Amazon will soon start accepting food stamps

[Zippyjuan]

http://www.businessinsider.com/amazo...grocers-2017-1

Starting this summer, seven online food retailers, including Amazon and FreshDirect, will start accepting food stamps from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

Other participating retailers include Safeway, ShopRite, Hy-Vee, Hart's Local Grocers, and Dash's Market. The two-year pilot program will start in seven states: Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Washington, Iowa, and Oregon, though the USDA says it hopes to expand the online program nationally and add more retailers.

"Amazon is excited to participate in the USDA SNAP online purchasing pilot," the company said in a press release. "We are committed to making food accessible through online grocery shopping, offering all customers the lowest prices possible."

As of October 2016, over 43 million Americans participate in SNAP. Nearly half of SNAP participants are children, 10% are over 60, and more than 40% live in households with an income, according to the USDA.

The fact that major retailers like Amazon are participating in SNAP's online ordering program is a big deal. The ability to buy food online using food stamps could especially help those who live in food deserts (i.e. neighborhoods without access to fresh produce), those with disabilities, and the elderly.

[MelissaWV]

The last points are interesting. The biggest deficits in food deserts tend to be the fresh foods, so I wonder how much of that Amazon's food services can send them (for free, I assume).

[phill4paul]

http://www.businessinsider.com/amazo...grocers-2017-1

Is SNAPS gonna cover delivery expenses?

[tod evans]

Is SNAPS gonna cover delivery expenses?

Po' folks neeeeeed free Amazon prime so's dey cans be gettin' deir stuffs.....

[timosman]

Collusion of business and government. Has this ever happened before?

[RonPaulIsGreat]

I don't understand why they just don't install big vending machines that can serve out the basic food items, like a gallon of milk, eggs, box of cereal, bananas, etc.... it wouldn't be difficult, I could actually do it myself with some arduinos about a 100 motors and accessories. It would be like the size of a House trailer (just serving the basics), plus there wouldn't be any humans to rob and the glass on the front could be bullet proof, and you'd have the obligatory dozen cameras recording all around it.

No need for amazon shipping that stuff via UPS.

[MelissaWV]

I don't understand why they just don't install big vending machines that can serve out the basic food items, like a gallon of milk, eggs, box of cereal, bananas, etc.... it wouldn't be difficult, I could actually do it myself with some arduinos about a 100 motors and accessories. It would be like the size of a House trailer (just serving the basics), plus there wouldn't be any humans to rob and the glass on the front could be bullet proof, and you'd have the obligatory dozen cameras recording all around it.

No need for amazon shipping that stuff via UPS.

Vending machines with SNAP cards ... that brings up its own set of issues. They'd also be even easier to victimize than ATMs. See someone getting their SNAP card out at the beginning of the month? Nab it. Use it. Resell. Those cameras wouldn't last long.

Those basics would also need to be restocked a LOT, and freshness would become an issue. I also personally would not want eggs spat out by a vending machine.

[Pauls' Revere]

Vending machines with SNAP cards ... that brings up its own set of issues. They'd also be even easier to victimize than ATMs. See someone getting their SNAP card out at the beginning of the month? Nab it. Use it. Resell. Those cameras wouldn't last long.

Those basics would also need to be restocked a LOT, and freshness would become an issue. I also personally would not want eggs spat out by a vending machine.

I hear vending machines are a big thing in Japan. You can practically buy anything out of them. Freshness? that's what preservatives are for, get your SNAP milk and everything else canned.

[phill4paul]

I hear vending machines are a big thing in Japan. You can practically buy anything out of them. Freshness? that's what preservatives are for, get your SNAP milk and everything else canned.

Young girl's used panties and beer machines. At least that is what I remember of Japanese vending machines. The beer was great after everything closed down. Never bought the panties.

[heavenlyboy34]

Po' folks neeeeeed free Amazon prime so's dey cans be gettin' deir stuffs.....

Ya do get moar bang for teh food stamp FRN that way....

[TheTexan]

Hell yea! Been waiting for this for years

[heavenlyboy34]

Hell yea! Been waiting for this for years

Being frugal with your EBT card, eh?

[TheTexan]

Being frugal with your EBT card, eh?

You can make EBT go a long way if you know how. Takes years of practice tho, and having a mentor helps.

[NorthCarolinaLiberty]

Guessing progressive ZippyJuan is glad because he is probably for the expansion of the food stamp program.

[NorthCarolinaLiberty]

Voted thread one star terrible because it was created by ZippyJuan.

[brushfire]

Why would a business turn away money? Even if its government money, its still money. Walmart accepts food stamps.

[heavenlyboy34]

Why would a business turn away money? Even if its government money, its still money. Walmart accepts food stamps.

Isn't there some rule that anyone who accepts debit also has to accept EBT? It's hard to find places that DON'T take food stamps nao.

[brushfire]

Isn't there some rule that anyone who accepts debit also has to accept EBT? It's hard to find places that DON'T take food stamps nao.

Yes. The arguments are that there is less of a transactional cost for the government, and that there is less shame and embarrassment for the user.

They dont tell you about how the financial institutions benefit from the transactions and management, or the tracking aspect. Where are EBT cards used?

http://www.frontpagemag.com/point/21...iel-greenfield

Vegas, disney world, and hawaii - where else would the poor go on the tax payer dime? With dignity, no less!

[heavenlyboy34]

Yes. The arguments are that there is less of a transactional cost for the government, and that there is less shame and embarrassment for the user.

They dont tell you about how the financial institutions benefit from the transactions and management, or the tracking aspect. Where are EBT cards used?

http://www.frontpagemag.com/point/21...iel-greenfield

Vegas, disney world, and hawaii - where else would the poor go on the tax payer dime? With dignity, no less!

Interesting! That begs the question-how did someone po' enough to get SNAP afford to get there? Perhaps they were a guest of a family member, on a church/skool retreat, etc? Fraud is very real, but so is youth unemployment and general unemployment.

[devil21]

Made me wonder why the need? Then I remembered that there's an active agenda to take away cars. And Amazon wants to open store fronts. How long until it's only Amazon and Walmart for shopping options?

[CaptainAmerica]

Good thing Arizona will begin cutting people off of welfare after 1 year of welfare, they can no longer become lifers.When I worked produce at a grocery store, the entire staff called the first week of the month welfare week because thats when people came in pretending to be disabled....full grown men in their prime riding elderly scooters around the store pretending to be disabled!

[devil21]

You can make EBT go a long way if you know how. Takes years of practice tho, and having a mentor helps.

Methinks the EBT you refer to isn't the EBT most think about.