grocery items, enabling retailers on its platform like Meijer, Safeway, Albertsons and Aldi to accept SNAP payments via DoorDash’s app. Since then, more than 1.1 million shoppers have added their SNAP EBT cards to DoorDash, Fuad Hannon, vice president of New Verticals at DoorDash, said in a statement.
“This collaboration with DoorDash means our shoppers can now get essential grocery items when they want, regardless of payment method and other barriers like work schedules and transportation,” Balachandra Visalatha, senior vice president and chief product officer at Walgreens, said in a statement. “Walgreens is a go-to destination for daily needs for our shoppers, and we continue to find solutions that make their shopping experience simpler so they can get access to healthier food options.”
DoorDash is the first third-party delivery service provider to offer SNAP EBT as a payment option at a major drugstore nationwide, according to the company.
Meanwhile, other retailers and delivery platforms have courted customers who use SNAP EBT programs to buy essentials.
In 2022, Instacart introduced a discounted Instacart+ membership for users who pay with SNAP EBT. The platform cut the cost of the membership by half to $4.99 per month, provided complimentary delivery and pickup for orders over $35, gave a 5% credit on pickup orders and decreased its service fees.
Similarly, Amazon introduced a new grocery subscription this week for Prime members and customers who pay with EBT. The subscription costs $9.99 per month for Prime users and $4.99 per month for non-Prime members with an EBT card. The subscription enables customers to order groceries from Whole Foods Market and Amazon Fresh and additional grocers on Amazon.com including Save Mart.
