How To Cancel An Instacart Order

Taking the time out of your day to go grocery shopping can be very inconvenient and take away from other, more important, tasks that you have on your plate.

Thankfully, Instacart has innovated the shopping process by allowing us to order groceries and get them delivered directly to our door.

While this is all good, what happens if something comes up and you need to cancel?

Perhaps a family member becomes ill, and you have to run to the doctor.

Maybe you are on your way home to meet the shopper, and your car breaks down, and you can’t make it back in time to quickly put away those frozen groceries you ordered.

No matter the reason, you don’t want your groceries to go to waste by following through with an order you no longer need.

When this occurs, you need to know the ins and outs of how to cancel an Instacart order.

The following comprehensive guide outlines all the situations where this may be necessary and how to navigate the delivery and pickup service process.

Can I Cancel Instacart Order?

The short answer is yes. You can cancel an Instacart order.

However, there are certain instances where it is not possible.

Instacart Cancellation Window

While there is no specific window of time that Instacart requires for cancellation, there are criteria that you must meet to obtain a full refund of your money.

The following situations below will outline those requirements more thoroughly.

Can You Cancel an Order Before the Shopper Starts Shopping?

Yes, this is the preferred timeline to adhere to when canceling your Instacart order.

When you cancel an order before the shopper starts shopping, you are refunded the total amount that you paid for your order.

It is vital to keep an eye on the time because most shoppers begin promptly at the shopping start time.

Therefore, if you cancel even just a few minutes into the process, you will likely incur a fee instead of receiving a full refund.

Can You Cancel an Order While the Shopper is Shopping?

While you can cancel an order while the shopper is shopping, the company doesn’t recommend it since the shopper has already started choosing your items.

If you cancel during your allotted shopping time, you will probably pay a fee of $15 to compensate for the shopper’s time.

How Late Can You Cancel an Order?

While you should try to cancel your order before the shopper starts the shopping process, you can cancel your order up until delivery.

Once the shopper has delivered your order, you can no longer process a cancellation.

How to Cancel an Instacart Order

If you need to cancel your Instacart order, it is necessary to follow the instructions outlined.

The process will differ depending on what stage you cancel your order.

Canceling Before Shopping

If your allotted shopping time has not yet commenced, you can cancel your Instacart order through the company’s app or website.

To process your cancellation, follow these steps:

Website Instructions

• On Instacart.com, navigate to the top-left region of the site.
• Once in that spot, click on the three horizontal lines.
• When the menu populates, click on the link “Your Orders.”
• After the order page comes up, click the link “View Order Detail.”
• From that page, you can select the option to manage your order.
• After navigating to that page, you can choose the link to cancel your order.

Application Instructions

• On the Instacart app, navigate to the top-left region of the site.
• Select the option to view your orders.
• Scroll to find the order that you wish to cancel and select.
• On the page for that specific order, choose to manage the order.
• As the screen populates, select the option to cancel your order.

Canceling After Shopping Has Started

If your Instacart shopper has already started selecting your items, you will need to visit the Help Center on the Instacart app or website.

At the bottom of all the articles, there is a “Contact Us” option.

Click on that to start the cancelation process.

Troubleshooting: Why Can’t I Cancel My Instacart Order?

If you cannot access the option to cancel your order, it is likely because you are trying to cancel after shopping has commenced.

In this event, you must reach out to Instacart Care through the website or app Help Center to cancel.

Will I Get a Refund If I Cancel an Order?

In some situations, when you cancel an order through Instacart Express, you will receive a full refund.

However, there are other times that you will not receive the total amount.

Instacart Refund Policy

If you cancel your order before the shopper begins, you are privy to a full refund of your money.

However, if you don’t cancel your order until the shopper has already started the process or is en route to deliver, you will likely need to pay a $15 fee to compensate the shopper.

Once the shopper has delivered your order, you cannot receive a refund.

However, if you find issues with some of the items purchased, you can reach out to the company via their help center to obtain a partial refund for the items in question.

At times, this means that shoppers may bypass your order.

In this instance, Instacart will offer it to another group of shoppers.

If your window for shopping has passed without a shopper claiming it, Instacart will cancel your order or ask you to select another shopping window.

Instacart will fully refund your money for any charges incurred during these situations.

Errors Instacart Customers Might Receive Before Cancellations

When using the Instacart service, you may encounter errors that hinder your ability to select the items you desire.

Often you can quickly resolve some of these issues, and others require communication with the company.

One common error that customers receive is code 1369a.

When a customer gets this error while trying to place an order through their Instacart subscription, there is an issue with the credit card payment method.

At other times, the Instacart website may be down, or your password may have been hacked, which can cause them to delete the Instacart account.

In this event, it is necessary to contact Instacart customer service.

Instacart Shopper Can’t Complete Order

If you place an order and the shopper cannot successfully deliver it, you may see your order as canceled and a charge on your Instacart account.

These things often happen for the following reasons:

• Nobody is home to accept online grocery orders, and the customer did not authorize the order to be left unattended.
• The shopper is threatened during the shopping or delivery process, whether by another person or an animal.
• The customer provided the wrong address for delivery.
• The customer lives in a gated community, and the shopper cannot get inside after placing phone calls to the customer.

Instacart Customer Happiness Refund

Instacart has a policy that allows customers to receive a partial refund or future credit for items that fall under the following categories:

• You are missing things from your order.
• Some of your products are damaged.
• The shopper provided a poor quality replacement item.
• The shopper delivered outside of your shopping window (remember that there is no rush delivery).
• Your Instacart shopper displayed unprofessional customer service.

It is important to note that if Instacart suspects fraud or misuse of the happiness refund, they can revoke it for individual customers at any time.

What to Do If Instacart Cancels an Order

Suppose Instacart cancels an order that you placed for any given reason.

In that case, it is essential to reach out directly to a customer service representative through the website or apps help center.

One of the customer service agents will assist you with any issues and refund needs.

Canceled Orders for Shoppers

When working for Instacart, a canceled order affects the shoppers that perform the service.

As independent contractors, each shopping request is a source of income for them.

Not only do canceled orders take away from their earnings, but they can also affect their ratings.

Does Cancellation Rate Matter for Shoppers?

If a shopper has to cancel an order on their end, this action reflects in their personal cancellation rate.

While the reason for the cancellation is typically no fault of the shoppers, its effect on their rating can impact their ability to secure additional orders.

What Happens If you Cancel a Batch on Instacart?

If, as a shopper, you have to cancel a batch on Instacart, the cancellation will reflect in your profile rating.

Although the reason for canceling is typically out of your control, it will still reflect negatively on your performance as a shopper.

How to Cancel an Instacart Batch

As a shopper, if you need to cancel an Instacart batch and you are doing so before starting the shop, you can navigate to your online order screen on the app and select the option to “cancel batch” right from there.

How to Refund an Item on Instacart Shopper

If you need to refund a customer’s item, you can go into the online order on the app, select the product, and then opt for a refund.

It is crucial to keep the receipts for your shops in this case so that you can appropriately return the items to the store.

Final Thoughts

Being part of the Instacart community has a particular set of responsibilities for both the customer and shopper.

The Instacart membership allows you to get groceries and items without driving to the store and shopping for it all yourself.

However, it is necessary to remember that the service you pay for is also another’s livelihood.

So while we tell you how to cancel as an Instacart Express member, be mindful of when you do it, so it doesn’t negatively impact the company’s shoppers.