Does Amazon Take Wic In 2022? (All You Need To Know)
Amazon has entered perishable delivery with the acquisition of Whole Foods.
Amazon is accepting WIC because there are millions of WIC-eligible families. Here is what you need to know.
Amazon will accept WIC by 2022
Amazon does not accept the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program as a form of payment for any grocery items in 2022. WIC is not available online and can only be purchased in-store. It is administered according to state regulations. However, Amazon does offer a special discount on Prime to WIC users.
Amazon WIC is not accepted
While there isn’t any conclusive evidence for why Amazon doesn’t accept WIC for its grocery program, there are a number of possible reasons.
First of all, as mentioned above, WIC guidelines vary from state to state, and in the past, the technology used to administer WIC differed.
These disparities made WIC use in various states non-uniform until recent times. Amazon would then have to meet all state requirements.
As well, up until October 2020, not all states provided WIC benefits in the form of a card. They were provided as vouchers or paper checks by most states, but they could not be used online.
Does Amazon Accept SNAP?
Amazon does accept SNAP EBT benefits, except in Alaska, Hawaii, Louisiana and Montana, for use both at Amazon Fresh and on Amazon.com.
WIC families often also have eligibility for SNAP. This is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly called Food Stamps.
Amazon SNAP follows the same guidelines as brick-and-mortar stores. Only food products for human consumption will be allowed.
These guidelines and rules also apply to signing up. For more information, click here.
Whole Foods is WIC accepted?
Amazon-owned Whole Foods stores do accept WIC, so you can bring your benefits card and pick up your WIC-approved items.
Amazon acquired Whole Foods in 2017 for over $13 billion, making it the keystone of its online, same-day delivery grocery service.
So, while you’re technically using your WIC benefits at an Amazon-owned company, it’s still not permitted as part of the company’s online storefront.
Even if Whole Foods cannot be purchased on Amazon Fresh using WIC, brick-and mortar stores can still provide your benefits.
Whole Foods has a huge selection of WIC-approved food options, including these:
All of the above are examples. However, guidelines for each state might differ.
Not to be overlooked is the fact that Whole Foods carries many of the products mentioned above but WIC allows only generic food.
WIC approved chicken eggs are not allowed to be made from a particular variety of chicken eggs, like organic, free-range, or wild-caught. Whole Foods relies on this kind of specialty to run its business.
This means that it may take some careful shopping to find suitable items.
Amazon Will Accept WIC In the Future
WIC card cannot currently be used online by Amazon. However, WIC will soon become available as federal authorities mandate that WIC state offices implement WIC Cards by 2020.
The emphasis, the federal government’s Department of Agriculture says, is on making the benefits as easy to acquire as possible for recipients. WIC beneficiaries can now be ordered online.
The USDA announced in November 2020 that the Gretchen Swanson Center for Nutrition was awarded a grant for three years to study and create a model for ordering online.
SNAP benefits have long been card-based and eligible for online ordering, so it’s only a matter of time until WIC is, as well.
You can read our posts to learn more about Amazon.
Amazon is currently unable to accept WIC. However recipients of the program can still receive Prime accounts at half off their regular price.
SNAP beneficiaries who overlap with WIC can order food on Amazon. WIC recipients still have access to Whole Foods bricks-and-mortar stores.
.Does Amazon Take Wic In 2022? (All You Need To Know)
