Does Grubhub Take EBT In 2024?
As an expert on retail commerce and government food assistance programs, one of the most common questions I receive is whether services like Grubhub accept EBT payments.
Over 41 million Americans rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to afford groceries each month. Nearly 90% of SNAP benefits are issued through Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards.
So for people facing food insecurity, understanding where they can and can‘t use their EBT benefits is extremely important.
Unfortunately, as of 2023, Grubhub still does not accept EBT as a payment method for food deliveries.
Below I‘ll explain the reasons why, look at statistics around EBT usage, and provide analysis on the best food delivery options for EBT recipients.
Why Can‘t EBT Be Used on Grubhub?
Federal SNAP rules prohibit using benefits to purchase hot foods or foods intended to be consumed in the retailer‘s building.
Since Grubhub specializes in delivering hot meals from restaurants, EBT cards simply wouldn‘t be practical on their platform. Trying to figure out which menu items qualify would be an overly complicated process.
In 2022, a program called Restaurant Meals launched in certain states aimed at expanding EBT coverage to prepared restaurant foods. However, as of January 2023, Restaurant Meals has only been adopted in 7 states:
- Arizona
- California
- Illinois
- Maryland
- Michigan
- Rhode Island
- Virginia
So the limited availability of Restaurant Meals means services like Grubhub still aren‘t integrating EBT. But this list continues to grow, so it remains possible Grubhub could change its EBT policy in the future depending on SNAP rule changes.
Who Relies on SNAP Benefits?
With over 41 million Americans relying on SNAP benefits as of 2022, and:
- Nearly 40% being children
- Over 17% being elderly or disabled
EBT cards serve as an essential lifeline for affordable nutrition.
But when funds run low toward the end of the month, many households still face an ongoing risk of hunger and food insecurity. This makes understanding retailers that accept EBT critical.
Do Other Food Delivery Services Take EBT?
Food delivery apps like DoorDash, Postmates, GoPuff and Uber Eats also currently do not accept EBT for prepared food deliveries.
However, several grocery delivery services now allow customers to shop online and use EBT benefits to pay for SNAP-eligible foods:
| Service | Accepts Online EBT Payments |
|---|---|
| Instacart | Yes |
| Walmart Grocery | Yes |
| Amazon SNAP EBT Program | Yes* |
| Aldi Grocery Delivery | Yes |
Note: EBT benefits generally won‘t cover delivery fees charged by these services. Customers need to pay these fees using another payment method.
I expect this list to continue growing throughout 2023 as more retailers adopt online EBT payment capabilities. Walmart, Amazon and Instacart in particular appear to be expanding EBT payment options aggressively.
Weighing Pros and Cons of Grocery Delivery with EBT
Ordering groceries online with EBT offers several potential benefits compared to shopping in-store:
Pros
- Wider variety and availability of foods
- Less impulse purchasing leading to more budget-friendly shops
- Reduced transportation barriers to obtain healthy foods
Cons
- Additional fees that may negate discounts from coupon/sales
- Higher likelihood of food waste if delivery is delayed
- Reduced ability to select optimal ripeness of fresh produce items
For EBT recipients specifically, I think the pros of increased access and convenience tend to outweigh potential downsides. But relying exclusively on grocery delivery long-term may not be financially optimal in all cases. Utilizing a mix of options helps maximize nutrition within a limited food budget.
The Bottom Line
Expanding EBT and SNAP benefits remains a controversial political issue. But retailers seem to be getting on board with enabling online grocery purchases through EBT cards.
Grubhub however only deals with prepared restaurant meals, so integrating EBT doesn‘t fit their current business model.
Hopefully this breakdown helps provide greater insight for those relying on critical food assistance programs to get the nutrition they require. Please reach out with any other questions!
