If you love the deals and items you can get at Costco but don’t always have the time to make the trip yourself, Instacart is a fantastic solution for your grocery delivery needs.
Maybe you’re busy with work or the kids, or you have a hard time lifting heavy objects – both can sometimes get in the way of shopping at big-box club stores.
Maybe you’re interested in possible prescription delivery to make getting your medication easier.
Whatever the case may be, Instacart can help.
Here, we’ll go over the ins and outs of ordering your groceries and prescriptions from Costco Instacart.
Can You Order From Costco on Instacart?
Yes, you can order from Costco on Instacart!
Instacart has partnered with Costco locations across the US and Canada to make shopping easier when you’re tight on time or don’t want to go out.
Is Same-Day Delivery From Costco Available Through Instacart?
Yes, same-day delivery from Costco Instacart is available, but it depends on your Costco membership status.
Costco members benefit from certain perks through Instacart, which we’ll go over in more detail later on in this article.
Related: How the Walmart Instacart partnership works for customers
Where Is Costco Instacart Available?
Of course, Costco Instacart can only help you if there’s one in your area.
Major cities like Boston, New York, and Washington DC are a no-brainer, but you might be wondering about smaller towns.
Let’s go over some of the locations across North America where Costco Instacart is available!
Here is a list of several Costco Instacart locations in the United States.
- Saint Peters, MO
- New Century, KS
- Avondale Estates, GA
- Greenleaf, ID
- Francisco, IN
- Takoma Park, MD
- Winthrop, MA
- Boston, MA
- Washington, DC
- Long Grove, IA
- Des Moines, IA
- Billings, MT
- Cherry Hill, NJ
- New York, NY
- Syracuse, NY
- San Diego, CA
- San Francisco, CA
And many more!
Of course, this is by no means an exhaustive list of Costco Instacart locations.
To find your location, head over to Instacart to search your zip code.
Overall, Costco Instacart is available at 500 Costco locations across 42 states.
Do You Need to Be a Costco Member to Order Through Instacart?
Since Costco is a club store, there might be some confusion about how a Costco membership factors into ordering from Costco via Instacart.
Let’s go over how the two work together!
Do Instacart Shoppers Need to be Members to Shop at Costco?
Yes and no.
To get same-day delivery through Instacart, you do need to be a Costco member.
But, if you don’t mind waiting for a later delivery window, you don’t need a Costco membership.
Is There Any Benefits of Using Costco Membership on Instacart?
Yes, there is!
Costco members pay significantly less for the items in their orders than non-members, so getting a Costco membership is definitely something to consider if you don’t already have one.
As we mentioned above, Costco members also enjoy same-day delivery.
What Items Can You Get From Costco Through Instacart?
You can pretty much order whatever you’d like from Costco through Instacart.
Whether it’s groceries, pet food, prescriptions, or household items, you can order them.
Certain items like alcoholic beverages and items weighing over 50 pounds incur extra charges to compensate for the extra work your shopper is doing.
Still, whatever you’d buy in-store you can get through Instacart.
Of course, available items may vary from location to location depending on their stocks and any local laws that might restrict some products.
Can You Get Costco Prescriptions from Instacart?
Yes, Costco Instacart does offer prescription delivery.
Instead of having to request separate orders or go out yourself to get your medication, you can add it to your regular Costco Instacart order and have it delivered right to your door along with your other groceries.
As an alternative, you can also check out Uber Pharmacy, an on-demand pharmacy delivery service from Uber.
How Much Does Costco Cost on Instacart?
Instacart charges a $3.99 delivery fee for same-day orders over $35.
Since Costco is a bulk store and often sells products in large quantities that are very heavy, keep in mind that there will be a heavy fee for anything weighing over 50 pounds.
You can also opt for order pickup.
However, the same $3.99 fee applies since someone is doing the shopping for you, even if they don’t deliver it to your house.
Other fees like long-distance fees, bottle return and bag fees, and service fees may apply.
Instacart Express members overall enjoy lower service fees and might receive lower alcohol fees.
Does Instacart Mark up Costco Prices?
It depends.
Each retail location sets its own prices on Instacart, so there is a possibility that some Costco Instacart locations might charge a little more through Instacart than they would in-store.
However, it’s not a company-wide practice.
Also, keep in mind that some in-store coupons and promotions might not be valid through Instacart because Instacart is a third-party company.
How Much to Tip on Costco Instacart
Instacart shoppers receive payment for the work they do.
Nevertheless, tips are a vital part of their income in this line of work.
Think of it like a takeout delivery driver or a waiter.
Their hard work offers you convenience, so it’s always a good idea to show your appreciation with a tip.
Instacart adds a default 5% tip, but you can change the tip amount if you’d like to give your shoppers a bigger tip.
It’s also suggested to tip at least $2 per store your shopper visits for you.
Your tip isn’t set in stone, either!
If your driver does something especially kind for you or helps you get something last minute, you can change their tip up to 24 hours after your order is delivered.
It’s worth noting that the “service fee” you see on your receipt does not go to your shopper and is not a tip.
While it might sound like it goes to the shoppers because they are the ones performing the service, the service fee goes toward various operation costs on Instacart’s end.
How to Order Costco on Instacart
Now that you know you can get Instacart deliveries from Costco in your area, let’s go over how to place an order.
The process is very simple and much like many other online ordering platforms.
Step-by-Step Instructions
First, on the Instacart app or website, select the Costco location you’d like to order from.
Once that is all set, go through the various categories and choose the items you’d like to have delivered.
If you can’t find something you want, try the search bar — you might have just missed it amongst all the other choices.
If you know exactly what you want, you can search for each individual item to save some time!
From there, once you have everything you want in your cart, click the green checkout button to start the checkout process.
Here, you can choose a delivery time and verify your payment information.
Then, click “order!”
When it comes to prescriptions, there’s a different set of steps to go through, but the best thing is, you only have to do most of them once.
To have your prescriptions delivered by Instacart, ensure that the Costco pharmacy fills your prescriptions.
Once that is set up, you’ll then start receiving text notifications to let you know when your prescription medications are ready to be picked up.
These text notifications will include a link to the Costco website where you can arrange for the delivery of your prescriptions through Instacart along with any other items you’d like.
And that’s it!
Once your prescriptions go through the Costco pharmacy, getting prescriptions delivered through Instacart is a breeze.
Suggested: How does Instacart work?
How Do Substitutions Work for Costco Instacart?
Sometimes the items you want might be out of stock.
If this happens, you have a few options for alternatives.
First, you can have your shopper pick the closest alternative.
This could simply be a comparable product from a different brand (such as store brand white bread instead of Arnold’s).
If you have a specific replacement in mind, you can always specify that to take the guesswork out of the equation.
If you only want that specific item, you can instruct your shopper to not substitute anything for it.
Your order total will be adjusted if this happens.
Wrapping Up
All in all, Costco Instacart is an awesome option for grocery delivery.
Not only can you get the food and household items you need, but you can also get your prescriptions delivered to your door all in one order.
If you’ve been having a hard time getting the things you need or need a time-saving option, Costco Instacart is a superb way to get the things you need delivered right to your door.
Whether you just don’t have the time or you feel like staying in, Costco Instacart has you covered.
Sign up for Instacart and see for yourself today!
Question ..
If I sign up for Instacart thru my Costco site , can I still take advantage of all of the other stores who participate in this program ?