Texas grocer H-E-B has altered its fee structure to broaden access to free curbside pickup across its stores.
H-E-B said yesterday that online grocery customers making a purchase of at least $35 will no longer have to pay a $4.95 fee for curbside service. Orders less than $35 will include a $2.95 “small basket surcharge,” according to the San Antonio-based supermarket chain.
To receive free curbside pickup, customers must have an order that totals at least $35 before taxes and any discounts, promotions or coupons are applied, H-E-B said.
“Our goal with H-E-B Curbside is to give Texans an easier, more convenient way to shop for the products they want and need, and we are excited to now offer this service free to all our H-E-B customers,” Rachael Vegas, senior vice president of e-commerce merchandising for H-E-B, said in a statement.
H-E-B Curbside orders can be placed through the My H-E-B mobile app or HEB.com. Orders must be placed at least four hours before the designated pickup time, and they can be scheduled up to seven days in advance. The retailer said product prices may vary between online and in-store, and all curbside orders feature contactless service, with groceries loaded into customers’ vehicles.
In December, H-E-B began accepting electronic benefits transfer (EBT) payments for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) online grocery orders. The capability allows SNAP benefits recipients to use EBT to pay for H-E-B Curbside and Home Delivery orders directly via the My H-E-B mobile app and HEB.com. To use the service, customers first create an account and then enter their SNAP EBT and other payment information to complete their registration and begin placing orders. When ready to check out, users select SNAP EBT as the payment method and enter their PIN. SNAP customers must use a credit, debit or gift card to pay for items and fees not eligible for SNAP EBT.
All H-E-B Curbside locations provide customers the SNAP EBT option, H-E-B said. Currently, more than 250 of the grocer’s 350-plus stores in Texas offer curbside service, which the company said will continued to be expanded across the state.
