How will Instacart shoppers pay for groceries in 2023? (2023)

FAQs

Will Instacart start paying more? ›

As part of this update, we are replacing the $10 minimum (inclusive of tips) with new guarantees from Instacart. Instacart's minimum Batch Payment will increase from $3 to $7–10 for full service batches and $5 for delivery only batches.

Who pays for groceries on Instacart? Instacart Shoppers pay for grocery orders with a credit card or debit card issued by the company. They do not have to put up their own funds to pay for orders.

As an Instacart shopper, you can expect to earn anywhere from $200 to $1,000 per week. The amount you make will depend on several factors. These factors include how many orders you complete and the size of the orders. In general, shoppers who complete more orders will earn more money.

Get a bonus $10 credit for every person you refer to Instacart. Each of your referrals will also get a $10 discount on their first order. You can refer up to five new customers for a total of $50 in bonus credits.

Instacart only pays by the hour if you're an in-store shopper, while full-service shoppers are paid per order. Glassdoor estimates the range for in-store shoppers at $12-$16/hour with $13/hour as the average.

For some shoppers, that assurance rings hollow, given Instacart's history. In 2019, amid accusations of tip theft, Instacart admitted it had been decreasing workers' pay based on the size of their tips. Then-CEO Apoorva Mehta apologized and promised changes and compensation.

The good news is, you don't have to! When you use Instacart, a professional shopper will choose the best groceries, bag them up for you, and either have them ready for you to pick up or deliver them right to your home. It doesn't get any easier than that! Try it out today.

The Instacart app shows you how much you are making per week in the Earnings tab. They advertise that shoppers can make up to $25 per hour, but most shoppers report earnings of about $14 to $18 per hour. Like other forms of gig-based work, how much you make depends on how much time you invest in it.

How much can you make in 1 day with Instacart? On average, you can earn $88 – $128 daily, depending on several factors like tips and service location. This value can double easily with tips if you work in the top cities.

Instacart offers bonuses for shoppers from time to time. You can enter contests based on the number of eligible batches you complete. Prizes can be as big as $500 added to your shopper account.

How much money can you realistically make on Instacart? ›

Average Instacart Shoppers hourly pay ranges from approximately $8.00 per hour for Independent Contractor to $24.37 per hour for Delivery Driver. The average Instacart Shoppers salary ranges from approximately $15,000 per year for Driver (Independent Contractor) to $36,212 per year for Store Shopper.

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.

At a time of record growth and competition between grocery delivery services, Instacart has announced plans to give holiday bonuses of $50 to $500 to its “shoppers” — the gig workers who actually buy and deliver groceries for customers.

Employees received the terms of their bonuses late last week and are expected to receive 40% of the payment on Dec. 9 with the remainder paid in June 2023, some of the people said.

Instacart shopper pay rate

Full-service shoppers can earn more through tips. Busier shopping times and larger orders typically yield larger tips. Full-service shoppers earn $7-$10+ per batch, plus tips.

Your taxes will be more complicated, because you're treated as an independent contractor, not an Instacart employee. Unlike in-store shoppers, full-service shoppers don't have their taxes withheld. You'll have to file and pay them yourself. You'll also have to contend with self-employment tax.

The best times to take on Instacart batches include evenings during the week (4 PM to 8 PM), and all day on weekends. Sunday is consistently the busiest day of the week so if you like to work weekends, you can maximize your earnings on this day.

As part of our new offerings for shoppers in California, we're introducing guaranteed minimum earnings — a guarantee that you will earn at least 120% of minimum wage and $. 30 per mile you spend shopping and delivering.

The Instacart tip penalty

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. If customers don't tip up front, Instacart pays more.

On Wednesday, Instacart, the Silicon Valley upstart that delivers groceries and other household items to customers through an app, reversed a tipping policy that had outraged workers, who accused the $7 billion company of cheating them out of rightfully earned wages.

Is it bad to not tip on Instacart? ›

Tips are optional and the best way to demonstrate your recognition and appreciation of service. Instacart's default for tipping is 5% or a percentage of your most recent order, whichever is higher. Instacart suggests a minimum $2 tip per individual delivery.

When you order something from a grocery store through Instacart, an Instacart worker will go to the store and pick all of your items out for you. They walk through the store just like you would when you do your grocery shopping.

Can Instacart shoppers use self-checkout? Yes, they can, but the company advises that Instacart Shoppers should use manned checkouts.

Temperature control—

We also ask shoppers and drivers to use insulated bags and coolers to make sure your items stay at the correct temperature while in transit from the store to you.

