The Verge reports that Uber Eats "will start accepting food stamps and healthcare benefits as payment for grocery delivery orders."
Starting in 2024, the story says, "Anyone with a valid Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card, which disburses funds for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, or food stamps), will be eligible to use their funds to pay for grocery delivery through Uber Eats … The app will also accept FSA (flexible spending accounts) cards and flex cards that are issued through healthcare programs like Medicaid’s Managed Care and Medicare Advantage plans."
The Verge says that Uber’s post-pandemic "pivot to food delivery" has been successful for the company, and it generated "almost $11 billion in revenue in 2022, compared to over $8.3 billion in revenue in 2021 and $3.9 billion in revenue in 2020."
The story notes that Uber Eats isn't alone in this. Instacart takes food stamps in all 50 states, while Amazon, Walmart and Kroger all take accept SNAP payment in limited cases.
The Verge also reports that "Uber is also launching a new AI chatbot that it says will help 'make it easy for consumers to meal plan, find sales on grocery items, and quickly order ingredients for their favorite recipes while sticking to a budget.' The new 'conversational' AI assistant will launch later this year, the company says."
