Many of us prefer to shop online, whether to satisfy our stress baking tendencies at 3 am or just for  the convenience of social distancing. Being able to purchase foods online and have them delivered  to your doorstep can make our lives easier for many reasons. 

The importance of keeping people safe

Around 43 million individuals receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, but  how often they can utilize those benefits will depend on government policy and technology. This  means that unlike most of us who get our food delivered, they have to walk the aisles and increase  the possibility of being exposed to COVID. 

Many people get SNAP benefits on a monthly basis, but due to their conditions, they are unable to  use them properly. Whether they suffer from chronic health conditions or were isolated for two  weeks due to COVID… using SNAP benefits at a physical store can be quite a stretch. Adding online SNAP shopping possibilities can help everyone stay safe. There are some stores that  allow online shopping with the SNAP EBT cards by allowing people to swipe their benefit cards  when the order has been delivered. But, these kinds of stores are rare to find.

Expanding your customer base

As a store owner, you can look at this from a different perspective. By allowing SNAP purchases  online, you will have a more significant customer base. From an outside point of view, your  reputation will surely increase considering how rare this is and thus bring you more customers. Allowing people to purchase food online through their SNAP benefits will go a long way. It’s also the  easiest way to follow social distancing guidelines, which is very important during COVID times. With that said, your website needs to differentiate between SNAP-eligible foods and everything  else. The transactions should be split, meaning that people can choose to pay with their SNAP card  (if they choose appropriate items) and other payment forms. 

The only obstacle SNAP online payments pose is that they cannot be used to pay delivery fees. Some  stores offer free shipping costs if customers add enough qualifying items to the order. However,  considering the benefits that you, as the store owner, would get by allowing online SNAP payments,  that is a minor issue to deal with.