What Is Instacart, How Does It Work, and What Does It Cost? (2024)

While many swear by the in-person experience of grocery shopping, not everyone has the time or the patience to battle traffic and crowded grocery aisles.

Thankfully, services like Instacart have made online grocery shopping super convenient. Let's learn more about Instacart, how it works, and what makes it worth your while.

What Is Instacart, and How Does It Work?

Instacart is an online grocery delivery service available in the United States and Canada. It became popular during the COVID-19 pandemic and continues to be an essential service for many as it allows you to buy groceries and other items from your favorite nearby stores and have them delivered to your doorstep in as little as an hour or two.

Instacart partners with a wide variety of stores, including grocery stores, pharmacies, convenience stores, and leading retailers, so you can be sure to find what you're looking for. You can access the service via the official website or the mobile app on iOS and Android.

Download: Instacart for Android | iOS (Free, subscription available)

Here's how it works: you create an account, enter your delivery address, select a store, add the items you want to cart, select a delivery time, and pay for your order at checkout. Instacart then assigns you a personal shopper who will go to the store, shop for all the items, and deliver them to your door. You can track your order's progress on the Instacart app.

As a precautionary measure, Instacart also lets you choose a replacement item for your shopper to pick up in case a certain item in your cart is out of stock. You can also reschedule the delivery and add instructions to help your shopper get to your address with ease.

Some stores also allow pickup alongside delivery. If you've selected pickup, you'll need to go to the store and show your order confirmation to your Instacart shopper who will have your order ready to be handed to you and taken home.

How Much Does Instacart Cost?

Instacart is free to use but requires all orders to be at least $10 to qualify for delivery. Delivery fee starts at $3.99 for same-day orders above $35. There's no service fee for pickup orders, but some retailers do charge a "pickup fee."

You'll also have to pay more if you pick the Priority Delivery option at checkout, which unlocks grocery delivery in as fast as 30 minutes. The specific amount of this fee will vary depending on your location, the availability of shoppers, and the size of your order.

If you sign up for the Instacart+ (formerly Instacart Express) membership program for $99/year, you can unlock perks, including free delivery on orders above $35, reduced service fees, 5% credit back on eligible pickup orders, and a free Peaco*ck Premium subscription.

Do I Have to Tip My Instacart Shopper? How Much?

Many Instacart shoppers report earning most of their income via tips, so although tipping is optional, it is highly encouraged.

How much? As a rule of thumb, you're expected to tip 20% of your order's total. In fact, many shoppers will ignore your order request if it doesn't include a tip. So, if you want great service from your shopper, try to leave a generous tip to make the trip worth their while.

Like many things in life, you're paying for the convenience of having your groceries and other shopping delivered. While Instacart makes the whole process easy, the shoppers are at its core and should receive fair compensation for their efforts.