Everyday thousands of members use Scan & Go™ shopping, our app feature that allows members to bypass the traditional checkout line inside a Sam’s Club. Each week we receive thousands of written comments from members, including what’s working well and what they would like to see in the future. One request from our members is including EBT SNAP as a payment option within Scan & Go on our mobile app. Now, EBT SNAP is available in participating Sam’s Club locations, using our Scan & Go service – making Sam’s Club the first retailer to support digital EBT payment for physical in-club transactions.
Here’s how it works:
Our initial EBT SNAP discussions within the Scan & Go feature on our mobile app began a few years ago. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), who administers the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), was beginning a pilot that would allow for EBT SNAP to pay for eligible products digitally. Walmart was working very closely with the USDA at the time as one of the first retailers to make digital EBT SNAP purchases a reality — we waited for that initial effort to come to a successful conclusion and then got started.
First and foremost, we wanted to be sure the user experience with EBT SNAP was simple, accessible and seamless. We coordinated with many teams internally to provide a solid and robust solution. We worked with in-club team, our internal checkout service which takes care of Sam’s Club’s interactions with the payment processors who manage each state’s EBT SNAP program. We also worked with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) throughout the project to review our solution and experience. At the end of our Scan & Go app EBT SNAP project, we successfully exited fully certified.
I have worked through many different features on the Scan & Go team and am excited by how fast members are embracing EBT SNAP and thrilled with the positive feedback we’re receiving. We’re laser focused on providing the best experience for our members and this is just another way we’re making the shopping experience at Sam’s Club even more convenient and accessible.
Our team is excited to continue to help innovate, iterate and find the greatest solutions for our members. Stay tuned for what’s next!
