Helping Shoppers Make Informed Decisions when Earning with Instacart

We’re focused on giving shoppers the information you need so you can earn how and when you want. Whether your goal is to make some quick spending cash or to save for something bigger, how much you work, which batches you take, and how far you drive is all up to you. Today, we’re announcing new updates that will further inform and guide your shopping experience so you can shop with even more confidence.

“We want to support shoppers by removing as much guesswork from the shopping experience as possible,” said John Adams, Vice President of Product at Instacart. “These new features are intended to give shoppers a better understanding of what impacts their access to batches, as well as tools to help them customize their experience and make the most informed decisions when earning on the platform.”

Enabling shoppers to check their batch access directly in app

We’re providing you with more information about what maximizes your access to batches with a new batch access summary. Now, you can easily check the status of your device and account directly in the Shopper app for important factors like GPS signal, internet connection, customer rating, retailer access, Cart Star status, and eligibility for specialty batches like those that contain alcohol or bulky items. 

You can find helpful information like what to expect when you go online, how to increase your batch eligibility, and more at our new batch access website.

Hiding batches and stores with less demand

We’ve also introduced two new features that give you the opportunity to tailor your experience so you can view the information that’s most relevant to you and how you want to shop with Instacart.

• Hiding batches: Shoppers choose Instacart because they appreciate the flexibility of being able to earn how and when they want. Now, when you don’t want to shop a certain batch, you have the ability to remove it from your batch acceptance screen with a simple swipe. Hiding batches has no impact on your ability to accept other batches. The batch will be shown to you again if the pay increases, and you will always be able to return to the batch and accept it if you change your mind.
• Hiding stores with less demand: You can customize your in-app map to hide stores that are unlikely to have batches within the next 30 minutes. This helps you prioritize moving to stores where you are more likely to see available batches sooner. Even though stores with less demand are hidden from the map, you will still be able to see batches from those stores if batches become available.
  
  

Check the anticipated time to see a batch at nearby stores

Now you will be able to see the estimated time it may take to see a batch at stores near you. When viewing the map in the Shopper app, you will see a pop-up on the bottom of your screen that shows a list of nearby busy stores and the estimated time to see a batch. This tool helps you know which stores are most likely to have available batches the soonest, allowing you to optimize your time spent earning with Instacart.

We’re excited to introduce these new features that equip you with the knowledge and tools that help you make the most of your time and maximize your earning potential with Instacart. We look forward to continuing to make meaningful updates to your experience in the future.

Instacart

Instacart is the leading grocery technology company in North America, partnering with more than 1,400 national, regional, and local retail banners to deliver from more than 80,000 stores across more than 14,000 cities in North America. To read more Instacart posts, you can browse the company blog or search by keyword using the search bar at the top of the page.