There are plenty of ways to make money online - and Instacart is a popular option. According to Instacart, the company has around 600,000 shoppers.
But how much do Instacart shoppers make? Is it a worthwhile side hustle, or just a waste of time? If you’re thinking of making Instacart your next venture, it’s important to go in with an informed perspective.
In this post, we’ll explain how much you can expect to make, what the work will be like, and what requirements you’ll need to meet.
Plus, we’ll explore a few alternative side hustles too.
What is Instacart and how does it work?
Instacart provides grocery delivery services to customers across America and Canada. It delivers from 80,000 stores, and hires “shoppers” to gather and deliver these items.
Shoppers have two main job roles, which vary in responsibilities and earnings. These are:
Full-service shoppers: As a full-service shopper, you’ll provide the “full service” - shopping and delivery. Naturally, you’ll need to be able to drive and have a car for this role.
It’s an appealing role, as you can:
- Work flexibly, as and when you want
- Keep all customer tips for good service
- Work in any location that Instacart operates in
- Earn even more through Instacart promotions
Keep in mind that you’ll be working as an independent contractor in this role. That means you’ll need to take care of your own taxes.
Your earnings will depend on the size of the order, as well as how far you’ve had to drive and how much effort you’ve put in. On Instacart, you’ll be delivering “batches”, which can contain one or more customer orders together.
In-store shoppers: As it sounds, in-store shoppers work within a store, shopping and arranging orders.
There are a number of benefits to this role, including:
- No need to deliver, so it’s suitable even if you can’t drive a car
- Classed as a part-time employee of Instacart, so:
- Instacart will take care of the taxes
- You may be entitled to company benefits
In-store shoppers work shifts, with a maximum of 29 hours each week. This role isn’t available in all Instacart locations, so you’ll need to check availability first.
The right option for you will depend on your circumstances and what you’re looking for in a job role.
If you drive a car and crave extra flexibility (and tips!), then the full-service shopper would be the best choice for you.
But if you don’t drive and want stable part-time employment, you’d be better off as an in-store shopper.
Fancy something more creative? Check out our guide to the top creative side hustles that pay.
The big question: how much do Instacart shoppers make?
Earnings for Instacart vary depending on the job role and the batch type. Instacart doesn’t display a set earning amount online.
However, in 2023, the platform lowered the minimum per order from $7 to just $4. Complex orders may bring earnings of over $10 per order. That’s on top of customer tips.
Some factors that add to earnings for complex orders include:
- Long distances: Instacart will also consider the amount you’ll need to travel for the delivery, so even a small batch could bring in over $10 in these cases.
- Weight: If a batch contains items weighing 8+ pounds and their total weight is 50+ pounds, then you’ll also get “heavy pay”. This is added on top of the batch’s minimum pay, and will be at least $2.
- Hour-by-hour peak earnings: Certain times will have higher demand, and shoppers will earn more at these times. You’ll be able to view hour-by-hour information about peak earnings on the app.
How do earnings work on instacart?
To understand a bit more about how much Instacart shoppers make, it helps to know how earnings work on the platform. They’re split into three main parts:
Batch pay: This refers to the base pay you’ll get for a batch - so, before tips and promotions. According to Instacart, the amount you’ll get is reflective of the effort it should take to complete the batch.
In other words, that includes:
- Your time and effort for traveling to the store
- The number of items, and their weight
- Expected shopping time
- Delivery to the customer
In some cases, it may also include heavy pay, as mentioned, or boosts, which are added when you need to travel a longer distance due to more local shoppers being in high demand.
Promotions: Additionally, Instacart provides opportunities for shoppers to earn extra during periods of high demand. These are referred to as “promotions”, and you can find out more about these in the app.
Tips: Customer tips are an important way to earn on Instacart. You’ll keep the entire tip, so they can add a real bonus to your earnings. Whilst this is dependent on how much your customers decide to tip, Instacart has put some steps in place to encourage tipping, including extra in bad weather conditions.
How much do Instacart shoppers make per delivery?
As mentioned above, Instacart offers a minimum earning of $4 per order. Depending on the type of order and its complexity, you could get over $10 per order. However, it’s not clear exactly how much you’ll make per delivery, as it varies between orders.
