Thrive Market Becomes 1st Online-Only Retailer to Accept SNAP EBT

USDA approval allows company to make healthy groceries more accessible and affordable

2/21/2024

As of Feb. 26, SNAP EBT will be accepted by Thrive Market in the contiguous United States.

Online grocery store Thrive Market now accepts SNAP EBT, making it the first-ever online-only retailer to receive USDA approval. After almost a decade of advocacy, this development marks a significant milestone in the brand’s mission to make healthy and sustainable living easy and affordable for all.

“Thrive Market’s SNAP EBT acceptance is a groundbreaking move in making healthy groceries more accessible and affordable,” noted Nick Green, co-founder and CEO of Los Angeles-based Thrive Market. “Our acceptance will redefine how Americans can access healthy options, irrespective of their geography, with deliveries directly to their door.”

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As of Feb. 26, SNAP EBT will be accepted by Thrive Market in the contiguous United States. All EBT cardholders who join Thrive Market as new members are eligible for a free membership, giving them access to better-for-you essentials on the online platform at prices up to 30% below retail, and will join a community of 1.4 million-plus members. EBT cardholders can buy such healthy and sustainable products as pasture-raised meat and organic pantry staples.

“Millions of individuals now have access to healthier foods that suit their dietary needs because SNAP EBT is now accepted on our platform,” said Sasha Siddhartha, Thrive Market’s co-founder and CTO. “Nearly 85% of people who live at or below the poverty line have internet access, making it possible to get healthy groceries via online delivery — and this acceptance breaks down the barrier for the people who need it most.”

California SNAP EBT recipients can now join Thrive Market as new members, enter their EBT card number and PIN, and instantly gain access to more than 5,000 of organic and sustainable products. Americans in the remaining contiguous United States can use their EBT cards starting Feb. 26.

“We’re proud to partner with Thrive Market to enable over 42 million Americans receiving government assistance to purchase healthy groceries online,” said Ofek Lavian, co-founder and CEO of Forage, the San Francisco-based payments company powering Thrive Market’s acceptance of SNAP EBT. “Until recently, SNAP benefits could only be used in-store. With one in five SNAP recipients on disability and 17.1 million living in food deserts, these shoppers stand to benefit the most from grocery delivery. Thrive Market’s acceptance of SNAP EBT marks a monumental step forward on our joint mission of expanding healthy food options for all Americans.”

Founded in 2014, Thrive Market celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. It offers a hyper-curated catalog of organic and non-GMO products, as well as 90-plus filters and values, allowing customers to shop by diet and lifestyle. The brand’s social impact arm, Thrive Gives, has raised more than $13 million since its inception to fund food access and environmental sustainability causes. Thrive Market has been carbon neutral since 2014, in 2020, it became the largest online grocer in the United States to earn B Corporation Certification, and in 2023, it converted to a Public Benefit Corporation. By 2025, the company aims to become carbon negative and the world’s first climate-positive grocer.