What Is Instacart? How to Use the Grocery Delivery App | Digital Trends (2024)

Modern-day technology has made it really easy to shop from home. You can order food via your smartphone with just a few taps, you can shop for books and household supplies via online retailers such as Amazon, and now you can even have groceries delivered straight to your door. One of the most popular grocery delivery apps is Instacart, which you can use to receive your groceries in as little as an hour. A shopper near you will help you pick up everything you need and deliver it all straight to your door. How does this magical tool work, you ask? We break down everything you need to know about the app.

Contents

  • What is Instacart?
  • Who shops for you?
  • How much does Instacart cost?
  • What stores does Instacart deliver from?
  • How do I get a referral bonus?
  • Can I become an Instacart shopper?

What is Instacart?

Instacart allows you to shop your favorite grocery stores from the comfort of your home, using your computer, tablet, or smartphone. Select the items you want and schedule a delivery. Provided the service isn’t experiencing unusually long wait times, the groceries can be delivered to your doorstep in as little as an hour. You can also request for your groceries to be delivered later in the day, the next day, or even in a few days.

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You also have the option of picking the groceries up yourself in the store, which still saves you the hassle of walking the aisles in search of your desired items. Simply shop for what you want on Instacart, select a pickup time, and show up to the grocery store later to pick up your items. Only select locations of some grocery stores offer the pickup option.

What Is Instacart? How to Use the Grocery Delivery App | Digital Trends (1)

Who shops for you?

A personal shopper will choose all your produce for you, carefully selecting fresh items on your behalf. You can also leave a note for your shopper, specifying the level of ripeness you’d prefer for your fruits and vegetables. For example, if you’re planning to make banana bread tomorrow, you’ll want very ripe fruit, but if you’re preparing avocado toast next week, you may want to specify less ripe produce. Instacart shoppers are also attentive to expiration dates, so you don’t have to worry about receiving items that expire tomorrow. Shoppers handle fragile items such as eggs and glass jars with care.

If an ordered item is out of stock, the shopper will find you a close replacement, verifying it with you before purchasing it. If you have dietary restrictions, order unique food items, or order several items that are out of stock, this can become kind of a pain, as the personal shopper may contact you multiple times during their shopping trip.

How much does Instacart cost?

Delivery fees range from $4 to $8, depending on how busy Instacart is at the time and the size of your order. For $99.99 per year or $9.99 per month, you can sign up for a subscription called Instacart Express, which provides unlimited deliveries on orders over $35. In addition to a delivery fee, you also pay a service fee, which is 5% on non-alcoholic items and between $2 and $10 for alcohol (depending on the price). Express members pay a lower service fee, which starts at 1.9%. Additionally, you pay a tip to your shopper. The default tip amount is 5%.

So, let’s say you order $200 worth of groceries during a busy time. You’ll end up paying an additional $24 to $28 in fees and a tip — a $4 to $8 delivery fee, a $10 services fee, and a $10 tip.

What stores does Instacart deliver from?

To find out the stores from which Instacart offers delivery, enter your zip codehere. If Instacart delivers in your area, you’ll find a list of grocery stores that your Instacart shopper can visit on your behalf. New stores get added to the list pretty routinely, so you can check back to see if your favorite store has made the cut.

What Is Instacart? How to Use the Grocery Delivery App | Digital Trends (2)

How do I get a referral bonus?

Refer your friends to use Instacart to save a bit on your own grocery orders. Send people Instacart credit via email, Facebook, Twitter, or another form of social media. Then, once they make their first purchase on Instacart, you’ll receive a $10 credit in return. Your friend will also get a $10 credit on their first order. You can refer up to five friends.

What Is Instacart? How to Use the Grocery Delivery App | Digital Trends (3)

Can I become an Instacart shopper?

If you’re in the market for a part-time job that offers flexibility and the ability to choose your own hours, Instacart could be an option to consider. Instacart hires both Full-Service Shoppers and In-Store Shoppers. Full-Service Shoppers are independent contractors who shop for and deliver orders. There is no maximum cap on weekly hours, although these contractors are required to have a vehicle with the proper insurance coverage. In-Store Shoppers are part-time employees who can only work up to 29 hours a week, and those hours will fluctuate on a weekly basis based on customer demand. In-Store Shoppers also stay at a single store location for the duration of their shift, helping customers shop for their orders — thus, these employees don’t have to own a car. For more information about the signup process, you’ll need to go through to become a shopper. Click here.

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What Is Instacart? How to Use the Grocery Delivery App | Digital Trends (2024)

FAQs

What Is Instacart? How to Use the Grocery Delivery App | Digital Trends? ›

It's simple. Using the Instacart app or website, you can shop for groceries (and more!) from a store near you. After you have placed your order, Instacart will connect you with a personal shopper in your area to shop and deliver your order. Contactless delivery is available with our "Leave at my door" option.

How to use Instacart app? ›

How to place an order
  1. Find your item. Search for specific items or browse by department. ...
  2. Add items to your cart. Spotted something you like? ...
  3. Review your cart. You can check what's in your cart by selecting the green cart icon. ...
  4. Confirm your order details. ...
  5. Place your order.

