Some farms on GrownBy are certified to accept SNAP benefits as an online payment using your EBT card. This article explains how SNAP Online works, what you need to use it, and how to pay when your cart includes items that SNAP can't cover.

What you need to pay with SNAP online

To pay with SNAP online, you'll need:

  • An EBT card, which you can add during checkout or save to your account ahead of time using the 'Payments' option in your Account menu.
  • Multifactor authentication turned on for your GrownBy account. SNAP online payments require multifactor authentication, so you'll be asked to set this up if you haven't already. It adds an extra verification step that helps keep your benefits secure.
  • Your PIN. Even if your EBT card is saved to your account, you'll be asked to enter your PIN every time you use it to make an online SNAP purchase.

Finding farms that accept SNAP online

You can search for farms that accept SNAP online using the SNAP/EBT filter when browsing farm shops. If a farm is certified for online SNAP, you'll see SNAP-eligible products marked with a carrot icon in their shop:

How to pay

When you're shopping from a farm certified to accept SNAP online, EBT is automatically selected as a payment method once you have SNAP-eligible items in your cart and an EBT card saved to your account. You can also add a new EBT card during checkout:

Enter your EBT card number and PIN, then tap 'Add EBT Card':

Paying entirely with SNAP

If every item in your cart is SNAP-eligible and there are no additional fees, your EBT card covers the whole order. Enter your PIN at checkout and your SNAP benefits pay for the full amount.

Paying with SNAP and a credit card

SNAP benefits can only be used for eligible food items. You'll need a second payment method alongside your EBT card in two situations:

  • Your cart includes items SNAP can't cover. Non-food products and any additional charges, like delivery or membership fees, must be paid with another method. Your EBT card pays for the eligible food items and a credit card (or other saved payment method) covers the rest, all in the same checkout.
  • Your EBT balance doesn't cover the full SNAP-eligible amount. You can split the order, putting part on your EBT card and the remainder on a credit card. Use 'Edit Amount' at checkout to set how much to charge to your EBT card. If your EBT balance isn't enough to cover the amount you've entered, you'll be prompted to add another payment method to cover the difference.

SNAP Online FAQs

What can I buy with SNAP online?

Just like at brick-and-mortar retailers, you can use SNAP benefits from eligible retailers to purchase food items. See this article from USDA for a full description.

Non-food charges on EBT cards

Only food can be purchased using SNAP benefits. Any products in your purchase that are not SNAP-eligible, and any other fees, such as delivery fees or membership fees, must be purchased with an alternate payment method.

Refund for weighed items

If you use SNAP to purchase items priced by weight from a farm on GrownBy, for example cuts of beef priced by the pound, it is possible that the farm will need to adjust the purchase price after your order is processed, due to any discrepancies between the weight of product you purchased versus the weight of the particular item being distributed to you. The farm can adjust the difference through their GrownBy dashboard, and GrownBy will notify you if an adjustment is made.

Checking my SNAP balance

If you make a purchase using your EBT card online, your receipt from GrownBy will include your current SNAP balance. You can also use the tool embedded into the checkout process to look up your SNAP balance before making a purchase.

Using EBT in person

Some farms receive SNAP payments in person rather than online. If a farm has enabled offline payments and indicated that using your EBT card in-person is an acceptable option, you can select 'Pay Offline' at checkout and pay them directly:

If there's no 'Pay Offline' message, or no custom note about using EBT cards in-person, the farm may not accept EBT this way. Reach out to the farm directly to confirm whether they can accept your EBT card in person.