SAN FRANCISCO — Instacart is launching a nationwide initiative to support families who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) as a potential lapse in federal funding threatens to disrupt access to benefits.
For millions of families, SNAP benefits are a lifeline. As a looming lapse in funding puts that critical support at risk, many Americans are currently wondering how they’ll continue to put food on the table.
Starting this week, Instacart is offering active SNAP customers 50% off their next grocery order, up to a $50 discount. The company stated that the initiative is designed to help households stretch their grocery budgets as food insecurity continues to increase. Eligible customers who used SNAP benefits on Instacart in October will receive discount codes via email, with redemptions capped at $100,000 — a total commitment of up to $5 million in relief.*
At the same time, Instacart is expanding its Community Carts donation program to support more than 300 food banks and partner agencies across 48 states. The platform enables users to purchase and donate items directly to their local food banks, tailored to each organization’s specific needs. Service and delivery fees are waived on all donation orders.**
Launched in 2022, Community Carts has helped generate nearly 200,000 donated items to date. The company stated that the expansion is expected as food banks anticipate a significant increase in demand leading up to the holiday season, driven by potential disruptions to SNAP funding and the loss of paychecks among federal employees affected by the government shutdown.
Instacart, which helped enable SNAP payments online in 2020, now supports grocery delivery through more than 180 retail banners and 30,000 stores nationwide.
Donate in a few clicks: Click here to find your local food bank and donate now
What You Can Do Right Now
- If you’ve used SNAP on Instacart in October: Keep your eye on your email inbox in the coming days, and redeem your 50% off (up to $50) discount at checkout in your next grocery order. Please update your Notification settings in your Instacart account before 11/1 to make sure you can receive all email notifications.
- If you’re able to give: Find and support a local food bank through Community Carts.
- Spread the word: Share the donation link above with family, friends, and neighbors.
* Offer available on Instacart app or Instacart.com. Offer for 50% off up to $50 is valid for 100,000 redemptions or through 11/30/25 at 11:59PM PT, whichever comes first, on one order of $10 or more purchased with one eligible EBT retailer through Instacart.com. Discount will be applied to the total purchase price for all eligible non-alcohol products and excludes taxes, service and delivery fees, tips, special handling fees and/or other fees. Offer can not be applied to alcohol products. Offer may not be combined with any other sale, promotion, discount, code, coupon, and/or offer. Delivery and/or pickup are subject to availability. Offer only available to the intended recipient of this offer, who have a valid account on Instacart.com. Only one offer per household. Instacart reserves the right to modify or cancel this offer at any time. Offer may not be sold, copied, modified, transferred or used retroactively for prior purchases. Void where restricted or prohibited by law. Offer may expire prior to your actual use of the offer, without liability to Instacart. Offer has no cash value. Instacart is not a retailer or seller. Instacart may not be available in all zip or post codes.
** Access Community Carts on the Instacart App for iOS or on Instacart.com. Other fees may apply. For more information about Community Carts, visit our Help Center.
