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How does SNAP handle restaurant purchases or delivery services?
Executive summary
SNAP does not generally let recipients use benefits for regular restaurant meals, but limited exceptions exist through state Restaurant Meals Programs (RMP); separate recent private-company responses allowed waived delivery or credits for SNAP-linked orders during a November 2025 benefits disruption (examples: DoorDash fee waivers and Gopuff $50 credits) [1] [2] [3]. Federal guidance and court actions in November 2025 affected issuance of SNAP benefits, prompting private relief efforts and state-level actions to help affected households [4] [5].
1. How SNAP normally treats restaurant purchases — a narrow exception, not the rule
SNAP benefits are designed to buy unprepared food for at-home consumption; purchasing prepared restaurant meals with SNAP is not generally allowed. One narrow, long-standing exception is the Restaurant Meals Program (RMP), which some states run; RMP permits certain eligible SNAP households (for example, people who are elderly, disabled, or homeless) to use their EBT card at approved restaurants to buy prepared meals [1]. New York’s Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance describes RMP as an option for participating households to purchase prepared meals from authorized restaurants using their EBT card, underscoring that this is a state-administered, limited program rather than a universal SNAP rule [1].
2. RMP’s scope and limitations — state discretion and eligibility rules
RMP is not nationwide; it’s an optional program that states must choose to operate, and participation by restaurants is also voluntary. The program targets specific populations who cannot prepare meals themselves or lack cooking facilities — the eligible categories and the roster of participating restaurants are set by state agencies [1]. Available sources do not provide the complete national list of RMP states, participation criteria for every state, or exact meal limits — they only note that New York runs RMP and explain its purpose [1]. If you live outside a state with an RMP or don’t meet its eligibility rules, SNAP EBT will not cover restaurant meals.
3. Delivery services and SNAP — private-company programs, not SNAP policy changes
Major delivery platforms in November 2025 launched temporary, company-funded measures tied to SNAP EBT cards, but these are corporate relief efforts, not expansions of SNAP policy. DoorDash announced it would waive delivery and service fees for SNAP recipients at selected grocery stores for one order in November and said it would deliver the equivalent of about 1 million free meals through its Project DASH food-bank partnerships [2] [3]. Gopuff offered $50 in credits (split into two $25 credits) for customers who add a SNAP/EBT card to their account to use on SNAP-eligible grocery items, plus free delivery on those promotions [3] [6]. Reporting from multiple local outlets repeats these company pledges and related coupon codes for November windows [7] [8].
4. Why those corporate measures matter — gap-filling during a policy disruption
These private measures emerged amid a specific policy disruption: federal action in November 2025 changed the timing and amount of SNAP benefit issuance, with USDA ordering states to stop issuing full November benefits and related court activity creating short-term uncertainty [4] [5]. In that context, DoorDash, Gopuff and others positioned fee waivers or credits as emergency relief to help households who might face immediate shortfalls — but those actions supplement rather than replace SNAP benefits and are time-limited and limited in scale [3] [2].
5. What these measures do and do not allow — groceries vs. restaurant meals
The corporate relief actions largely targeted grocery purchases and delivery fees, not a blanket allowance to buy restaurant meals with SNAP EBT. For example, DoorDash’s fee waivers applied to grocery orders at specific stores, and Gopuff’s credits applied to SNAP-eligible grocery items once an EBT card is linked [2] [3]. Local reporting on restaurant giveaways shows some restaurants voluntarily offering free or discounted meals to SNAP recipients, but those are charitable acts by businesses, not changes in SNAP’s permitted uses [9] [10]. Available sources do not say that federal SNAP rules were changed to allow routine restaurant delivery purchases with EBT outside RMPs [1].
6. Alternative viewpoints and hidden agendas to consider
Corporate announcements framed fee waivers and credits as humanitarian relief; they also generate exposure and customer data for platforms linking EBT cards to accounts, which benefits the companies’ business models [2] [3]. Some outlets emphasize the breadth of private help and local restaurant generosity [9] [10], while federal updates and court rulings show the underlying policy uncertainty driving that private response [4] [5]. Readers should distinguish temporary, company-funded relief and local charitable offers from formal SNAP policy, which remains controlled by USDA and state agencies [4] [1].
7. Practical takeaways for SNAP recipients right now
If you need prepared meals and qualify under a state’s RMP, check your state or local agency for enrollment and which restaurants participate [1]. For grocery delivery in November 2025, check whether platforms (DoorDash, Gopuff, Instacart partners referenced in local reporting) are offering limited fee waivers or credits when you link an EBT card — these are company promos tied to specific windows and stores, not permanent SNAP changes [2] [3] [7]. For broader benefit status or distribution questions, monitor USDA and your state SNAP office for official guidance amid ongoing legal and administrative developments [4] [5].