Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Smart Home
  3. Smart Home News

Amazon, FreshDirect, and others begin to accept food stamps in a pilot program

By

Technology and accessibility may finally be going hand in hand.

Last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a new pilot program that will allow Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants to buy their groceries online. Starting this summer, families who depend upon food stamps will be able to take advantage of online grocers like Amazon, FreshDirect, and other local stores that offer a digital shopping option.

Recommended Videos

“Online purchasing is a potential lifeline for SNAP participants living in urban neighborhoods and rural communities where access to healthy food choices can be limited,” USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack said. “We’re looking forward to being able to bring the benefits of the online market to low-income Americans participating in SNAP.”

Related

Currently slated to take place over the course of two years in seven states (encompassing both rural and urban areas), the new initiative hopes to make healthful and affordable food options available to a wider demographic. “Amazon is excited to participate in the USDA SNAP Online Purchasing Pilot,” a company spokesperson said. “We are committed to making food accessible through online grocery shopping, offering all customers the lowest prices possible. Amazon’s selection and competitive pricing can improve the grocery shopping experience for SNAP participants while helping them extend their benefits further.”

The pilot will examine the feasibility of both online ordering and payment with food stamps, as the USDA noted that technical and security challenges have yet to be fully addressed. As it stands, SNAP participants can only use their benefits to purchase goods, but won’t be able to use the stamps to cover the cost of delivery charges or other services. Still, the program will likely come as a boon to the 43 million Americans in SNAP, who may not even have time to visit a physical grocery store.

“FreshDirect is honored to have been selected by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Online Purchasing Pilot (Pilot),” FreshDirect said in an e-mailed statement. “At FreshDirect, we believe that fresh, high quality and healthy food options should be accessible to all. With the SNAP Pilot, we look forward to bringing the online purchasing option to SNAP clients and positively impacting all the communities that we serve.”

Editors’ Recommendations

Topics
Lulu Chang
Lulu Chang
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
Should you invest in a wet-dry vacuum? Everything to know before making a purchase
A person using a wet-dry vacuum

If your home is filled with tile, hardwood, or LVP, you’ve probably considered purchasing a wet-dry vacuum. These cool devices are built to streamline the entire floor cleaning process -- saving you time while also keeping your hands dry. With a wet-dry vacuum, gone are the days of dealing with dirty mops and soaking wet floors. Many models are also capable of self-cleaning, so you won’t have to worry about troublesome maintenance or the buildup of nasty odors.

But are wet-dry vacuums worth their hefty price tags? Even budget options can cost hundreds of dollars, while high-end models often soar above $500. By comparison, a premium mop and all your other supplies can be had for well under $50.

Read more
Aqara is “fully committed” to Matter, reveals support for 50 new device types
A stylized image depicting Aqara products and Matter

Aqara is responsible for a wide range of smart home devices, including smart locks, smart lights, and security cameras. Today, the brand revealed its increased support for Matter, with a staggering 50 Matter device types gaining compatibility with Aqara Home. That’s a huge win for the platform, as it’ll allow you to seamlessly connect your Aqara devices with hundreds of other products beyond the Aqara lineup.

Aqara had already partnered with big names like Alexa, Apple Home, and Google Home, but this massive Matter expansion takes things a step further. Full support will roll out later this month with Aqara Home version 5.19 and firmware version 4.3.5 for Matter Controllers. Here’s a quick look at some of the Matter device types that’ll work with Aqara Home:

Read more
Samsung’s new ‘Lite’ cordless vacuum is as powerful as Dyson and has AI smarts
Samsung Bespoke AI Jet Lite

Samsung announced a number of new products during its World of Samsung event in Frankfurt in the middle of march, including new fridges where Bixby can open the doors, and the world's most powerful cordless vacuum. With the dust having settled on those launches however, the company has thrown another offering into the mix after announcing the Bespoke AI Jet Lite on its newsroom. 

Matching the same suction power as Dyson's flagship Gen5Detect, the Bespoke AI Jet Lite has 280W of power within its lightweight build thanks to Samsung's HexaJet Motor, which is the same motor the company also put in the top-of-the-range Bespoke AI Jet Ultra. The motor is said to rotate at 140,000rpm, which is in fact 5,000rpm more than Dyson's offering, though we're not going to count so we're taking Samsung's word for that.  

Read more