On top of this, you’ll also get the full amount of any tips paid by customers.
However, according to shoppers on Reddit, batch pay continues to lower. For example, this shopper posted about a batch offer they received. The offer was to deliver 3 products from 1 store, and the pay was $4.09.
Whilst some shoppers attributed this to the lowered base pay from 2023, others claimed that it appeared to have lowered even further. Shop_4u commented that the $4 base pay was initially only applied to very small batches, but that this has increased to much larger batches.
Other posters make similar comments. For example, FunFactress commented that they delivered a 50+ item order with alcohol, and the base pay was around $5. According to their comment, this was lower than the previous base pay from the same customer.
How much do Instacart shoppers make in a week?
In terms of weekly rates, reports from shoppers vary. Again, recent comments suggest that some shoppers aren’t earning as much as they used to.
Meanwhile, other shoppers report reaching around $1,000+ each week. Interestingly, the most successful appear to be working weekends.
Still, most shoppers seem to earn at least several hundred dollars per week.
Read Whop’s top side hustle statistics to find out how delivery driving holds up against other options.
How will you get paid as an Instacart shopper?
There are two ways to get paid as an Instacart shopper.
All shoppers can be paid weekly via a direct deposit. These will go into your bank account between Wednesday and Friday. Payments will cover the previous week’s work.
The second option is Instant Cashout, which is only available to full-service shoppers. As it sounds, this allows you to transfer your earnings immediately to a debit card. There are a few limitations to this, though. You’ll need to:
- Pay a $0.50 fee
- Wait a few minutes after a delivery for batch earnings
- Wait two hours after delivery for full earnings and tips
- Have $5 in earnings
- Transfer a maximum of $3,000 each day and up to five times per day
What are the requirements to become an Instacart shopper?
If Instacart sounds like the right side hustle for you, there are a few requirements you’ll need to meet.
- 18+ years old: You’ll need to be at least 18 to be a shopper for Instacart. Delivering alcohol can lead to bigger tips, but in some states, you’ll need to be 21+ for this.
- Lift up 40 pounds: You must be able to lift up to 40 pounds (18kg) without any accommodation. You’ll get extra “Heavy Pay” for larger orders that total 50 pounds or more.
- Smartphone: Another requirement is a smartphone that can run the Instacart Shopper app, so you can find jobs. At the time of writing, the app requires Android 6.0 or later, or iOS 16.0 or later.
- Background check: Instacart will run a background check, which will usually be resolved in under 10 business days.
- Have a bank account: This is for Instacart to deposit payments into your account.
- Right to work in the U.S. or Canada: Depending on where you want to work, you’ll need to be eligible for work in that country.
There are a couple of additional requirements for full-service shoppers, which are:
- Driving license and insured car: Naturally, if you’re planning to deliver as a full-service shopper, you’ll need a valid, up-to-date driving licence and access to a car. Make sure your car is also insured correctly.
- Cooler or insulated bags: You’ll also need a cooler or several insulated bags for transporting food. You can purchase pre-approved insulated bags from Instacart on the Shopper app.
How to start working for Instacart
It’s really easy to get set up for work with Instacart. Here’s what you’ll need to do:
Create an account: Head to “shoppers.instacart.com” and make an account. You’ll just need to input some details, like your first and last name, email, phone number, and ZIP code.
Download the app: Next, get the Shopper app downloaded onto your mobile. It’s available on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
Once you’ve installed the app, you might need to give some more details and approve Instacart’s request to conduct a background check.
In-person orientation: This one is for in-store shoppers only. You can arrange this as part of the onboarding process on the app.
Complete paperwork: The paperwork you’ll need to fill out or sign will depend on your role. That’s because full-service shoppers are classed as independent contractors, whilst in-store shoppers are part-time employees.
Full-service shoppers:
- W-9 tax form
- Contractor agreement
In-store shoppers:
- W-4 tax form
- Job offer letter
Register your payment card: Once you’ve been approved, you’ll typically receive your payment card from Instacart between five to seven days. This is a preloaded card that you’ll use to purchase customer orders.
