Key Takeaways
- Walmart partners with Instacart for online grocery and product delivery, offering a convenient alternative to in-store shopping.
- A broad product range includes groceries, household, electronics, and more.
- Benefits include same-day delivery, avoiding store visits, and a wider online selection.
- Service fees similar between Walmart’s own delivery service and Instacart, choice depends on personal shopping preferences.
- Tips given on Instacart go directly to the shopper handling your order.
Is Walmart Still on Instacart in 2024?
As of 2024, Walmart continues to partner with Instacart. While the discount grocery chain is making a larger push for it’s internal same-day delivery service, Instacart is still a reliable way for customers to get deliveries fulfilled.
This collaboration, which began as a pilot launch in a select few states during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, has persisted and expanded, allowing customers to shop for Walmart products through the Instacart platform in stores across the nation.
Here’s how to use the Instacart app to find what you need from Walmart:
- Open the Instacart app on your smartphone or tablet.
- Create an account if you don’t already have one, then log in.
- Search for Walmart on the Instacart app home screen.
- Start shopping.
- Select a delivery date and time that suits your schedule.
- Review the pricing and confirm your order.
- Wait for your items to be delivered.
- Consider tipping your Instacart shopper.
Alternative: How to use Instacart for Costco orders
What Can You Buy from Walmart on Instacart?
When using Instacart to shop at Walmart, you have access to a diverse selection of products.
This includes fresh produce, various dairy products, a range of meats and deli items, and an assortment of frozen foods.
For those with a sweet tooth, there are plenty of sweets available. Beverages, both non-alcoholic and alcoholic, can also be found.
The selection extends to home and garden supplies, electronics, and sporting goods, catering to a wide range of needs.
Office supplies, pet products, and baby supplies are also available, along with a variety of health and wellness items, ensuring that most of your shopping needs can be met through Walmart on Instacart.
The Benefits of Using Walmart on Instacart
Walmart has an extensive selection of groceries, health, beauty, pet, and household supplies. If that’s not enough to convince you, here are a few other reasons to consider Instacart delivery services:
1. Same-Day Delivery
The age of instant gratification is upon us in a way we’ve never seen before. You can place same-day orders at Walmart through Instacart and often enjoy same-day delivery.
If you run out of cheese before a big party or your TV breaks ahead of this weekend’s football game, Instacart and Walmart have your back.
2. No Need to Visit the Store
There’s something therapeutic about walking through those sliding doors at your local Walmart, but you can often spend hours there and come out with more than what you need.
Minimizing your trips to Walmart through Instacart will benefit your wallet as you get everything you need delivered to your door (and nothing that you don’t!).
3. More Extensive Selection
Have you ever gone to Walmart (or any big-box retailer) searching for a specific item, only to come up empty-handed? It’s frustrating, especially when the item is available elsewhere online.
The selection of goods Walmart offers through the Instacart app might be more varied than what you find when you shop at your local store.
4. Time Savings
Then there’s the biggest benefit, which is saving time.
You won’t have to drive to the store, browse the aisles, check out, come home, and unpack everything before you can call it a day. When you have your items delivered, you only have to worry about putting everything away.
Is It Cheaper to Order Deliveries Through Walmart Directly or Walmart on Instacart?
The pricing structures of Walmart direct and Walmart on Instacart are quite similar. While Instacart’s service fees start lower, they can increase to $9 or more, aligning closely with Walmart’s fees.
Ultimately, the choice between the two services should be based on personal preference and shopping habits rather than solely on cost.
When deciding whether to order deliveries directly from Walmart or through Walmart on Instacart, it’s important to consider the pricing of both services.
For non-member orders placed through the Walmart app, the delivery fee ranges from $7.95 to $9.95 per order. However, Walmart Plus members enjoy a benefit: they only pay delivery fees for orders below $35, which is $5.99.
Orders over $35 are delivered free, incentivizing larger purchases. For express delivery, which ensures faster delivery, Walmart charges a flat rate of $10.
On the other hand, using Walmart on Instacart involves different fees. For non-member orders over $35, the delivery fee starts at $3.99 for same-day orders.
Instacart+ members, however, don’t pay service fees or delivery costs for orders exceeding $35.
Brett’s Take: Thoughts From an Expert
While Walmart still does have a partnership with Instacart in some locations, it seems to me that they’re making a much bigger push to promote their own delivery drivers – Spark Delivery.
Instacart marks up prices, making the total order much higher than if I were to shop for it myself. So the fact that Walmart+ offers prices that are the same as in-store is a huge benefit to me.
The one downside that sticks out to me is that sometimes younger Walmart shoppers don’t select good-quality produce.
Instacart usually doesn’t have this issue, as Instacart’s shoppers are usually older, which means they know what to look for. However, a little bit of training from Walmart could easily fix this issue.
The process for drivers is similar to that of Instacart, where drivers shop for orders and then deliver them to the customer.
Overall, drivers seem fairly content with this service, citing straightforward payments, few complications, and a decent working experience.
As a result, I would assume that Walmart will rely less on Instacart and even more on their own Spark network in the future.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can You Use a Walmart Card When Shopping on Instacart?
No, you can’t, and that applies to any retailer’s card. You can only pay for Instacart orders with a debit, credit, or gift card.
Is an Instacart+ Membership Worth It Over a Walmart Membership?
That depends on where you do most of your shopping. An Instacart+ membership is usable at more than Walmart; you can use it at any grocery store on Instacart. A Walmart membership, which costs about the same, only works at Walmart.
When I Tip for Delivery, Who Gets It—Walmart or Instacart?
The Instacart shopper who picked up your order receives 100% of your tip. If you feel like they did a good job, such as picking smart alternatives or arriving quickly, show your appreciation monetarily if you can.
Can You Get a TV Delivered Same-Day By Using Walmart on Instacart?
Yes, you can, and that goes for all electronics available at your nearest Walmart. The Instacart delivery person will even drop off the television on your doorstep, but you still have to bring it in and set it up yourself.
Wrapping Up
Walmart and Instacart have had a partnership for years that saves you from having to visit the store when you want to shop for products from this major retailer. As a shopper, you can enjoy same-day ordering and delivery for many products.
However, you’ll have to pay service fees if using online shopping, whether through Walmart itself or Instacart.
