How does Forage make money? - Forage: SNAP EBT Payments & Grocery Savings
How does Forage make money?
A clear explanation of how we earn money and how you benefit.
We believe people should understand how the apps they use make money, especially when the app is free. Forage doesn’t sell your personal data or use hidden fees. Instead, we make money in ways that are directly tied to helping you save on groceries.
Here's how it works.
Our core business: EBT payment processing
Behind the scenes, Forage runs a secure, USDA-certified payment processing platform that helps stores accept SNAP EBT for online and in-store purchases.
When you shop using a Receiptless checkout option, the store pays Forage a small fee to process the EBT payment. We share part of that with you as rewards. That’s why Receiptless offers usually have higher reward rates.
Sponsored and promoted offers in the app
Some stores pay Forage to promote offers in the app. These types of promotions are always labeled as sponsored for your awareness.
We're committed to only showing you sponsored offers that are relevant to you. If something feels off, let us know.
What we don't make money on
We only make money in ways that create value for you. That means:
- We don't sell your personal data.
- In some cases, we may share anonymous, aggregate insights with grocery stores or other partners. This includes high-level trends (such as which items are becoming more popular across the app), not information about you or your individual activity.
- We don't charge you fees to use Forage.
- We do our best to only show sponsored offers that are relevant to you.
Why this works
Our business works best when:
- Stores reach more customers
- SNAP EBT is easier to use in more places
- You earn extra value while buying groceries you already need
In other words: if Forage isn't helping you, it's not working the way it should.
Questions or feedback?
If you ever have questions about an offer, a sponsored placement, or how something works in the app, you can contact Forage Support from the app. We’re always happy to explain.
Last Updated: Jan 15, 2026