Does Thrive Market Take EBT Card, SNAP Or Food Stamp Payment – Grocery shopping can be an expensive affair if you focus on eating healthy and nutritious food. One grocery store that is a personal favorite for many Americans and is known for providing discounts on organic and natural food is Thrive Market. Americans who are enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program often wonder whether they can use their EBT benefits at the Thrive Market.
The good news is that the Thrive Market accepts EBT for qualified food purchases. EBT benefits are a lifeline for many that help people to access nutritious, healthy and affordable food. With the acceptance of SNAP EBT benefits Thrive Market customers can have extensive options for healthy shopping. In this comprehensive guide, we will help you to delve deeper into how EBT works at the Thrive Market and what are the eligible products you can cover with your SNAP benefits here.
Highlights of this Post
What Is The Thrive Market?
Thrive Market is a popular online retailer that specializes in serving organic and natural products to its customers. It provides accessibility to everyone who is looking for healthy and nutritious food products at competitive prices. By incorporating SNAP EBT benefits Thrive Market has become a go-to option for many SNAP recipients who are looking for organic and natural food products.
This American e-commerce membership-based retailer was founded in 2014 and is headquartered in Los Angeles CA. The membership-based retailer started accepting SNAP EBT at the beginning of February 26, 2024 that makes it one of the first online-only dealers to get USDA approval for processing EBT benefits.
What Products Does Thrive Market Provide?
Described as “Costco meets Whole Foods”, the Thrive Markets business model has been designed to simplify the supply chain by avoiding the markup that is generally applied by brick-and-mortar grocery stores. It is one of the largest national retailers of non-GMO foods.
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The retailer launched their product line in November 2015 and is presently providing 800+ different Thrive Market branded items by SKUs including tomato sauce, coconut oil, spices, baking goods, olive oil etc. They also launched 2 new Thrives sub-brands Rosey and F.a.e Rosey that offer home cleaning products. They have partnered with Beyond Meat in 2021 to release a line of frozen plant-based meals.
The retailer attracts customers through a free trial membership that lasts one month before renewing at an annual cost of $59.95 to the customer. They provide incentives with membership as well as gifts, discounts, samples with orders, exclusive product collaboration etc. Students, veterans, nurses, teachers and first responders are qualified for free membership.
Does Thrive Market Accept Food Stamps/ EBT Cards?
Yes, Thrive Market is the first online-only retailer to accept SNAP EBT, a process that took the retailer 10 years to get approval from USDA. The EBT benefits can be used for the purchase of eligible food items and this does not include auto-ship orders or Thrive Market membership. Moreover, Thrive Market provides free one-year membership to EBT recipients.
You can add cards to your Thrive market account at checkout or from your account page available on the official website. Just enter the card number and click continue. From here you will be directed to add your secure 4-digit PIN to save the card to your account.
The Los Angeles-based retailer delivers sustainable and healthy products at member-only prices. With one in five EBT recipients on disability and approximately 17.1 million living on food stamps benefits, these shoppers can benefit a lot from online grocery delivery. Acceptance of SNAP EBT by Thrive market marks a significant step towards the mission of the brand in expanding healthy food options for all Americans.
Key Takeaways
- Thrive Market accepts EBT for SNAP-eligible food purchases.
- EBT cannot be used for Thrive Market membership or auto-ship orders.
- SNAP recipients qualify for a free one-year Thrive Market membership.
- Thrive Market offers a variety of healthy and organic groceries.
- Other EBT-friendly online retailers include Amazon, Target, and Walmart.
How Much Does Thrive Market Cost?
Membership to Thrive Market costs somewhere between $5 and $12 every month depending on the type of plan you choose. Moreover, you have to consider the price of individual items to calculate the total monthly cost. Thrive market boosts itself by providing affordable and healthy food.
An annual membership at Thrive Market works at only $5 per month whereas the monthly membership will cost $12 per month. Thrive Market ship anywhere in the contiguous U.S. states except to post office boxes and Alaska or Hawaii.
You can also read about whether the popular warehouse company Costco accepts EBT or not in our next guide.
How To Maximize Savings At Thrive Market?
Although individual items in the Thrive Market are not highly competitive, you can save dollars by shopping at Thrive Market depending on what you are buying and how you’re using Thrive Market services. The following are the ways through which you can maximize your savings.
- Watch For Freebies: One of the best benefits of becoming Thrive Market members is getting frequent freebies. For this you have to make a minimum purchase of more than $49 to get at least one free product.
- Try Auto-Ship: You can select to purchase any product just once or set it to auto-ship. If you select the auto-ship option you can save nearly 5 to 10% of the list price. Thrive Market can ship you items every 4-8 or 12 weeks. You will get email reminders before your next auto-ship date in case you want to change or add anything.
- Choose Annual Membership: The cost of annual membership which runs from $5 to $12 helps you to save money in the long run.
- Look For Sales. Thrive Market runs sales in particular products periodically. You can keep an eye out for items marked on red sale tag on the site.
- Take Advantage Of Thrive Cash: Thrive cash refers to store credit. Once you get it, it stays in your account for 30 days and gets automatically applied to your next order. You can get a bold discount on a few items that will give you 5% back in Thrive cash to use on future purchases.
