The Department of Social Services says recipients of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits will be able to purchase food online from participating retailers in Connecticut beginning today and tomorrow. SNAP enrollees will be able to use their electronic benefit transfer EBT card to purchase eligible food items online for delivery or curbside pick up. Retailers approved for the initial launch of onlineSNAP purchasing are Amazon (including Amazon Pantry and AmazonFresh), 12 Walmart stores and 22 ShopRite stores (including the one in Danbury).

Only SNAP benefits on EBT cards can be used for online purchases. At this time, cash assistance benefits on EBT cards cannot be used for any part of online shopping, including shopping, delivery, or service fees.

Federal rules do not allow any SNAP benefits to be used for shopping, delivery, or service fees, but some food retailers may choose to waive fees (as Amazon does for orders over $35). Online shopping customers using SNAP benefits will be able to use other debit or credit cards to pay for any fees or non-SNAP-eligible items they wish to purchase.