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The confluence of digital payments and economic hardship during the Covid-19 pandemic has led another major supermarket chain to offer SNAP EBT acceptance through its mobile app and on its Web site for curbside pickup and home-delivery orders. H-E-B, with 329 stores in Texas and another 55 in Mexico, said late Monday said it now accepts the benefits at all 230 U.S. stores that offer curbside service. H-E-B’s SNAP program for curbside pickup and home delivery began as a pilot in May.
The move follows a similar service offered by the Aldi grocery chain through the Instacart delivery app. The service started this fall and is now available at about 90% of Aldi’s 2,000 U.S. stores. SNAP stands for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and is administered by the Food and Nutrition Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The program is aimed at helping low-income families buy groceries.
Customers sign up for the H-E-B program through the company by entering their SNAP EBT information, including their PIN, along with other payment cards to cover non-eligible orders. H-E-B charges a $4.95 fee for same-day or next-day curbside orders. Home-delivery orders carry a $5 fee.
“This has been one of the most important initiatives that our team has worked on, and we are excited to be able to offer this convenience and service to all of our customers,” said Esther Castelo, San Antonio-based H-E-B’s vice president for digital commerce operations, in a statement.
H-E-B said Monday it plans to have more than 250 stores offering curbside delivery by the end of 2021. Most of these stores will also offer home delivery.