What is Instacart and how does it work? ›

Instacart lets you shop at nearby grocery stores online (as well as pharmacies, office supply stores, pet stores, and more), then sends a “personal shopper” to fulfill and deliver your order to you the same day. Unlike other grocery delivery services, the company doesn't stockpile fresh produce in a massive warehouse.

How to build an on demand grocery delivery app like Instacart? ›

If you plan to make an app like Instacart, you must ensure that it has the features listed below.
  1. Registration. ...
  2. Search. ...
  3. Payment. ...
  4. Schedule delivery. ...
  5. Ordering & Cancellation. ...
  6. GPS tracking. ...
  7. Returns and replacements. ...
  8. Push notifications.
Apr 6, 2024

How do you do Instacart for beginners? ›

Just create an account at shoppers.instacart.com. After that, download the Shopper app from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store to complete the signup process. Once you're approved to shop, you can start making money on your own schedule.

How do you pay when you do Instacart? ›

We accept many forms of payment—all major U.S. and Canada credit and debit cards, EBT cards at participating stores in select states, China UnionPay, Google Pay, and Apple Pay. At this time, Instacart doesn't offer an Instacart-specific credit card.

What are the rules for Instacart? ›

To be eligible to become an Instacart shopper in the U.S, you must be at least 18 years of age, have legal authorization to work in the U.S., be able to lift up to 40lbs (18kg) without accommodation, and have regular access to a reliable car and a smartphone capable of running the Instacart Shopper app.

What is the downside of Instacart? ›

Higher Prices: Some products have higher prices through Instacart than you'll find in-store. To make sure you aren't paying too much, be sure to read each store's pricing policy before deciding where to shop. Additional Fees: You will have to pay fees that could be avoided by shopping in-store.

Who pays for Instacart delivery? ›

Instacart pays its shoppers, also known as independent contractors, for the delivery service they provide to customers. Customers pay Instacart for the groceries and delivery service, and Instacart then pays the shoppers for their work.

What happens if no one shops your Instacart order? ›

When no one picks up an Instacart order to shop and deliver, it is re-assigned to another set of Instacart Shoppers for their consideration. But as independent contractors, all Shoppers are free to accept or reject orders at any time, so it's always a good idea to select a good tip when placing the order.

How to make $1,000 a week doing Instacart? ›

How to Make $1,000 a Week with Instacart
  1. Master Your Market: Use Local Insights for Bigger Earnings. ...
  2. Fuel Profits, Cut Costs. ...
  3. Keep a Close Watch on Your Money and Your Miles. ...
  4. Set Realistic Earning Targets. ...
  5. Plan Ahead the Night Before. ...
  6. Shop the Stores You Know Well. ...
  7. Keep Customers in the Loop.
Feb 20, 2024

How much do you make per order for Instacart? ›

You can expect to be paid between $5 to $10 per grocery delivery, for an average of $17 per hour including tips. Instacart pays weekly as long as you have made at least $5. The limit is $3,000 per day, so it is possible to earn a lot of money with Instacart.

Which app is better than Instacart? ›

Looking for alternatives or competitors to Instacart? Other important factors to consider when researching alternatives to Instacart include customer service. The best overall Instacart alternative is goPuff. Other similar apps like Instacart are Shipt, Rappi, FreshDirect, and Uber Eats for Merchants.

What is the minimum order on Instacart? ›

Instacart+ members get free delivery on eligible orders $35 or more per retailer. All orders must be at least $10 qualify for delivery.

Does Instacart pay for gas? ›

No, Instacart doesn't reimburse for gas.

However, Instacart may adjust the pay you'll receive for a job based on how long it will take you and how far you need to go, or they'll at least calculate how much you earned on top of gas and mileage costs for you.

Is it hard working for Instacart? ›

Overall, working at Instacart is great for the flexibility. At times, the job can be stressful and the orders may not be that great with very far drives and low tip. However, if you get the good batches, then you should be fine.

How to checkout with Instacart? ›

Checking out
  1. When you're done adding items, tap [number] items at the bottom of your screen to open your cart.
  2. Tap Go to Checkout.
  3. Choose a payment method, enter your payment information, and tap Pay for Order.
  4. A receipt QR code displays on your phone after you pay.

Do you tip Instacart? ›

Tips are optional but a great way to show your shoppers appreciation and recognition for their excellent service. 100% of your tip goes directly to the shopper(s) shopping and delivering your order. If 2 shoppers fulfill your order, the tip splits evenly between them.

How do you use Instacart effectively? ›

7 Instacart Tips to Make to Maximize Your Earnings
  1. Go to a location with high demand. To get higher earnings you'll need more batches. ...
  2. Be selective with the batches you choose.
  3. Get peak hour pay boosts. ...
  4. Improve your customer rating. ...
  5. Be quick.
  6. Double check the app. ...
  7. Refer your friends.
Mar 7, 2024

How do I request an item on Instacart? ›

Tap the "Add special request to cart" once ready then repeat for any other special requests or other items you may need. Place your order using the traditional Instacart checkout process, like any other order.

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