Free pickup is the single best way for SNAP households to shop online without losing any of their benefit to delivery fees. Unlike delivery, which almost always carries a separate charge that EBT cannot cover, curbside and in-store pickup is free at most major retailers regardless of order size or membership status — meaning every dollar of your SNAP benefit goes toward groceries, not service fees.
This guide compares every major retailer offering free curbside pickup EBT service, how each pickup process works, and tips for making the most of it.
Why Free Pickup Beats Delivery for SNAP Households
Under federal SNAP rules, EBT can only pay for eligible food items — never delivery fees, service fees, or tips. On a typical delivery order, that can mean paying $4 to $10 or more out of pocket on top of your grocery total. Free pickup eliminates that entirely: you order online with your EBT card, drive to the store, and an associate loads your groceries into your car at no additional charge.
For households with a vehicle but limited time, mobility challenges, or a preference for avoiding crowded stores, free pickup offers nearly all the convenience of delivery with none of the extra cost.
Retailers Offering Free EBT Pickup
Walmart Grocery Pickup
Walmart offers completely free grocery pickup at most Supercenter and Neighborhood Market locations, regardless of order size or Walmart+ membership status. Order online, select a pickup time, and an associate loads your car when you arrive. See our full does Walmart take EBT guide for the complete process.
Amazon Fresh Pickup
Amazon Fresh offers free pickup at participating locations, regardless of Prime membership status — one of the more reliable free options if Amazon Fresh operates in your area. See our full does Amazon Fresh take EBT guide.
Kroger Pickup
Kroger and its entire family of regional banners (Ralphs, Fred Meyer, Harris Teeter, King Soopers, and others) offer pickup that is typically free or available at a low flat fee depending on your specific market. See our full does Kroger take EBT guide.
Target Drive Up
Target’s Drive Up service has no service fee for any customer, regardless of payment method. Order online, check in through the app when you arrive, and a team member brings your order to your car. See our full does Target take EBT guide.
Publix Curbside Pickup
Publix curbside pickup fees vary by market — some locations offer free pickup, particularly above a minimum order size, while others charge a small fee. Check current pricing for your specific store. See our full does Publix take EBT guide.
Safeway and Albertsons DriveUp & Go
Both Safeway and Albertsons (along with every other banner in the Albertsons Companies family — Vons, Jewel-Osco, and others) offer DriveUp & Go pickup, with fees varying by market and order size. See our full does Safeway take EBT and does Albertsons take EBT guides.
Food Lion To Go
Food Lion’s pickup service is free or low-cost depending on location and order size, available throughout its 10-state Southeast and Mid-Atlantic footprint. See our full does Food Lion take EBT guide.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Retailer | Pickup Fee | Membership Required for Free Pickup |
|---|---|---|
| Walmart | Free | No |
| Amazon Fresh | Free | No |
| Kroger (and family) | Free or low flat fee, varies by market | No |
| Target | Free (no service fee ever) | No |
| Publix | Free or small fee, varies by market | No |
| Safeway/Albertsons | Varies by market | No |
| Food Lion | Free or low fee, varies by market | No |
Notably, none of these retailers require a paid membership to access free or low-cost pickup — this is a meaningful difference from delivery, where memberships like Walmart+ or Amazon Prime are often needed to avoid fees.
How EBT Pickup Works — The General Process
Regardless of which retailer you choose, the pickup process follows a similar pattern:
- Shop for groceries online through the retailer’s website or app
- Add your EBT card as a payment method in your account
- At checkout, select your EBT card to pay for SNAP-eligible items
- If your cart includes non-eligible items, add a backup payment method to cover those
- Choose an available pickup time window at your local store
- Drive to the store at your scheduled time and park in a designated pickup spot
- Check in through the app, by phone, or by following posted instructions
- A store associate loads your groceries into your vehicle
- In some cases, you may need to confirm your EBT PIN through a mobile PIN pad or in-app process at the time of pickup
Tips for Maximizing Free EBT Pickup
Order ahead when possible. Pickup time slots can fill up, especially in the evenings and on weekends. Ordering a day in advance gives you more flexibility in choosing a convenient time.
Double-check your cart before checkout. Since pickup is prepared by a store associate rather than picked by you personally, review your cart carefully — quantities, sizes, and specific brands — before confirming your order to avoid unwanted substitutions.
Set substitution preferences. Most retailers let you specify whether you want substitutions for out-of-stock items, and some let you approve substitutions individually. Adjust these settings to match your preferences, since a substituted item must still be SNAP-eligible to be charged to your EBT card.
Combine pickup with a fuel stop. Retailers like Kroger and Walmart often have fuel stations on-site — picking up groceries and fueling up (paid separately, since SNAP does not cover gas) in the same trip saves time.
Check for stacking coupons. Digital coupons through a retailer’s loyalty app (Kroger, Safeway/Albertsons Just for U, Target Circle) apply automatically at checkout on pickup orders the same as they would in-store, reducing your EBT-charged total. See our can you use coupons with EBT guide for more.
When Delivery Might Still Make Sense
Free pickup is usually the most cost-effective choice, but delivery can be worth the fee if:
- You do not have reliable transportation to reach a pickup location
- You have a disability or mobility limitation that makes an in-person pickup trip difficult
- A discounted membership you already have (like the $6.99/month EBT-discounted Amazon Prime or $6.98/month Walmart+) makes delivery free or low-cost anyway
For a full comparison of delivery options and their fees, see our delivery comparison guide.
FAQs
Which grocery stores offer free pickup for EBT customers?
Walmart, Amazon Fresh, Target, and — depending on your market — Kroger, Publix, Safeway, Albertsons, and Food Lion all offer free or low-cost pickup for EBT shoppers, with no membership required in any case.
Is EBT pickup really free, or are there hidden fees?
At most major retailers, pickup itself carries no service fee. The only cost is for any non-SNAP-eligible items in your cart, which require a separate payment method — the pickup service itself does not add a charge on top of your groceries.
Do I need a membership for free EBT grocery pickup?
No. Unlike delivery, which sometimes requires a paid membership (like Walmart+ or Amazon Prime) to waive fees, free pickup is available to all customers at every major retailer covered in this guide without any membership.
How do I pay for pickup orders with EBT?
Add your EBT card as a payment method in the retailer’s app or website, select it at checkout for SNAP-eligible items, and add a backup payment method for anything non-eligible. You may need to confirm your EBT PIN at the time of pickup through a mobile PIN pad or in-app process.
Is curbside pickup the same as delivery for EBT purposes?
No. Curbside pickup is typically free and widely available without a membership. Delivery almost always carries a separate fee that EBT cannot cover, regardless of retailer.
Summary
Free EBT pickup at Walmart, Amazon Fresh, Target, Kroger, Publix, Safeway, Albertsons, and Food Lion lets SNAP households shop online without losing benefit dollars to delivery fees. No membership is required at any of these retailers for free or low-cost pickup, making it the most cost-effective way to combine the convenience of online ordering with the full value of your SNAP benefits.
For more on delivery options when pickup is not practical, see our EBT grocery delivery guide, or the full grocery stores that take EBT directory. Check your current monthly SNAP benefit with our food stamp calculator.
Source: Individual retailer program pages and USDA Food and Nutrition Administration — SNAP Online Purchasing. Information reviewed for accuracy 2026.