Are you a beneficiary from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program? This will be good news for you then! Until now, beneficiares were only able to purchase products with SNAP in physical stores. Yet, the United States Department of Agriculture has established a new measure through which beneficiaries of the SNAP will be able to buy online! Stores as Amazon, Target, Walmart, Costco or Sam´s Club are only a few of the stores available to shop in.
The methodology will not change: beneficiares will still have to use the EBT card, as if they were buying in a physical store. This new measure helps people who can´t freely move and go to a store, and also makes it easier for families to organize their shopping in a more comfortable way.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
Also known as SNAP, it is a social aid provided by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), in order to make sure that every citizen and family of the country has access to a healthy and nutritive diet. It consists in an amount given to the beneficiaries monthly in order for them to make their essential shopping. It works through Electronic Benefits Transfer (ETB), with which the beneficiaries, using the card, can access purchases.
To access this type of assistance, it is necessary to comply with a series of requirements; it is not enough to apply for it. The main novelty is that, from now on, it will not only be possible to make purchases in physical establishments, but the new measure accepts that online purchases can be made on specific websites.
Am I elegible?
Access to this type of aid requires the fulfillment of a series of requirements, it is not enough to just ask for it. The following aspects must be taken into account:
- Gross monthly income: before expenses. Has to always be below the poverty levels established by the State (130%).
- Limited resources. A limit of $3,000 per family with no family over 60 or persons with disabilities is established. Otherwise, $4,500 is estimated.
- Net monthly income. After subtracting expenses for medications, rent, etc. The family cannot exceed $2,152 per month (no more than 100% of the poverty level).
Watch out! If there are kids in your family or high medical expenses, you might be elegible for SNAP even though you do not meet the stated requirements.
Do all families receive the same amount?
The answer is no. In 2025, approximately 42 million people receive SNAP assistance, which is the only source of income to access food. Each family or individual receives a different amount depending on factors such as income, family size, exceptional situations and the laws in effect at the time. That is why the amounts are divided as follows:
- 1 person: $292.
- 2 people: $536.
- 3 people: $768.
- 4 people: $975.
- 5 people: $1,158.
- 6 people: $1,390.
- 7 people: $1,536.
- 8 people: $1,756.
- Extra person: + $220 each.
So, can I shop at any online store with SNAP?
The answer is no. SNAP was designed to meet the food needs of families, and it still is. It is not possible to purchase non-food items with EBT cards. Fruits, vegetables, dairy products, meat, poultry, fish, bread, cereal, and basics are included among the products available. In fact, the availability of products depends on your ZIP code, and varies from state to state. You will be able to buy at these e-commerces:
- Amazon (Fresh y Pantry) – Home delivery.
- Walmart – Home delivery and in-store pickup.
- Target – Curbside pickup.
- Costco – Purchase the products by quantity, but it requires membership.
- Aldi – Budget products in selected areas.
- Whole Foods – Organic products available at Amazon.
- Hy-Vee – Midwest coverage.
- Jewel-Osco (part of Albertsons) – in many regions of the country.
- Sam’s Club – Purchase the products by quantity, like Costco.
- Thrive Market – Online shop with organic and healthy products, available in 48 states.
Remember that SNAP is not responsible for shipping costs, tips or any other extra services! Do you know when SNAP payments are due for the remainder of the year? Find out here!