What Methods Of Payment Does Thrive Market Accept?
Thrive Market accepts various forms of payment from the following credit card companies:
- Mastercard
- Visa
- Discover
- American Express
The grocery chain also accepts payment through PayPal, Google Pay, Apple Pay and Thrive Market e-gift cards. Currently, they are not accepting prepaid gift cards or gift cards from other credit card companies. Gift cards and prepaid gift cards cannot be used towards membership or any other standard purchase on the app or on-site. They also accept EBT or SNAP benefits for eligible purchases on Thrive Market.
Do you know which retailers in California accept EBT payments? Head over to our next guide to learn about the comprehensive list.
Does Thrive Market Accept EBT Cash?
Thrive Market is presently in the pilot phase of launching SNAP benefits or EBT payment methods on Thrive Market. During the test food stamps or EBT will be available for California-issued EBT cards. Thrive Market has planned to have a rollout to all members very soon so you need to keep an eye on their official website and emails for further updates.
Fortunately Thrive Market is accepting EBT cash at all their store locations and you can use the cash towards anything eligible available on their official website apart from alcohol, and wine purchases, membership fees and gift cards.
It is important to note that due to certain technical limitations, a few members are not able to use their EBT cash on the Thrive Market site and the company is waiting to fix the problem. Customers can add EBT cards from their account page or at checkout. You can select EBT at checkout if you would like to apply EBT cash to your order.
What Thrive Market Products Can You Purchase With Your EBT Card?
It is important to note that EBT SNAP benefits can be used only towards SNAP-eligible food and beverages available on their official website. Also, you cannot use the EBT benefits towards the purchase of non-edible food like home, beauty, bath, supplements, wine or alcoholic beverages. Following is the list of items that are generally EBT-eligible.
- Milk and Dairy Products: All types of milk, yogurt, cheese and butter are eligible
- Bread and cereals: All types of bread, crackers, cereals, pasta, oatmeal and rice are allowed
- Fruits and vegetables: All types of fresh, canned or frozen fruits and vegetables are allowed for EBT purchase. This also includes dried fruits and vegetables.
- Meat, poultry and fish: This comprises all forms of meat such as pork, beef, turkey, chicken, fish and lamb
- Seeds and Plants: SNAP participants can purchase plants and seeds to grow their produce.
- Snacks and desserts: Chips, cakes, cookies and other snack items are eligible as long as they do not have any vitamins or minerals in them.
- Energy drinks: Specific energy drinks are allowed for purchase using an EBT card if they are labeled as Nutrition Facts. Any supplements, medicines or vitamins bearing Supplement facts labels are prohibited from being purchased using the EBT program.
Even though there are restrictions on the type of products that you can purchase with your SNAP EBT benefits you can use EBT cash to purchase anything available on their official website except for wine, alcohol and gift cards.
Apart from grocery stores there are even bakeries that are accepting EBT payments throughout the country. You can read them in our next guide.
What Products Are Not Eligible For EBT Purchase At Thrive Market?
Nearly 70% of products available at the Thrive Market are considered SNAP EBT eligible therefore customers have a vast selection of product options. In the below section, we have covered a list of items that you cannot cover with your EBT at the Thrive Market.
- Alcohol And Tobacco Products: This includes beer, wine, tobacco, cigarettes, liquor, low-alcohol beers labeled as liquor-filled chocolates, non-alcoholic, Alcoholic wine, e-liquid for electronic cigarettes etc. However, you can use the EBT card to purchase wine vinegar, wine, and vanilla extract as they can be used for cooking ingredients.
- Medicine, Vitamins and Supplements: Any item that comprises the Supplement Facts Label is a supplement and cannot be purchased with EBT or SNAP benefits. You cannot buy vitamins, medicines and supplements with your EBT card.
- Hot Prepared Food: This includes hot cocoa, chili stew, prepared meats or any restaurant meals.
- Live Animals: You cannot purchase live animals using your EBT card however there are exceptions such as live shellfish, live fish removed from water, animals slaughtered before pickup from the store etc.
- Non-Food Items: This includes cleaning supplies from pet food, cosmetics, hygiene items for cooking utensils etc.
How To Use EBT/ SNAP Benefits At Thrive Market?
In the below section, we have provided a step-by-step guide that will help you to learn how you can use your EBT SNAP benefits at Thrive Market.
Create An Account And Shop For Eligible Items
The first and foremost step is to create an account on official ThriveMarket.com. Once you’ve created an account you can browse the selection of products and look for SNAP eligible products to cover with your government EBT benefits.
Add EBT Eligible To Your Cards And Check Out
Once you start shopping you can add the SNAP-eligible items to your cart. When you are ready to check out, proceed to check out.
Select EBT As The Payment Method And Enter The Details
You need to select EBT as your payment method in the payment section and provide your EBT card details or other pertinent information. For any transaction, you have to enter the four-digit PIN.
Confirm Your Purchase And Complete The Order
Review your order and confirm purchase at the Thrive Market. You’ll see your account balance will get deducted with the appropriate amount. Complete the checkout process and get confirmation of your order.
