Key Takeaways
- Instacart Plus membership can be canceled through email, phone, or customer support.
- Reasons to cancel include moving, service availability, or negative experiences.
- Account data concerns lead some to delete their information from Instacart’s system.
- Refunds for Instacart Plus are possible within 15 days if no orders were placed.
How to Cancel an Instacart Plus Membership
Alternatively, you can simply cancel your Instacart Plus membership using similar methods:
1. Cancel via Email
You will have to first sign in to your Instacart account. Access the drop-down menu and choose “Instacart Plus”.
You will then be given the option to select “Change my plan” which will lead to the “End Membership” option.
- You can opt to set a reminder three days before the membership renews so you can have time to consider full cancellation.
- If you have paid a full annual fee for Instacart Plus you will likely have to wait till your membership expires.
- If you do not completely shut down your account, you can always return and select “Renew my membership”.
2. Cancel via Phone
Customer support offers a toll-free number for Instacart which you can use to end membership quickly.
Simply call 1-888-246-722 and tell them you want to end your Instacart Plus membership and would like your account information removed.
Listen carefully to what the customer service rep tells you here, as you will need to follow instructions precisely to stop further payments for the account.
Related: How to delete an Instacart account
Reasons to Consider Cancelling Instacart
Despite all the advantages of having an active Instacart account, there are just as many valid reasons for cancellation. Top reasons to cancel your Instacart:
- Moving to a new Area — you may have started an Instacart Plus membership because the grocery store was too far away or otherwise inconvenient. Moving to a new home could grant closer access to a supermarket.
- Instacart was not available everywhere — a move or other life change may occur that removes instacart as an option for you.
- Negative experiences — disagreeing with, or having a negative opinion of, the company based on certain policies
The latter happens more frequently than you might think.
For instance, Instacart account holders were appalled to find there was a glitch in the ordering system. The error made it possible for personal shoppers to be denied tips they were promised.
This occurred when some customers promised huge tips, then later changed the tip to zero after their groceries were delivered.
Other Instacart controversies
Instacart also found itself in the midst of controversy when it reduced a 10% default tipping rate to 5%. Many consumers wanted to suddenly delete instacart account information as a way to show support for the subsequent boycott.
To their credit, Instacart eventually addressed the tip baiting issue, but they remained steadfast in their 5 % default tipping rule.
Disgruntled customers eventually decided to deactivate their Instacart accounts. Any who tried to delete Instacart Plus memberships soon discovered it was not as simple as they hoped.
What happens to Instacart account data?
As Instacart customers attempted to remove themselves from Instacart, many learned that their valuable data was being sold for $2 per person.
According to BuzzFeed and The Verge, the compromised data included “names, the last four digits of credit card numbers, and order histories.”
The breach included some possible 278,531 Instacart shoppers. The data also included users’ email addresses.
Instacart vehemently denied any wrongdoing and said they were investigating the breach.
Representatives from the grocery delivery service also blamed their own customers for the hack, claiming reused passwords were the cause of the cyber attacks.
Supermarket News reports that Instacart announced
“We take data protection and privacy very seriously. As a part of this commitment, we have a dedicated security team as well as multiple layers of security measures across common vectors designed to protect the integrity of all user accounts.”
Despite these efforts, Instacart still allows access by third-party agents and utilizes cookies to collect and store customer data.
Is data ever truly removed from the system?
The real answer to this is, it depends.
Once you reach out to a customer service rep regarding the fact that you want to delete instacart account information, you’ll have to explain why you are canceling.
If you appear hesitant, they may try to sell you on the idea of not fully deactivating your Instacart Plus membership.
This could be a way of keeping your information on hand even after you leave.
If you know you don’t want to use instacart in the future, stand firm in your decision.
Make the rep walk you through the process to ensure your personal information is scrubbed from the system.
Can you archive or access your order history?
When you attempt to cancel your Instacart shopper account, there will be an option to receive payment reminders instead of cancellation.
If you decide to keep the reminders, you’ll have continued access but may still be charged full membership fees.
This is because the reminder lets you know about an upcoming payment three days in advance.
It does not, however, fully cancel your membership plan.
Deciding to fully deactivate your Instacart membership may lead to the inability to access your order history.
If in doubt, create a backup of your account info for your own records.
Can you get a full refund on Instacart Plus?
You would have to cancel within 15 days of opening an Instacart account to cancel it.
The caveat here is that you haven’t placed any orders.
If you have placed orders, or 15 days have passed, then you will have to wait till the end of the billing cycle to cancel.
Here is when it would be a good time to set a reminder before being billed.
In such an instance, you won’t receive an Instacart refund.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I end membership for a deceased loved one?
To cancel a deceased loved one’s subscription services, access their account using saved passwords or through family assistance. Navigate to account settings for deactivation.
For complete cancellation and to stop further charges, directly contact the company by phone or email. For instance, call 1-888-246-7822 or email help@instacart.com for specific services.
Will canceling remove my credit card information?
Before deactivating Instacart, remove your credit card by logging in, selecting ‘Payment methods,’ and deleting the desired card. In the app, access ‘Payment methods’ and swipe to delete.
Confirm removal by contacting Instacart’s Help Center via call, email, or help ticket to ensure your information is fully removed.
I read your article and found it very helpful. I called the number in your article, spoke to,a very helpful and polite young woman who not only promised she was doing as I ask but gave me a pro-rated cancellation, refunding the last three months of my annual fee. It was as easy as our, thank you.