Forage app greatly simplifies the SNAP EBT compliance process for Shopify merchants, improving food access for 42M SNAP recipients
Forage, a payments processor that makes it easier for grocers to accept SNAP EBT (food stamps) payments online, announced that the Forage app is now available to all Shopify customers as a means to accept SNAP EBT online. Forage is Shopify’s first payments gateway for SNAP EBT online.
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Forage is already working closely with multiple Shopify customers to shepherd them through the process of gaining government approval to accept SNAP online. Forage’s payment and PIN technologies, which power its Shopify app, greatly simplify a merchant’s ability to process EBT-compliant transactions. Shopify store owners can meet most compliance requirements – including producing compliant receipts, split tender, and calculating the proper EBT amount to charge – by simply installing the Forage EBT Gateway to their store.
The first Shopify customers should go live with online acceptance of SNAP EBT in the coming weeks.
“At the core of Shopify’s Ecosystem is our community of developers who give merchants access to critical commerce technology,” said Sid Murlidhar, Director of Partnerships, Shopify. “We’re happy to welcome Forage to the Shopify App Store, bringing its insight and experience in SNAP EBT acceptance to Shopify’s merchants.”
“Grocers that want to future-proof their business by launching their own eCommerce store need to be able to process SNAP transactions online. Thanks to Forage, now they can,” said Matt Smith, COO of Grocerist, provider of integrated eCommerce solutions for medium sized and smaller grocers, and the first complete solution for grocers built on Shopify.
One in eight Americans receive government assistance to buy groceries. While more than 250,000 brick & mortar locations accept SNAP benefits via EBT in-store, only a fraction have been approved for online EBT. Many SNAP recipients are homebound, lack transportation, or live in a food desert without easy access to grocery stores; many others want to avoid in-person shopping due to concerns about COVID but have no choice because they are not able to use their SNAP benefits online.
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Forage has an in-house team of EBT and payments experts, including former Instacart and Freshop employees. The company provides merchants with support through every step of the USDA approval process, from preparing the required documentation, through system engineering and testing, to deployment, making it as easy as possible for new merchants to accept EBT online, with the goal of opening the online EBT space to more merchants and ultimately more SNAP recipients.
“Forage is all about increasing food access in underserved markets,” said Ofek Lavian, co-founder and CEO of Forage. “Our new Shopify app not only helps more merchants accept SNAP online, it also improves access to food for the millions of people receiving food assistance. We are at the very beginning of this journey, and excited for the potential in this market.”
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