Does Gopuff Take SNAP, EBT, or Food Stamps?

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This information is current as of July 27, 2022.

Gopuff has hundreds of distributions across the US. Thanks to Instacart, Amazon Grocery, Grubhub, and other food delivery services, Gopuff is a rapidly growing online grocery with rapid delivery and great reviews. However, when it comes to EBT payments, Gopuff is still running behind.

Does Gopuff take SNAP, EBT, or Food Stamps? Currently, GoPuff does not accept EBT payments for their services. They also do not accept cash payments, so pulling cash from your EBT account isn’t going to help either. You’ll have to get creative if you want to use your SNAP benefits to pay for Gopuff.

Creative means drawing cash from your EBT account and then putting the money in your bank so you can use your standard debit card to pay for Gopuff services. Of course, that seems a bit extreme, but if you want to spend your EBT benefits on Gopuff, it’s the only way you can currently do it.

What Is Gopuff?

Gopuff is headquartered in Pennsylvania. While it’s not an instantly recognizable name like Grubhub or Instacart, they’re growing and now has facilities or distribution centers in 500 locations across the United States.

Gopuff also offers more than just groceries. You can also purchase pharmacy and alcohol from Gopuff. According to Gopuff, they also deliver “daily essentials,” otherwise known as food. Gopuff is becoming popular because they are also dipping into the territory of other, more exclusive delivery apps.

Drizly is an alcohol-only app, while the likes of BlueChew, Hims, and Roman are becoming the go-to pharmacy option for many. Gopuff looks to be marketing itself for a little bit of all the above.

They’re also a 24/7 delivery service so you can jump online and start ordering from Gopuff anytime that you want, whether you work the day shift, night shift, or just happen to be a night owl, you can reach out to Gopuff anytime you like.

So, you’re directly ordering from Gopuff, not your local grocery store. A Gopuff independent contractor picks up and delivers your order to you. You’re ordering directly from the source, which means you’ll get much faster service.

Why Doesn’t Gopuff Accept EBT?

Gopuff delivers groceries, but there is a fine line when defining or classifying Gopuff. They aren’t precisely a grocery, although they can provide groceries directly from their distribution centers.

In fact, if you jump on their website, the first thing that will come to mind is that this is an online grocery store. They have food, drinks, fruit, vegetables, snacks, cookies, etc., just like a grocery store. We are elaborating on the grocery aspect of Gopuff to relay how strange it is that they don’t accept EBT.

So, if they are not technically a grocery store, then what are they? It’s an important question to ask because they don’t accept EBT because they are considered “non-essential” even though Gopuff’s very own marketing uses the word “essential.”

Since Gopuff is deemed (by outside authorities, not Gopuff) a non-essential distribution retailer, they cannot get approval or funding to accept EBT payments. It’s just one thing that makes you stop and scratch your head. Here are some of the “non-essentials” that Gopuff has to offer:

1-gallon purified water
Simply Pulp Free Orange Juice 52oz.
12 Count Eggs
Hostess Classic White Bread Slices
Oscar Mayer Deli Fresh Over Roasted Turkey
Horizon Organic Whole Milk ½-Gallon
Vegetables
Meats
Dairy
Bread

Gopuff is loaded with essential foods and beverages, including everything in every major food group. However, at least for the time being, Gopuff is labeled as non-essential.

It could be that the label is derived from Gopuff selling electronics, pharmacy items, and alcohol. But Walmart sells all the same things and accepts SNAP/EBT.

At some point, Gopuff may be able to start accepting EBT payments. Hopefully, that’s the case soon. Currently, however, you will have to shop elsewhere if you want to spend your SNAP benefits on groceries.

Do Other Delivery Services Accept EBT?

Some third-party delivery service apps do not accept SNAP/EBT because they don’t focus on grocery items. For instance, Uber Eats does not accept EBT. Uber Eats does happen to deliver unprepared foods as well. Still, since they mainly offer prepared foods, EBT is a no-go with Uber Eats.