Get stuck in: When you’re all done, all you need to do is look out for suitable gigs on the app. You can even set your working hours, if you want.
How to increase Instacart earnings
So, how much do Instacart shoppers make? If you’re a full-service shopper, your pay will vary between batches and other factors.
As with most side hustles, there’s no guarantee. But there are some things you can do to maximize your earning potential with Instacart. Here are some top tips:
Focus on tips wherever possible
Whilst you’ll get paid for each order you take, tips are a major income source on Instacart. Customers can either provide a custom tip by the dollar, or choose a percentage based on their basket size. So, it’s worth prioritizing batches with better tips.
Orders that are larger or include alcohol tend to come with better tips. There’s also the importance of good customer service - more on this later.
But what if a customer zeroes out a tip? Well, if they don’t record an issue with the order, you’ll still be covered for up to $10.
Strategise your batches
When you first get started, you might try to take anything and everything. But it’s better to develop a clear strategy for your batches. For example, you might see a high-paying batch, but find it takes up too much time for the pay. So, think wisely when choosing what jobs to take.
For example, the Reddit commenter below notes that the two main strategies:
- Taking lots of small batches with close drop-offs
- Focusing on the absolute best batches
The commenter recommends using a mix of the two strategies depending on the time of day. So, they start off with the best batches on offer, then take whatever’s available later on, even if it’s a smaller batch.
Other shoppers have different strategies. For example, the Redditor below plans out their day around when certain stores open, and which stores and neighbourhoods offer the best batches. They also aim for their final batch to be delivered on the route home, so they can earn on their journey back.
Like most Shoppers, they recommend getting started as early as possible.
Keep up with customer demand
Naturally, Instacart is somewhat dependent on demand. If there are lots of orders in a particular store, you’re more likely to get a bigger batch. And that means more to earn. So, it’s best to stick to in-demand stores.
You’ll also want to time it right. Weekends and major events tend to bring a spike in customer demand. If you’re willing to work at these times, you could bring in extra.
You can also get an outline of the peak earning times on the Shopper app. This is useful for planning a strategy for the week ahead.
Focus on high tipping orders
When you’re growing your side hustle, it can be tempting to try anything and everything. According to Instacart shoppers, that’s not always the best strategy, though.
Considering the importance of tips on the platform, it’s a benefit in and of itself to go for the highest payers. On Reddit, user Samanthaggrr also notes that if you take high tipping orders, you’re far more likely to see them on the Instacart Shopper app.
Great customer service
The food and delivery is only one part of the shopper role - there’s also customer service to consider. Tips are integral to Instacart earnings, so you’ll want to give customers a good experience.
You can do that in a number of ways, including ensuring the food you choose is high quality, and keeping customers in the loop about their order and your estimated delivery time.
Plus, it’s not just practical stuff that customers appreciate. Reddit user kstrawb94 comments that she always makes sure to thank customers for their patience, and even provides a compliment about their orders for an extra bit of courtesy.
What are some side hustle alternatives to Instacart?
Not sure if Instacart meets your needs? Don’t worry, it’s far from the only option for your next side hustle. There are plenty of different food delivery apps and services out there that you can make money with.
With that being said, you shouldn’t limit yourself to just one type of hustle. You might find your dream business in another niche.
Task Rabbit
This online marketplace is available as an app, but also in browsers. Customers use it to search for “taskers” who offer a service in their area for a certain amount per hour. Previously, this used to focus on in-person manual work, but now there are also some online tasks available.
So, it’s a good option if you’re looking for physical work, like assembling furniture or mounting TVs. But you can also find work related to data entry and virtual assistant jobs, if you’d prefer.
In terms of earnings, TaskRabbit will take a 15% commission when you complete a job. That’s on top of the one-off $25 sign–up fee. So, it can quickly get costly. On the other hand, you’ll get to keep your tips. You’ll need to weigh up whether the platform will be lucrative enough for you.
Not sure what business is right for you? Read our guide to the top side hustles you can start on Task Rabbit.
DoorDash
If you’re set on delivery services, another popular option is DoorDash. Like Instacart, this platform has a mobile app for drivers. Once you’re all signed up, you can view opportunities near you. You’re not obligated to go for them all, so you can be selective with which ones you choose.
