You can now accept SNAP EBT Online through Farmhand. Getting approved is a federal process — it runs through our payments partner Forage and involves the Food and Nutrition Administration (FNA, formerly FNS) — so it takes a few weeks and a handful of documents. None of it is hard. It just helps to know what's coming. Here are all six steps, with the time each one actually takes.

Before you start: your FNS number

You need an FNS number — the SNAP retailer number attached to your brick & mortar location. You have to be authorized in person before you can be authorized online, so if you don't have one yet, that's step zero — start with our guide to getting your FNS number, then come back here. Everything below assumes you already have one.

Step 1: Fill out Forage's Merchant Intake Form

Estimated time: 15–20 minutes

Start with Forage's Merchant Intake Form. What to enter:

• Merchant Name — your business or LLC name. List your DBA after it, if you have one.
• Project Lead Name / Title / Email — your own contact info.
• Platform — Farmhand.
• Business address — the address attached to your brick & mortar FNS number.
• FNS number — your brick & mortar number.

Step 2: Submit your Letter of Intent

Estimated time: 5–10 minutes

Within one business day, Forage emails you a copy-and-paste Letter of Intent (LOI) and clear instructions for submitting it to the FNA. Sending that letter is what officially kicks off your application. Reply to the Forage team with any questions on this step — that's what they're there for.

Step 3: Complete the FNA authorization package

Estimated time: 15–20 minutes, plus gathering documents

The FNA emails you an Authorization Package with two attachments:

• Attachment 1 — Internet Retailer Authorization Spreadsheet. You'll provide your online retail sales numbers and a store list of every store applying for online SNAP acceptance. Complete both tabs exactly as the instructions in the document specify.
• Attachment 2 — a document that needs signatures. Print it and have all authorized parties sign. Return it with all six pages attached.

You'll also need to send along:

• A copy of every current business license required to operate.
• A copy of your most recent business filing and your annual business filing.
• The signed FNA certificate — signed by all owners, officers, and members.

Submit everything to the email address provided in the package, and loop in your Forage contact with any questions. One thing worth planning around: every brick & mortar location in your banner or ownership structure gets reauthorized, and that includes a store inspection.

Step 4: Forward your Online Purchasing Welcome Package

Estimated time: 2 minutes

Once the FNA finishes reviewing your materials, you'll get an email titled Online Purchasing Welcome Package. Forward that email to merchant-operations@joinforage.com. Forage completes the TPP onboarding step and triggers the testing process with the FNA.

Step 5: Testing and your test store

Estimated time: up to one week, mostly on us

Forage and Farmhand run all the required testing, and we set up your test store. Nothing for you to do here beyond answering the occasional question.

Step 6: Launch

You're live — SNAP EBT Online is available at checkout in your Farmhand shop, and SNAP households can pay for their share the same way they pay for groceries.

Who to contact

Forage is your point of contact for the whole authorization process. Ask them anything, at any stage — including the questions that feel too basic to ask.

• merchant-operations@joinforage.com
• emma.zalanis@joinforage.com

For anything on the Farmhand side — your shop, your products, how SNAP shows up at checkout — message us and we'll take it from there.

‍