Is Instacart really free?

Delivery fee

Instacart delivery starts at $3.99 for same-day orders over $35. Fees vary for one-hour deliveries, club store deliveries, and deliveries under $35. There will be a clear indication of the delivery fee when you choose your delivery window at checkout.

Can you use Instacart without paying?

You don't need a membership to shop with Instacart. But if you want to save time and money, Instacart+ (formerly known as Instacart Express) can help. It's a membership program that offers unlimited free grocery delivery on orders of $35 or more, lower service fees, and other exclusive benefits.

How do I avoid the Instacart service fee?

By signing up for Instacart Express, you can avoid paying delivery fees on orders of $35 or more, be exempt from service fees, never pay for busy pricing, and order from multiple stores in one delivery.

Does Instacart charge a monthly fee?

How much does Instacart+ cost? For a flat standard fee of $99/year or $9.99/month, members enjoy unlimited free delivery on orders of $35 or more (per retailer), and other benefits.

Is Instacart worth the annual fee?

Instacart Express is worth the premium fee if you're placing orders anywhere near once per week or every other week. The money you'll spend on delivery fees and service fees quickly add up and surpass the annual membership fee of $99.

I Did Instacart For 13 Hours Straight! How Much Did I Make?

Why is Instacart service fee so high?

Instacart's service fee is much different from grocery stores' operational costs. Instacart charges these fees to cover expenses on their end. This includes customer support, employee background checks, and payment processing. Non-members' service fee is around 5% while Instacart members' service fee is about 1.9%.

Why did Instacart charge me $99?

For $9.99 a month — or a cheaper $99 annual cost — you can purchase an Instacart Express Membership. You'll get free deliveries for orders over $35 and reduced service fees on all orders.

What is the $99 Instacart fee?

The subscription service costs $9.99 per month or $99 per year and will give customers access to new family shopping features and free delivery on orders over $35. As with Instacart Express, subscribers will also get 5% credit back on all eligible pickup orders, reduced service fees and more with Instacart+.

How much is a Instacart membership?

For $9.99 per month or $99 per year, a membership can pay for itself in just a few orders. Instacart+ can help households save money on every order, save valuable hours they would have spent grocery shopping and reclaim time for what matters most – spending time enjoying food together.

How much should I tip on Instacart?

For most orders above $100, the restaurant standard of 15-25%+ works and that's what many customers who value the Instacart shopper's service tip. You can also try tipping half your item count when ordering from your run of the mill grocery store.

Do you tip the Instacart driver?

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. For orders where 2 shoppers fulfill your order, the tip is split evenly between them.

How does Instacart make money?

How Instacart makes money. Instacart makes money through revenue sharing, delivery fees, mark-ups on prices, premium subscription fees, and in-app advertising.

Why is Instacart trying to charge me?

We release the authorization hold after your order is delivered or canceled. It can then take up to 7 days for the pending charge to drop, depending on your bank. We will only charge you for the total of the items delivered to you, plus any fees, taxes, and tips.

Is Instacart cheaper than in store?

How Much More Than In-Store Pricing are Instacart Prices? Because retailers set their prices in Instacart, there's no set fee or percentage you should expect to see when you shop in the app. Some Instacart users have reported average increases of 15-17% on grocery items, which seems to be average.

Why did Instacart charge me $20 extra?

An Additional Charge on your delivery receipt reflects any items added to your order after it's been placed that make your new order total more than the original charge.

Can you cancel Instacart after free trial?

For all members, you may cancel your Instacart+ membership within the first 15 calendar days of your paid Instacart+ membership and receive a refund of the Instacart+ membership fee you paid, but only if you have not placed any orders using your Instacart+ membership.

Why does Instacart take 10 extra dollars?

For orders in process, we place a temporary authorization hold for a slightly higher amount than your estimated order total. This small difference accounts for potential changes in the final total due to special requests, added items, items replaced at a different price, and actual weight of items.

Why does Instacart take 15$?

When you place your order Instacart places a temporary authorization hold for 15% higher than your total order at checkout. This authorization hold is placed in case your total is higher due to special requests, added items, replacement items, or weight adjustments.

What's better DoorDash or Instacart?

DoorDash is likely the easier gig. You don't have to do any of the shopping that Instacart shoppers sometimes have to do. Also, DoorDash provides Peak Pay incentives that Instacart doesn't. So, there may be more earning potential with DoorDash.

How much do Instacart Shoppers make per order?

Instacart provides an estimate of potential earnings for every order and guarantees shoppers will earn at least $5 for each delivery-only batch and $7 to $10 for each full-service (shop and deliver) batch. "Batch" is Instacart's term for a unit of work that can consist of one or more orders.

How do Instacart Shoppers get paid?

As an Instacart shopper, you'll get a payment card from Instacart and use it at the checkout register at every store you shop. Getting a payment card is simple. New shoppers usually receive their payment card in the mail 5 to 7 business days after completing the sign up process.

How does Instacart pay so little?

Under the new model, Instacart pays less to workers for gigs where customers have left higher tips, so customers' tips are essentially being paid to Instacart rather than to the workers ourselves.

Do Instacart shoppers know if you tip?

Shoppers can see information like items requested, store location, and tip before accepting orders. So they may make a trip that's inconvenient or more difficult if the tip is big enough. But, Instacart also gives users the ability to change that tip up to three days after the delivery is made.

What is tip baiting?

“Tip baiting” is when customers offer a large tip when placing the order, only to lower it once the food has been delivered.