Uber Eats will start accepting SNAP benefits next year

Uber Eats will start accepting food stamps as a form of payment for grocery deliveries in 2024.

The company announced this month that customers will be able to order groceries using SNAP and EBT benefits. Uber said they made the change to reduce barriers to fresh groceries, especially for those who live in food deserts or with transportation barriers.

More than 41.8 million Americans received SNAP benefits as of June 2023, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This is up from June 2022, when 30.9 million people were receiving SNAP benefits. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, is the biggest food assistance program in the country.

SEE MORE: DoorDash begins accepting SNAP/EBT payments

Uber will also accept flexible spending account cards and flex cards issued through the Managed Medicaid and Medicare Advantage plans. The company is also rolling out a new AI assistant program, and a virtual sales aisle which will help customers find deals on groceries.

Amazon and Instacart already started offering similar benefits earlier this year. Instacart now accepts food stamps in 50 states. Walmart also accepts SNAP benefits in some states when picking up an online order.

Uber says it is the first company to accept health care benefit payments for grocery delivery.