Although DoorDash mostly delivers from restaurants, you’ll also get deliveries from grocery and liquor stores. Some retailers and flower shops also deliver through DoorDash. So, you’d be making a wide variety of deliveries - not just groceries. When you’ve decided on a task, the app will provide you with clear instructions about what to do.
You’ll need to make sure that DoorDash is available where you live. For example, it operates in thousands of U.S. cities, along with Puerto Rico and certain Canadian cities.
Learn about becoming a DoorDash driver in our complete review.
Whop
Whilst delivery driving can be an accessible role, it comes with its share of issues. For one thing, you’re on the road or in-store most of the day, and as shoppers have commented, you need to start as early as possible. There are also added expenses to keep up with, including gas and car maintenance.
On Whop, you can run your side hustle entirely from home. That eliminates travel time and drastically reduces your expenses.
You can sell anything digital on Whop (provided it meets our terms and conditions). So, you can grow your own brand - even alongside your other hustles.
You could even leverage your skills and experience. Why not create an online community for people looking to work in delivery and customer services? Or turn your top tips into an eBook?
If you’re a natural foodie, you might like to switch from delivery to spreading your culinary know-how online.
For example, on their whop store, Cravify offers a digital startup guide for fast-casual restaurant owners. This includes a resource library, Q&A sessions, and access to a vibrant digital community for restaurant owners to support and learn from one another.
They offer a free version to get customers interested - as well as a paid offering at $25 per month.
Looking for more Whop inspiration? Our seller stories give you insider tips and success stories from Whop’s top creators. It’s never been easier to learn from the experts.
Meet Mino Lee, the college dropout who made $160k+ on Whop in just 12 months.
Make your first $ online with Whop
Instacart offers a flexible income source, and it’s perfect for avid drivers and food lovers. It’s not for everyone, though. If you’d like something you could grow yourself - and do it from the comfort of your home, you might prefer Whop.
Whop is a digital marketplace built by and for online entrepreneurs. With minutes, you can create your own “whop”. This will be your base for your products and services, which you can add with Whop’s own native apps. These include:
- 1-1 Coaching Calls
- Events
- Courses
- Web apps
- Newsletters
- Forums
- Content
- Files
- Webinars
- Chat
Whop’s apps enable you to build unique product bundles. For example, you could sell a Mediterranean cooking course with an online community for like-minded chefs.
You’d just need the “Courses” app and the “Community” app. If you wanted community members to be able to chat one-on-one, you’d just add in the “Chat” app.
With fees starting at just 3%, you can feel confident that you’ll take up 97% of your earnings away with you. No rushing for grocery deliveries or chasing low-paying orders.
And if you’re stuck for what to create, don’t fret! Whop has tons of creative resources, courses, communities, and more to develop your business ideas.
Set up a whop in under 15 minutes and start selling digital goods you feel passionate about.
Instacart FAQs
Do you get paid daily for Instacart?
You can get paid daily for Instacart with the Instant Cashout option. You’ll need to be a full service shopper for this service, and it requires a $0.50 fee. For batch earnings, you’ll just need to wait a few minutes after the delivery.
If you want your full earnings with tips, you’ll need to wait two hours after delivery. Alternatively, you can receive weekly direct deposits into your bank account.
Does Instacart pay for gas?
Unfortunately, no. Instacart won’t pay for your gas. You’ll need to pay for this yourself when you work as a shopper. On the other hand, you might get more pay for batches that require you to drive further away. You’ll need to factor in expenses like gas when you take a batch.
What are the peak hours for Instacart?
Although it varies, there are some key dates and times that tend to draw in more demand - or are just generally good times to shop for Instacart. These are:
- Early mornings
- Weekends
- Public holidays
- Events, like the Superbowl
- During bad weather
Can Instacart be a side hustle?
With flexible hours and good earning potential, Instacart can be a solid side hustle. It’s suitable for both part-time and full-time work, and could be ideal for students or individuals looking for a side job.
However, according to former and current shoppers, it can be difficult to earn a proper wage, and demand fluctuates. If you’d like more control over your side hustle, digital marketplaces like Whop are a good option.