The following is a list of delivery services and whether they accept EBT:

Uber Eats: Currently not accepting EBT payments currently
Hy-Vee: EBT payments for a curbside pickup are accepted whether you order online or through the app
Kroger: For online orders through Kroger (for curbside pickup over $35), you can pay with EBT
Amazon: Both Amazon Fresh and Amazon Pantry accept EBT payments with the exceptions of Alaska, Hawaii, Louisiana, and Montana
Aldi: Located in 37 states, all ALDI stores accept EBT payments for online food delivery
Walmart: Accepts EBT payments for online orders and curbside pickup
Safeway: Accepts EBT in only ten states for online orders and curbside pickup, but they will not accept EBT payments if you choose the “delivery” option
Albertsons: They have the same policy as Safeway
ShopRite: Accepts EBT for both food delivery and curbside pick-up
Publix: Accepts EBT for online orders and curbside pick-up
Food Lion: All Food Lion locations accept EBT payments for both delivery and pick-up options
BJ’s Wholesale: Only accepts EBT payments if you order on their website or on Instacart, and they only accept EBT payments in Rhode Island, New Hampshire, North Carolina, and Florida
Instacart: Instacart abides by the rules of whatever grocery outlet you are shopping from
Gopuff: Currently, Gopuff does not accept EBT from any of their locations in any state, whether you order through their website or through the Gopuff app (Android or iOS)
Grubhub: Does not accept EBT payments at this time

Although there are some outliers, for the most part, all food delivery services accept EBT payments to one degree or another. The only holdouts now seem to be Grubhub, UberEats, and Gopuff.

Some of the other online delivery services only accept EBT payments in certain states rather than all the states in which they operate. That usually comes down to the state rather than the retailer.

Where Is Gopuff Available?

Gopuff has over 500 distribution centers throughout the US and more in UK and France. All told, they can deliver to 1,000 cities across these three countries. If you are unfamiliar with Gopuff, you can jump on their website and determine if there is one near you and if their delivery extends to your location.

You must go to the Gopuff home page and see a large, blue square at the top that asks you to enter your delivery address. Once you enter the information, Gopuff will inform you whether they deliver to your area.

You can enter your email address if they are not in your area. Gopuff will send you an email notification if they are coming to your location soon.

Is Gopuff Expensive?

Regarding delivery services, Gopuff services are probably one of the cheaper services available. Of course, that makes sense, as Gopuff is perhaps one of the smallest and newest online retailers.

It will cost you a $2.95 minimum order fee if you decide to jump on Gopuff and start ordering some food, drinks, or pharmaceuticals. Gopuff also offers a paid membership service through their Gopuff app or online.

The app is Gopuff Fam and comes with free delivery services if you decide to jump on board. In comparison, the next cheapest option is probably Walmart and Amazon. Walmart membership is $9.99/mo., while Amazon services are covered through your Prime Membership.

As a Gopuff member, you also get “loyalty points” and waived fees on alcohol or tobacco purchases. So, as far as membership and costs are concerned, Gopuff is one of the more cost-effective choices you can make.

How Does Gopuff Work?

Gopuff is no different than any of your other online delivery services. Once Gopuff has determined that you are in its delivery service area, the rest is simple. You can browse the website or app and add the items you want to your cart.

Since Gopuff delivers from its own distribution centers, it may not always have the same products. Availability depends on the stock in the distribution center closest to you.

Like most delivery services, once you place your order, you’ll receive app notifications as your items are gathered, and your order is out for delivery.

All Things Considered

Gopuff does not currently accept EBT. However, this third-party grocery delivery service is convenient and far more cost-effective than its competitors. Although the excuse for not accepting EBT is downright ridiculous, it’s not necessarily Gopuff that makes the rules.

Hopefully, in the near future, Gopuff will accept EBT payments for their online services and continue to grow as a legitimate competitor in the online grocery market.

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