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Save a trip to the store by ordering your groceries online or from your phone or tablet. Schedule convenient, same-day delivery to your home or office.
Instacart lets you shop grocery, pantry and other household items from your favorite local grocery stores. You choose the items you want online, and a personal shopper will hand-pick them at the store for you. Schedule your desired delivery time and date, and your grocery order arrives at your doorstep.
If you’re a senior and need help getting your order started or an existing order adjusted, call 844-981-3433 every day from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. ET.
You’ve learned Instacart is available in your area and want to take advantage of its services. Follow these steps to start using Instacart:
An Instacart Shopper then chooses your items from the store and brings them to your door at the scheduled delivery time.
Let’s break down the costs associated with placing an Instacart order.
Your specific delivery costs depend on your location and the size of your order. The fee displays at checkout before you place your order. Instacart states a typical delivery fee is $3.99, but this amount can vary based on your location and demand.
Note that:
A minimum service fee of $2 is added to every order. For orders that don’t include alcohol, the fee is equal to 5% of your order subtotal. Service fees can’t be waived.
The service fee for alcohol is broken down like this:
Instacart offers free delivery on your first order. After that, you can sometimes qualify for free delivery if you spend at least $35 on select branded items. If free delivery is available, you should see the amount you need to spend to take advantage of this offer.
Otherwise, expect to pay a delivery and service fee.
A 5% tip is suggested at checkout, but you can change this amount. Tipping is a nice gesture — if you had an exceptional experience, consider tipping more than 5%. Add or change a tip amount up to three days after delivery.
Instacart doesn’t issue returns through its shopping and delivery service. If you want to return an item, you’ll have to bring it back to the store, following the retailer’s specific return policy and procedures. Stores may accept an Instacart receipt as proof of purchase.
The only exception is if you’re unable to provide valid ID upon delivery of alcohol. In this case, the Instacart shopper is unable to deliver the alcohol and will return it to the store.
Instacart is widely available in ZIP codes across the US — but there are still some areas that it doesn’t serve just yet. To see if Instacart is available in your area, enter your delivery ZIP code on the company’s website or mobile app.
If Instacart doesn’t service your area yet, you can select the button to be notified when it becomes available. Meanwhile, see if other delivery services like Uber Eats, Postmates or FoodKick are available near you.
In a pinch, you can also try calling local grocery stores to see if they offer their own delivery services.
The list of available stores with Instacart varies by location. Enter your delivery ZIP code to view a list of stores that offer Instacart delivery near you. Some of the major big-box retailers that offer this service include Target, Aldi, CVS, Costco, Petco and more.
Instacart earns mixed reviews online. Some happy customers say their deliveries are always on time and their shoppers go out of their way to make sure their order is correct and produce is fresh.
Others say they were overcharged for delivery, their order arrived well beyond the selected window or their order price was much higher than store prices.
Instacart lets you order online or on your phone or tablet to get groceries delivered to your door. Remember: In most cases, service and delivery fees apply.
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