Instacart Rehire Policy: How Getting Rehired Works

Instacart is a great way to generate extra income.

Finding your account locked due to inactivity or another problem can be stressful and frustrating, but there are steps you can take to get Instacart to reactivate your account.

Read on to learn more about the Instacart rehire policy.

Can You Get Reactivated With Instacart?

If Instacart deactivated your account for inactivity, you can get the online delivery platform to reactivate it so you can start working again.

However, if Instacart deactivated your account because you didn’t follow their policies, getting reactivated can be tricky.

It’s possible to get your account back in good standing with the help of Instacart’s support team, but you might have to send them proof that the termination was a mistake.

If you committed a serious offense while working for Instacart or have a pattern of customers complaining about your deliveries, Instacart will likely decide against reinstating your account.

What Is Instacart’s Rehire Policy?

There is no official Instacart rehire policy available online.

However, the platform’s terms of service have a few sections that apply to rehiring:

Section 15 goes over dispute resolution.

By using Instacart, you agree to engage in good faith dispute resolution practices and use written notices to communicate about disputes.

Under Section 16, Instacart states that users can stop using the platform at any time without notice and that Instacart has the right to terminate your access to the service without notice.

These terms of service leave terminating users and deciding to rehire them up to the discretion of Instacart.

The wording also leaves room for approaching each request on a case-by-case basis.

Can You Make a Second Instacart Account?

Instacart allows only one account per household.

However, you can create a second account if you want to operate a business account.

If you’re trying to work for Instacart again after losing access to your account, creating a second account goes against the platform’s terms of service and isn’t a good solution.

Creating a business so that you can open a new account isn’t a good option either since Instacart will run a background check and see that there is a deactivated account associated with your name.

How to Know If Your Instacart Account Has Been Deactivated

According to the platform’s terms of service, Instacart will send a written notice to indicate that there is an issue with your account.

Notified by Email

In most cases, Instacart users receive an email with details about the issue that is causing the deactivation.

Depending on the nature of the issue, you might receive a warning via email to indicate that you need to resolve a problem or face deactivation.

The email will come from the Instacart support team.

You have the option of responding if you want to contest the deactivation.

Not Able to Log In

Not being able to log into your Instacart account is a sign that the platform deactivated your account, but other issues can cause your account to become inaccessible.

For instance, a temporary technical problem or a hacker taking over your account can make it impossible to log in.

If you can’t log in and aren’t sure why, your best option is to reach out to the Instacart customer service team to find out if the platform has deactivated your account.

Why Is My Instacart Account Locked?

Instacart can lock your account for a few reasons:

• Instacart can lock you out of your account if you enter the wrong password too many times or if the tech team has any reason to believe that someone compromised your account.
• Instacart can deactivate your account if you haven’t completed a batch in a while.
  It’s unclear for how long you can be inactive on the platform, but it seems that Instacart will deactivate your account sooner if you’re a new shopper.
• Violating your independent contractor agreement is another reason for deactivated accounts.
  For instance, impersonating another person on the app or using automated tools to grab batches will result in termination.
• Failing to deliver orders will also go against this agreement.
  Instacart will typically look for a pattern of complaints and issues with orders before locking your account.
• If you commit a serious offense like breaking the law while working for Instacart, expect the platform to lock your account.

Can You Make a New Instacart Account If You Were Deactivated?

You can make a new Instacart account if you deleted the old one.

However, if Instacart locked your account for inactivity or another reason, you shouldn’t create a new one.

Having more than one account per household goes against Instacart’s terms of service and will likely create issues.

Can You Use Someone Else’s Instacart Shopper Account?

Instacart clearly forbids using someone else’s identity when placing orders or working as a shopper.

Using someone else’s Instacart account will result in termination.

Even though there is no official Instacart rehiring policy available online, it’s very unlikely that Instacart will take you back if you impersonate another person on the app since it could make customers unsafe.

How to Get Your Instacart Account Reactivated

If you received a deactivation email or can’t log into your account, your best option is to reach out to Instacart.

Appeal Deactivation

If Instacart decided to deactivate your account because the platform received complaints from customers, your best option is to appeal the deactivation.

You’ll have to submit proof that shows the complaints aren’t legitimate.

If you can’t work on the Instacart platform because you were inactive for a while, getting your account reinstated should be easy.

All you have to do is reach out to the shopper support team and explain that you’d like to start working for Instacart again.

Depending on how long you’ve been inactive, the shopper support team might ask you to go through the initial background check process again.

Contact Customer Service

You’ll have to log into the Instacart website to access contact options for the shopper support team.

The regular customer service contact options like the 1-888-246-7822 number might not be helpful for resolving issues specific to shoppers, but the customer service representatives might be able to direct you to relevant resources.

What If I Was Wrongfully Deactivated?

If you believe Instacart made a mistake by locking your account, you should reach out to the shopper support team and explain the situation.

You might have to submit proof that you didn’t violate the independent contractor agreement or terms of service.

Does Instacart Deactivate for Inactivity?

The answer is yes.

With 600,000 active shoppers on the platform, Instacart needs to manage its userbase by getting rid of inactive accounts.

How Long Can You Be Inactive on Instacart?

It’s unclear.

Some shoppers report finding their account locked after not being active for a few months while others say they went for a year without working on the platform and were still able to pick up an order.

It’s possible that the inactivity period varies depending on offer and demand.

It’s a good idea to try and pick up at least one order a month to keep your account active.

Wrapping Up

There is no official Instacart rehire policy published online, but the platform seems to reactivate accounts that Instacart locked due to inactivity or minor problems.

If you violated the independent contractor agreement or the terms of service, you can get your account reinstated as long as you can provide proof that Instacart made a mistake.

If you have any questions about the rehiring process, leave a comment below!

Getting rehired on Instacart is possible as long as you didn’t commit an offense or don’t have a pattern of complaints.