Do you want to make some money on the side?
If so, then becoming an Instacart shopper might be the perfect opportunity for you.
Instacart is a service that allows users to purchase groceries online and have them delivered right to their home.
As an Instacart shopper, it’s your job to pick up those orders from nearby stores and deliver them as quickly as possible.
This blog post will give you 18 things you need to know about being an Instacart Shopper!
Is Working For Instacart Worth It?
Working for Instacart is definitely worth it. In fact, the average shopper earns over $20 an hour!
However, in order to make a decent amount of money you’ll need to work hard and put the time into picking orders.
It’s recommended that shoppers take around 30 minutes for each delivery so if you have several deliveries it may be worth your while!
What can make Instacart not worth it?
If the Instacart service is not available close to where you live and you need to drive a big distance just to start working it may not be worth it.
When Does Instacart Pay You?
You can either choose to get paid via direct deposit or Instant cash out.
Most Instacart shoppers choose to do instant cash out, the only downside is you don’t get your tips right away because customers have 24 hours to change their tips amount.
Do Instacart Shoppers Get Tips?
Yes Instacart shoppers get tips. The problem is the tip you see when you accept the order isn’t always the tip you receive.
As i stated above , customers have 24 hours to change their tips. Some people will tip you more and then choose not to give a tip at all.
How Late Does Instacart Deliver?
Most batches will be between 9 a.m and 12 p.m because this when stores are typically open but delivery hours are according to store hours.
So if someone orders from a 24 hour convenient store, you can possible take that order.
Is the order volume high enough for you to even be out that late doing Instacart?
Chances are there aren’t going to be enough batches that late at night, so even when someone orders from a 24 hour business, chances are it will be delivered in the morning.
Do Instacart Shoppers Rate Customers?
As an Instacart shopper you do not have the ability to rate customers.
This is extremely frustrating for a lot of drivers because some customers can give a really hard time and drivers can’t do anything about it.
Those same customers that give them a hard time can also leave a bad rating for them shopper.
It does make sense in a way because if you worked at a grocery store, you’re taught that the customer is always right.
This same concept should go when you’re working for a grocery delivery service.
Can You Do Instacart With a DUI?
There’s no definitive answer to whether you will get hired with a past dui.
After doing thorough research we learned some people got hired and some people didn’t.
There are a lot of other variables when it comes to getting your extensive background check so if you do get denied it could be a combination of other things.
How Old Do You Have To Be To Work For Instacart?
In order to work for Instacart you have to have to be at least 18 years old.
When under 18, you’re considered under age. Liability is probably one of the reasons.
Also people trusting children to shop and deliver their groceries for them may make some people uneasy.
Do Instacart Shoppers Have To Wear The T-shirt?
You are not required to wear the Doordash t-shirt but it can help in the following ways:
Can help you get recognized by the customer:
Wearing the T-shirt can help customers identify you as an Instacart shopper.
You can’t just put on any shirt and expect people to know that’s what your doing, but this way they’ll immediately know who you are if they see somebody with the Instacart logo on their chest.
Wearing the Instacart t-shirt can also help grocery store employees to know you’re delivering for Instacart:
It can be frustrating when you’re delivering groceries and the people working at the grocery store don’t know how to handle your order.
When wearing a shirt that says “Instacart” on it, they’ll immediately recognize who you are and will take better care of your items.
Can You Take Multiple Orders On Instacart?
In most situations, you will only receive one client at a time when ordering through Instacart, but there are times when you may get two or three.
It’s difficult to put together two or three orders at once, and many times, instacart delivery drivers just pick up the batches with one customer because of preference.
What is the difference between an order and a batch on Instacart?
A batch may contain many orders.
So, for example, if a shopper gets a batch within the instacart shopper app to shop for three different orders that is one batch but three purchases.
Do Instacart Shoppers Go Through Checkout?
Yes, Instacart shoppers do go through checkout to get the items that they need when doing Instacart deliveries.
To make it easier for Instacart shoppers, they did just roll out the mobile pay option.
This allows full service shoppers to make payments through google pay and Apple pay.
How Far Out Will Instacart Deliver?
There doesn’t appear to be a limit on how far a driver’s request will go.
Different delivery distances should be expected by all Instacart shoppers depending on their location.
For example, if the Instacart shoppers are in a densely populated area with many businesses, they may receive a lot of closer-together batches.
On the contrary if the Instacart shoppers are in a rural area with few businesses, they may receive batches that are further apart.
Is Instacart Safe For Shoppers?
Yes, Instacart is safe to work for especially in comparison to some other apps out there.
