How to shop with Instacart
Shop when, where, and for how long you want. Learn how the Instacart shopper app works below.
1. Plan when to shop
The Shopper app helps you plan when to shop to make the most of your time. You can toggle your location to see the Daily and Hourly peak times around you. Check back every Thursday for an updated chart.*
* Not available in California
2. Go online
Tap “Go online” to see batches.
You’ll notice stores pop up on your screen highlighted in yellow, orange, or red depicting how busy they are.
You will be notified when you are close enough to a store to be prioritized for batches.
3. Choose a batch
For every batch you’ll always see the upfront price of the batch, number of items, and the expected tip.
You can choose to accept the batch or wait for another to appear — it's up to you which batches you take on.
4. Start shopping
When you arrive at the store, tap “Start shopping” for the customer's shopping list to appear.
The app helps you locate items in the store by department and sometimes by aisle number.
Use the chat icon on the top right of your screen to message customers about preferences, out-of-stock items, substitutions, and more.
5. Check out
Check out with the Instacart payment card that you’ll receive when you first sign up. This card can be added to your digital wallet for easy mobile payments.
6. Deliver and cash out
To deliver your batch, tap "Navigate" for turn-by-turn directions to your customer's location. The customer can also leave delivery notes to help ensure a smooth handoff.
Once complete, let us know how the batch went. If it didn’t go well, you’ll be prompted to tell us why.
You can cash out your earnings within 2 hours of completing the delivery.
