Last year, we announced new omnichannel savings features for our AI-powered Caper Carts, including the introduction of Electronic Benefits Transfer for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (EBT SNAP) item eligibility tracking. 

Today, we’re excited to build on this momentum with a new milestone: EBT SNAP payments can now be made directly on Caper Carts. This new capability, powered by our partner Forage, makes it possible for SNAP participants to pay for their eligible items directly on the smart cart with their EBT card, allowing them to shop and pay with the same ease and privacy as any other customer. 

Caper Carts last year became the first smart carts to offer EBT SNAP-eligible item tracking for customers shopping in-store, and customers can now take advantage of the convenience of viewing their EBT balance at any time while shopping and checking out directly on the cart with their benefits. Caper Carts offer powerful savings tools that allow customers to clip and apply digital coupons directly on the screen, manage their budget by tracking both EBT-eligible and non-eligible spending as they shop, earn rewards through loyalty program sign-up, and access location-based coupons within the store. 

McKeever's, which serves grocery shoppers across Kansas and Missouri, is the first retailer to bring this capability to the Midwest. We’re excited to bring this new capability to serve this community with a technology-enabled shopping experience that makes stretching SNAP benefits easier and more inclusive.

“Caper Carts have been an excellent way to make shopping more efficient for our customers, from helping them maximize their budgets with real-time budget tracking to showing our SNAP customers what items are eligible for benefit use,” said Tim Cosens, Chief Technology Officer at McKeever’s. “We’re excited to be the first retailer to make shopping smoother for SNAP households by enabling EBT card payment directly on Caper Carts.” 

“Customers using Caper Carts tell us they love tracking their spending, discovering deals right in the aisle, and skipping the unload at checkout,” said David McIntosh, Chief Connected Stores Officer at Instacart. “Adding EBT SNAP payments on Caper is another important step towards transforming the everyday grocery trip for families and ensuring every family has access to a seamless shopping experience. We’re proud to partner with retailers, like McKeever’s, that are embracing these new capabilities to better serve all of the communities.” 

Research conducted by No Kid Hungry, the University of Kentucky, and Instacart revealed that SNAP households appreciate the anonymity and convenience of online shopping, in part because it helps avoid potential stigma associated with using SNAP benefits in store¹. With EBT SNAP payments enabled on Caper Carts, SNAP households can shop and check out with greater privacy than was previously possible.

Over the last several years, we’ve invested deeply in making the online SNAP experience easier and more accessible - including launching an anonymous SNAP Eligibility Screener, the first tool from a major online grocery platform that helps customers determine whether they’re eligible for food assistance through SNAP in less than 60 seconds. Now, we’re expanding that commitment to the in-store experience, bringing additional clarity, transparency, and ease to the in-store shopping journey. By enabling EBT SNAP payments and eligibility tracking on Caper Carts, we’re helping the more than 38 million people who rely on SNAP benefits nationwide get the most value and streamlined experience out of every in-store grocery trip.

EBT SNAP payment enablement on-cart is now available at McKeever’s, with more retailers coming soon. This new payment feature is powered by Forage, a financial infrastructure platform that expands access for low-income families. With Forage’s platform, using an EBT card on Caper Carts is safe and secure with end-to-end encryption to protect card data and PIN entry, and it has been independently certified to meet the most rigorous payment security standards in the industry.

Enabling SNAP EBT on-cart is one of the many ways Instacart is leveraging technology to help families more easily access and afford the nutritious food they need. From AI-powered smart carts that track budgets and surface savings in real time, to online tools that simplify the path to food assistance, we're committed to building technology that makes it easier for families to get the groceries they need.

Caper Carts now span more than 100 cities across 15 states and are available across more than a dozen retail banners, including Kroger, Schnucks, and Wakefern banners (ShopRite, Fairway Market), Coles in Australia, with Morrisons in the UK coming later this year.

¹ No Kid Hungry. (2022, September). Online grocery shopping and SNAP: A study on access and opportunity. Retrieved from https://www.nokidhungry.org/sites/default/files/2022-09/NKH-Instacart-Online-Shopping-Micro-Report-v2.pdf