We’re going to go over why it’s safer than most side hustle apps like Doordash, Uber, Lyft and others.
Were also going to go over the minimal amount of safety risks.
Why Is Instacart Safe?
You spend most of your time in the store and less time in the car:
The most significant safety concerns for these occupations include driving in traffic to collect and deliver orders.
Instacart makes it so you spend the most of your time working in a store, not driving from one to the other, which reduces the risks significantly.
No one gets in your car:
People have to get in your car on a regular basis with apps like Uber and Lyft.
This is not possible using Instacart, so there are no strangers getting into your personal car which means less danger.
You have time to figure out where you’re going before getting into the vehicle and driving:
One of the biggest reasons it’s safe is you can use the Instacart app to see where you’re going before you get in the car.
You can discover the address of the person who placed the order after you’ve completed your purchase.
Then you can get your car and proceed to the address.
You don’t work as late as other apps like Doordash, Uber etc:
With Instacart majority of the hours you work will be during the day and early evening times.
This means less late night hours and less danger.
What Are The Safety Risks of Working For Instacart?
Delivering in bad neighborhoods:
The greatest danger for Instacart is doing business in undesirable areas.
Looking at the app too much:
You have to be aware at all times or as much as you can but sometimes the instacart app can be a huge distraction.
This makes it a very big safety risk.
Not being aware in parking lots:
Someone may jump in and steal your belongings if you’re not careful when getting out of the vehicle or entering a grocery store.
If you’re an Instacart shopper who’s a woman, keep an eye out for bad guys.
Take a look at this youtuber named Alisa Roberts story about how she was followed.
How Hard Is It To Work For Instacart?
It is actually very easy to get hired by Instacart, unless you have something that comes up during your background check that would disqualify you.
How long does it take to get hired by Instacart?
Sometimes it takes as little as hours to get approved by Instacart but if anything only a couple of days.
Instacart is a pretty easy going job:
Once you get the hang of everything within a couple days , you should be able to relax and enjoy your job as an Instacart shopper.
What are the roles available working for Instacart?
The first role you can work is a full service instacart shopper:
This role is the one that involves going to stores, picking up items and then delivering them.
The second role you can work for Instacart is called an in store shopper:
This involves going to the store and picking up items but not delivering them.
How To Make The Most Money With Instacart?
There are many ways to make the most money with Instacart. You can maximize your earnings by doing a few things.
Get a fuel efficient car
This will help you save on gas and make more trips without having to refuel. The less you spend on gas, the more money you’ll make.
Shop efficiently
Make sure you’re using the Instacart app to its fullest potential. This means shopping efficiently and taking advantage of all the features it offers.
Shop during busy times
The more people that are using Instacart, the more money you can make. Busy times are typically early mornings, lunch time, and dinnertime. You can also make more money by shopping on weekends and holidays.
Refer Friends
You can earn money every time you refer a friend to Instacart.
Which is Better To Work For Instacart or Doordash?
This all comes down to preference.
If you enjoy grocery shopping and would rather be in a store all day then you’ll like Instacart.
If you would rather be doing things like driving and delivering, Doordash is for you.
Which pays more Doordash or Instacart?
On average you may be able to make a little bit more with Doordash but things like your market and the time of day you work on regular basis may change that.
Both Doordash and Instacart are great ways to make extra money on your own schedule if you work hard enough, but remember not every market is the same so both companies might pay better in some places than others.
Instacart VS UberEats
This also comes down to preference.
If you enjoy grocery shopping and would rather be in a store all day then you’ll like Instacart.
If you would rather be doing things like driving and delivering, UberEats is for you.
Do you make more driving for Instacart or Uber Eats?
On average you may be able to make a little bit more with UberEats but things like your market and the time of day you work on regular basis may change that.
Both Instacart and Uber Eats are great ways to make extra money on your own schedule if you work hard enough, but remember as we said above not every market is the same.
We recommend trying out both and seeing which one gives you a better hourly rate.
Instacart Vs Shipt
Shipt is the most similar platform to Instacart, so they often get compared. Which one is better?
Because Instacart has more partnerships, that means it offers more opportunities for Instacart shoppers and is a better company overall.
The more opportunities lead to the chance to make more money.
Conclusion:
Working as an Instacart shopper is a great way to make some extra money during the day.
It’s also very easy work and you can do it on your own schedule which makes this job perfect for those who want to be their own bosses, don’t have much time or need a flexible option.
If you want to become an instacart shopper or already are an instacart shopper, we hope these tips helped you get more prepared or more informed about Instacart.
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