Amazon Will Start Accepting Food Stamps For Online Grocery Orders
WASHINGTON (CBS/AP) — Seven states have been selected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for participation in a two-year online purchasing pilot program for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
New York, Maryland and New Jersey residents who use food stamps will be able to purchase eligible grocery items online from Amazon beginning this summer.
SNAP online ordering will follow the same rules as in-store purchasing. Participants in the program will be able to use their food stamps to purchase bread, fruit, vegetables, meats, fish, poultry, dairy products and other produce.
The other states in the program are Pennsylvania, Iowa, Washington and Oregon. People living there will be able to shop online through grocery stores like FreshDirect, Hart's Local Grocers, Dash's Market, Safeway, ShopRite and Hy-Vee, Inc.
Officials say benefits can't be used to pay for any kind of fee, whether it's for delivery, service or convenience.
The USDA plans to add additional retailers once the pilot program has been established.
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