If you're an Instacart shopper, you're self-employed … and that means you likely owe quarterly taxes. If you have another part time job and also get a W-2, you'll want to check out our guide here.

Does Instacart Or DoorDash Pay More? Instacart generally pays more than DoorDash per delivery. However, an Instacart batch can easily take an hour or longer, so you complete more DoorDash deliveries per hour. This means most drivers make more with DoorDash than Instacart since orders are steadier.

You'll be assigned shifts each week based on personal availability as an in-store shopper, and can expect to work up to 29 hours per week. As a full-service shopper, you're free to make your own schedule.

How Many Hours Can You Work a Day With Instacart? As a full-service shopper, you can work as many hours per day as you please. There is no internal limit as long as work is available. But as an in-store shopper, your hours depend on the working hours of your retailer.

How much does Instacart pay per day? An average “batch” for Instacart pays between $15-20, and shoppers can do about 1 batch per hour, more or less. This means for an 8-hour shift, you can expect to earn a minimum of $120-160 per day shopping for Instacart.

How do you get the most money on Instacart? ›

For most stores, there's no need to go into the store to pick up your order—just park in one of the dedicated Pickup parking spots and wait while we bring your order out to your car. At some select locations, you may need to pick up your order inside.

You have to remember that Instacart doesn't offer promotions just because they feel like paying shoppers more money. Promotions are designed to get shoppers to go online when there is high order demand.

It is actually against Instacart policy to bring anyone with you while on an active batch. If you are caught or reported to Instacart, you can be deactivated. I have brought my children with me when I did my instacart shopping. When my 6 yr old dad was working & I needed the money what was I do.

A few notes: Drivers receive some of the heavy order fee. It's confusing because customers are charged based on total order weight, and Instacart shoppers are paid based on how many individual items weigh over eight pounds.

Yes, you can write off mileage for Instacart. Because Instacart shoppers are considered independent contractors, they're also considered self-employed, which means they can deduct many of their business expenses from their taxable business income.

Instacart pays shoppers at the start of every week. However, funds typically take three days to process and reach your bank account, meaning you actually get your Instacart payments on Wednesday of every week.

Instacart told Axios that its platform will operate during normal business hours on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day but “the shopping experience will be dependent on local store openings/hours.”

If your additional member shares the same address as you, then you both can shop together using family carts. However, you can each shop individually if you prefer, as items in a personal cart don't add to a family cart.

If you add items from multiple stores to your cart, you'll see items in your cart grouped by store. This creates a multiple-delivery order, with separate shoppers and delivery windows for each store.

Can I have two Instacart shopper accounts? ›

Can I have two or more accounts? Instacart allows only one personal account per person or household. However, you may use a secondary account for business purposes. Accounts aren't limited to one delivery address, or even one ZIP code.

To earn $500 a week with Instacart, you likely need to work around 25 hours if you average $20 per hour in pay. This is a realistic hourly rate in busy markets, but it also assumes you get enough batches and that you shop efficiently. You can also get lucky with large tips and potentially make $500 much faster.

Average Instacart Shoppers hourly pay ranges from approximately $8.00 per hour for Independent Contractor to $16.49 per hour for Store Shopper. The average Instacart Shoppers salary ranges from approximately $34,648 per year for Personal Shopper to $78,238 per year for Delivery Driver.

Some Instacart shoppers can earn up to $2000 weekly by maxing out the possible work hours, including going out during peak hours.

Instacart shoppers make money by buying groceries at local stores the company has partnered with and delivering those items directly to customers. It's a solid side hustle for people looking to make extra money, and for good reason.

Best Time To Take On Instacart Batches

The best times to take on Instacart batches include evenings during the week (4 PM to 8 PM), and all day on weekends. Sunday is consistently the busiest day of the week so if you like to work weekends, you can maximize your earnings on this day.

The Instacart tip penalty

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.

Delivery 10-Mile Radius (each) Delivery or Pickup Near Me - Instacart.

Can two Instacart shoppers use the same car? ›

A single shopper is expected to serve the customer, and it is this single Shopper that is paid for that order. Thus, it is against Instacart's rules for 2 Instacart shoppers to shop together on a single order.

Instacart order with heavy pay. An Instacart heavy pay order is an order that includes a heavy item like a case of water so Instacart adds some pay for that. Heavy pay can be anything from a few cents but is generally $1-$8, depending on how many heavy items.

What about regular orders with 30+ items that add up to $100 or more? 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.

An average “batch” for Instacart pays between $15-20, and shoppers can do about 1 batch per hour, more or less. This means for an 8-hour shift, you can expect to earn a minimum of $120-160 per day shopping for Instacart.