Instacart is a grocery delivery service that allows customers to order groceries online and receive them delivered to their door.
One question that many potential shoppers may have is, “how do Instacart shoppers pay for groceries?”
The answer is that there are a few different ways that Instacart shoppers can pay for groceries.
In this blog post, we will explore the different ways that Instacart shoppers can pay for their groceries and how each payment method works.
We hope this information will help you decide if Instacart is the right grocery delivery service for you!
Table Of Contents
What Do Instacart Shoppers Do?
Instacart is a grocery delivery service that works with participating grocery stores to help customers when they can’t get to the store themselves.
Instacart Shoppers are the people who receive an order after someone places it on the Instacart app.
After picking up the order, the driver delivers the groceries directly to the customer.
Buy Groceries
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.
The Instacart store shopper takes the time to make sure the fruit looks edible or your milk and eggs have the correct expiration date.
Do Instacart Shoppers Pay for Groceries?
Yes, your personal shopper pays for the groceries because they must go to the checkout to pay after doing the shopping for you.
Deliver Groceries
Your Instacart driver then gets into their car to deliver the order to your home or office.
The process takes about an hour from start to finish depending on the delivery option.
Do Instacart Drivers Pay for Groceries?
An Instacart delivery driver won’t pay for groceries unless they work as Full-Service Instacart Shoppers.
Some Instacart shoppers work only as in-store shoppers.
These people put your grocery order together in the store, but someone else delivers it to you.
On the other hand, a Full-Service Instacart Shopper will do the shopping, pay for the order, and deliver it to your home.
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How Do Instacart Shoppers Pay for Groceries?
You might wonder how an Instacart shopper pays for your groceries.
Or perhaps you’re considering becoming an Instacart shopper yourself!
Either way, let’s review how the process works.
Do Instacart Shoppers Pay with Their Own Credit Card?
No, Instacart shoppers do not pay for groceries using their own credit or debit cards.
Instead, they use a special card issued by Instacart that functions just like any other major credit card would at a grocery store.
Instacart Shopper Card
Instacart shoppers use an Instacart shopper card to pay for groceries.
The Instacart shopper card is a special credit or debit card that allows shoppers to buy items from the store on the customer’s behalf.
How the Instacart Shopper Card Works
The Instacart shopper card works like any other debit or credit card would.
The only difference is that it’s Instacart issues it for the express purpose of paying for groceries ordered through their app service.
This is similar to the DoorDash Red Card.
The shopper card helps track what shoppers spend on groceries and keeps them from overspending while they’re picking up orders.
Additionally, the shopper card has a limit to it.
The Instacart payment card only works when placing an order through their shopper app service.
A shopper can’t use it anywhere else besides that store where they’re picking up your groceries from.
Where Do You Get an Instacart Payment Card?
If you’re an Instacart driver, the Instacart platform gives you two options to get your hands on your shopper card.
You can either get your card by mail or physically pick one up.
1. Mail
Instacart will send you a new shopper card by mail.
If your current one is still working, they’ll cancel that card and then give you a new one with an updated number.
All you need to do is notify Instacart that you prefer to wait for the card in the mail.
It won’t cost you anything for Instacart to mail the card to your address.
2. In-Person
If the current shopper card isn’t working or if it’s damaged, then you can quickly get a replacement in person at a location near you.
You should contact customer service to figure out where to go to pick up the replacement cards.
Using this option is helpful when you don’t have time to wait for a new card to arrive in your mailbox.
After you get the shopper card, you’ll need to register it inside the Instacart shopper app.
Registration connects the card to your account, so it’s ready when you need to use it during a store visit.
If you lose your Instacart shopper card, you can contact customer service for a replacement card.
Common Questions About Instacart Grocery Payments
As with most things involved with the gig economy, you might have a few questions about what you – or your shopper – can do with the Instacart shopper card.
Can I Use my Instacart Card for Gas?
No, you can’t use the Instacart shopper card at gas stations.
The credit or debit card gets issued by Instacart for the sole purpose of paying for groceries ordered through their app.
Therefore, it’s only good when shopping in person at one of Instacart’s partner grocery store locations.
Can I Use my Instacart Payment Card for Personal Use?
You’re not allowed to use the Instacart payment card for personal grocery orders.
It’s against company policy and could result in termination from the grocery delivery app.
Do Instacart Shoppers Pay at Self Checkout?
Yes, Instacart shoppers can pay for groceries at the self-checkout aisle.
However, Instacart does advise going through the manned checkout aisle whenever possible.
It’s usually faster because the checkers help move things along without any delays that often occur at the self-checkout.
Do Instacart Shoppers Pay for Bags?
Some popular grocery stores charge for bags, especially the insulated bags that keep the food chilled.
If you’re worried about your Instacart shopper (or you, if you’re working as a shopper) having to pay for the bag fees out of pocket, don’t fret!
Instacart does not currently charge its Shoppers for bags.
The entire order gets paid for by the Instacart Shopper card.
That way, shoppers don’t need to worry about any expenses relating to a grocery order, including taxes or Instacart bag fees.
The customer receives an itemized receipt that clearly reflects the charges.
They can review the cost of each food item, the total tax, bag fees, delivery fee, customer tip, and the total order amount they paid.
In the end, the customer pays for the bag fees.
The cost just gets added to the rest of the expenses.
Instacart Payment Card FAQs
Using your Instacart payment card may bring up additional questions.
Here are our answers to common inquiries about the card.
What if a substitute item costs more?
When a customer completes an order on the app, they specify the product, brand, and quantity.
However, those specific products aren’t always available at a given store location.
Sometimes, the store is out of stock.
If the shopper picks a replacement product, they must notify the customer of the change.
They usually do so through the app, and the customer receives a notification that they must approve the change.
The customer will see the old and new products and the price difference – if any.
If it costs more, then Instacart will charge the customer the extra amount.
Like the rest of the payment, the extra item charge will get covered when using the Instacart shopper card at checkout.
In general, Instacart doesn’t mind if shoppers take a few minutes to decide about substitutions as long as they eventually make a purchase.
In fact, the app tries to help the shopper by asking the customer what potential replacement products they want when they place the order.
Whether the substitution costs more or less, the key is keeping the lines of communication open with the customer.
What if you forget your card?
Order more than one Instacart payment card so you have one or two backup options.
Keep the backups in your glove compartment.
If you forget to bring the main card you’re currently using, you can simply upload a new card to your account inside the app.
Another way to leave this worry behind is to use the newer Instacart mobile checkout option that lets you do an instant cashout at the checkout aisle.
Using this method, simply tap your phone at the register to pay for the order.
Is there a PIN?
The Instacart app does use a PIN.
However, you’ll find that sometimes you can simply swipe to pay at certain stores.
If a store’s payment system asks for the PIN, you’ll need to know it so you can enter it.
Wrapping Up
How do Instacart Shoppers pay for groceries?
Now you know that it’s a simple process.
Each shopper receives a special shopper card to use each time they checkout for a customer.
If you’re interested in earning some extra money by helping customers with their grocery shopping, apply to become an Instacart Shopper and get your own Instacart card!
