DoorDash is enhancing its platform to better serve low-income Americans by teaming up with Forage. This partnership aims to expand the acceptance of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) payments, making it more accessible for users to purchase groceries. The effort is particularly focused on those living in food deserts and communities where access to nutritious food is limited.
SNAP/EBT support on delivery platforms is becoming increasingly crucial for low-income households. Previous collaborations, such as Uber (NYSE:UBER) Eats and Forage, have already shown the benefits of digital food delivery services in improving food accessibility for financially struggling families. The current initiative follows a similar pattern, indicating a positive trend towards inclusive food access solutions.
DoorDash initiated its support for SNAP/EBT payments in 2003, and more than 1.1 million customers have added their SNAP/EBT cards to the platform. Through its partnership with Forage, DoorDash will speed up the USDA authorization process for merchants, allowing them to accept SNAP/EBT payments more quickly.
Wider Food Access
The collaboration will enable consumers to order SNAP-eligible groceries from a broader range of merchants, leveraging their SNAP benefits. This move is designed to reach over 14 million Americans in food deserts and more than 40 million people in communities where at least 10% of households depend on SNAP/EBT benefits.
Forage’s CEO, Ofek Lavian, expressed excitement over the partnership, underscoring its mission to remove obstacles that hinder food access for low-income Americans. According to Lavian, the effort is crucial for increasing food security and accessibility.
Support for Vulnerable Communities
DoorDash’s VP of New Verticals, Fuad Hannon, emphasized that the partnership aligns with DoorDash’s commitment to support vulnerable communities. By expanding SNAP/EBT payments, DoorDash aims to help families balance childcare and work obligations, assist seniors with grocery shopping, and support people with disabilities who face mobility challenges.
This initiative follows a similar strategy employed by other delivery platforms, reflecting a broader industry trend toward enhancing food access through digital means. Data indicates that a significant percentage of financially strained households shop for groceries exclusively online, highlighting the importance of such collaborations.
Key Insights
- The partnership will enhance food access in underserved areas.
- More than 1.1 million DoorDash users have already added SNAP/EBT cards.
- Efforts will benefit over 14 million Americans in food deserts.
The extension of SNAP/EBT payments via DoorDash, facilitated by Forage, marks a significant step towards inclusive food access. This initiative is expected to streamline the USDA authorization process for merchants and broaden the range of SNAP-eligible grocery options available to users. It reflects a growing recognition within the industry of the need to support economically vulnerable populations through digital platforms. The partnership also aligns with ongoing efforts by other major delivery services to address food insecurity. As more companies embrace this model, it underscores the importance of leveraging technology to meet the needs of low-income households, particularly in areas where access to healthy food remains a challenge.
