Grocers Extend Digital Coupons to SNAP Participants

Jewel-Osco, Safeway, Stop & Shop, and a number of other grocers nationwide, through a partnership with digital couponing company Quotient Technology Inc. and software developer Propel Inc., can now bring digital coupons to SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) participants who use Propel’s Fresh EBT app to manage their benefits, increasing their ability to buy more food.

Initially launched in January 2016, the Fresh EBT app is used by more than 1 million people across the country each month. Users can now add digital coupons for groceries and household items to their loyalty accounts at participating grocers: Simply enter an account number – typically a phone number – at checkout, and the savings automatically apply.

The digital coupons are delivered through Mountain View, Calif.-based Quotient’s Retailer iQ platform, which powers the digital savings programs at most major grocers in the country as well as those of drug, mass and club stores. The platform connects into a retailers’ POS system, and uses purchase history and other proprietary data to personalize and deliver relevant coupons. Shoppers have access to several hundreds of dollars of savings a day, and, all told, about 40 percent all U.S. households are registered to savings programs powered by Quotient.

“Forty-two million Americans – one in seven Americans – rely on food stamps to feed their families,” said Jimmy Chen, CEO and founder of New York-based Propel. “The biggest request we receive from families is how can we help them save money on groceries. By teaming up with Quotient, the leader in digital coupons and grocery savings, we’re making it possible for our users to save money through Fresh EBT to feed their families.”