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USDA Allows Online Purchases with WIC Benefits
The USDA now permits online purchases with WIC benefits, making grocery shopping more convenient for families with young children.
By  Gerardo Ragusa
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USDA Allows Online Purchases with WIC Benefits
Foto Source: Depositphotos

Posted on 11/09/26 at 15:00

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has opened the door to using WIC benefits online. On November 6, 2026, through its Food and Nutrition Administration (FNA), it published a final rule in the Federal Register that eliminates barriers to online purchases with WIC benefits, including the current prohibition on authorizing internet-based vendors.

Why it matters: for families with babies and young children, shopping without going to the store can be a huge convenience. But it’s not automatic: each state’s WIC agency decides whether to offer online shopping and how, so it depends on your state. In fiscal year 2025, WIC served an average of 6.9 million participants per month. It is administered by 88 state agencies, including tribal organizations and territories like Puerto Rico.

What’s changing

  • Purchases can be made online, in-store, or curbside when picking up the order.
  • If a state authorizes online vendors, it must also allow benefits from a returned product to be reinstated to the account, even in physical stores.
  • After the full transition to electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards, states will be able to use new payment types, such as mobile payments, and issue benefits with more flexibility, for example, remotely.
  • The USDA estimates that when 44 state agencies offer online shopping, about 28% of participants in those states (around 961,000 people) will make an online order per month.

When it starts

The rule takes effect on December 7, 2026. State agencies have until February 4, 2027, to comply with most provisions, such as updating vendor agreements and procedures, and until November 6, 2028, to allow electronic benefit refunds when a product is returned. States can implement most changes at their own pace.

Beware of fees

WIC federal funds cannot be used to pay delivery, service, convenience, or bag fees. Participants can pay them with another form of payment, as long as they are charged equally to non-WIC customers. Vendors also cannot charge them to the state agency. The USDA estimates that an average online grocery order will have around $10.66 in delivery and service fees in 2027.

What you can do

  • Ask your local WIC office or state agency if it already offers or plans to offer online shopping.
  • Check fees before confirming your order, because WIC doesn’t pay them.
  • Keep your WIC card and information secure.
  • Submit your comments on regulations.gov before January 5, 2027.

Source: USDA, final rule on WIC online shopping, Federal Register (2026-22679). Data consulted on November 9, 2026.