You can also read about whether the popular pharmacy chain Rite Aid accepts EBT or not in our next guide.
Alternate Online Retailers That Accept EBT Payments
Besides the Thrive Market, many other online retailers are accepting EBT payments from SNAP beneficiaries to help them access healthy and nutritious groceries.
DoorDash
DoorDash accepts EBT as a method of payment. The popular food delivery service has become part of other online retailers like Amazon Fresh and Instacart to accept EBT payments. Stores on DoorDash that accept cards are Pavilions, Vons, Star Market, Albertson, Safeway, ALDI, Meijer etc.
Instacart
Instacart accepts EBT cards as a method of payment and is a popular online grocery delivery service. EBT cardholders also get a discount on Instacart + membership. You can shop for groceries from top retailers like ALDI, Stop and Shop, Price Right, Price Chopper, Market 32 and Hannaford Supermarket through Instacart.
Walmart
Walmart accepts SNAP EBT cards throughout the country. You can get free curbside pickup service here with a minimum order of $35 or else you have to pay a small pickup fee. You can place water through Walmart.com or by downloading the Walmart app. The retailer is committed to helping SNAP beneficiaries access healthy, affordable and nutritious food by enrolling in the U.S Online Purchasing Pilot Program.
Amazon
Amazon is accepting food stamps in the state of California through two of its popular online portals— Amazon Fresh and Groceries On Amazon. There is no need to go for an Amazon Prime membership to use your EBT benefits however SNAP recipients get membership discounts. You can get free delivery through Amazon Fresh in case your SNAP-eligible purchases are for $35 or more.
Target
Target is a popular grocery retailer in America that accepts SNAP benefits as a form of payment both in-store and online from SNAP beneficiaries. Shoppers can buy eligible grocery items and products on Target.com and get them delivered through its delivery service known as Shipt.
Safeway
Safeway is an American supermarket chain that is operating today as a banner of the Albertsons company and is one of the largest drug and food retailers in the United States of America. Safeway is one of the United States retailers that has been approved by the Department of Agriculture to accept EBT or SNAP benefits online from SNAP beneficiaries.
A few more resources include the following:
- Grocery Outlet
- Albertsons
- HEB
- Harris Teeter
- Wegmans
- Weis Markets
- Whole Foods
- Jewel-Osco
- King Soopers
- Kings Food Markets
- Kroger
- Acme Markets
- AJ’s Fine Foods
- Speedway
- Associated Food Stores
- Bashas
- Big Y Foods
- Foodtown
- Fred Meyer
- Stater Bros
- Fry’s Food Stores
- Giant Eagle
- Giant Food
- Hannaford Supermarkets
- Lowe’s Grocery
- 99 Ranch Market
- BJ’s Wholesale Club
- Bravo Supermarkets
- Brookshire’s
- Smart and Final
- City Market
- Dillons Stores
- Meijer
- Piggly Wiggly
- Pick N Save
- Price Chopper
- Schwan’s
- Walgreens
- Fareway Meat & Grocery
- Fine Fare Supermarkets
- Food 4 Less
- Food City
- Sprouts
- Food Lion
- Publix
- QFC Supermarkets
- Raley’s
- Shell
- Shaw’s
- ARCO
- ShopRite
- Smith’s Food and Drug
- WinCo
- Ralphs
- Save Mart
- Schnucks Market
- Ralphs
- CVS
- Stop & Shop
- Super 1 Foods
- H Mart
- Kroger
- Jubilee Foods
- Love’s
- Superior Grocers
- Tops Markets
- Trader Joe’s etc.
Learn about the comprehensive list of SNAP-eligible goods and grocery stores that accept EBT payments online in our next guide.
Conclusion
The sustainable and healthy online grocery store– Thrive Market accepts SNAP EBT which makes it one of the first online-only retailers to get USDA approval for accepting EBT payments. This is a significant milestone for the retailer who aims to make sustainable and healthy living affordable and easy for everyone. According to Thrive Market co-founder and CEO Nick Green, the acceptance of SNAP EBT by Thrive Market is a groundbreaking move that helps to make healthy groceries and food items accessible and convenient for everyone. The Thrive Market started accepting EBT in the contiguous United States on February 26, 2024. As a result, EBT cardholders can join the Thrive Market and get free membership to access healthy essentials on their online platform.
We hope this article has been informative enough to give you all the details you need regarding Thrive Market that accept EBT. You can learn more about the government grants and financial assistance program at the Get Government Grants’ blog section today.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Combine EBT With Another Form Of Payment At Thrive Market?
Yes if you have any items in your order that do not qualify for SNAP EBT benefits then you can use an alternate source of payment to cover the remaining balance. You need to add a payment method from your account page or at checkout. For further questions, you can chat with the Thrive Market member service team by clicking the green chat button in the bottom right corner.
Can I Use My EBT Towards My Thrive Market Membership?
No SNAP benefits cannot be used towards any membership fee since the benefits are used for food purchases and you cannot use them towards your Thrive Market membership. SNAP recipients can qualify for a free one-year Thrive Market Membership through their official website. On submitting the application the company will process your membership within 7 to 10 business days.
