What is Instacart Express Membership? Benefits, Costs, and Whether It's Worth it
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⚠️ Instacart Express is no longer available. Take a look at our Instacart Plus review.
Instacart is a 24-hour grocery delivery service that allows customers to order groceries from local retailers such as Aldi, Publix, Safeway, and Cotsco. The same-day delivery app is expanding its service offerings.
Instacart provides benefits that allow membership subscribers to avoid the $7.99 delivery fee.
If you order recurring grocery delivery, the advantages of free instacart delivery may outweigh the disadvantages.
We've broken down the costs of using Instacart and the basics of what Instacart Express actually offers to help you decide if an Instacart Express subscription is a good deal for you.
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Previously, consumers had to choose between a small local dealer and Cotsco; however, the digital world has evolved, and consumers can now buy online, from their desktop or mobile device. It's like having access to every supermarket!
Grocery delivery services such as Instacart make it simple to get groceries during the pandemic or when you are sick at home with Covid.Furthermore, with the proliferation of new payment methods , customers can choose how to pay by shopping online. But what exactly is Instacart Express?
Express is a subscription-based membership service that is about to make grocery delivery even more affordable. The terms and conditions of use apply to the purchase and use of renewable express delivery.
To be clear, the Instacart subscription is comparable to Amazon Prime and Postmates unlimited. It enables frequent Instacart users to save money and pay a monthly fee. Essentially, you get all of the benefits of online shopping while saving money on online grocery shopping.
You use the Instacart app to buy groceries, and full-service shoppers shop and deliver your order. Instacart Unlimited also provides you with the following benefits:
The first and most important step is to determine how much it will cost to use Instacart. So, why does Instacart charge a higher price than total?
When you use the grocery delivery app to place an order, the fees you pay help cover delivery costs.
The grocery delivery service introduced a new and straightforward fee structure. Fees charged by Instacart for each order delivered may include the following:
The delivery fees vary for each grocery store based on your location, the size of your order, the delivery time you choose and availability of delivery people. You'll always know the delivery fee before paying the order.
So, how much is Instacart delivery fee?
The delivery fee starts at $3.99 for same-day orders over $35.
Instacart charges a service fee that varies depending on the market. It is calculated as a percentage of the order subtotal, not including alcohol. The service fee helps cover a variety of costs, including customer support,background check, marketing, and payment processing.
The service fee begins at 5% for non-Express customers, while Instacart Express members pay a reduced service fee starting as low as 1.9%. In any case, you'll be able to view the service fees in your area at checkout.
State legislatures have considered a number of measures to reduce the prevalence of plastic bags at grocery stores and other businesses. To discourage disposable bag usage, some states introduced the bag fee.
You will pay an additional Instacart Bag fee in the States where this fee is imposed.
In addition, to encourage recycling and complement existing curbside recycling programs and to reduce energy and material usage for containers, some states may apply a bottle deposit fee on specified beverages with qualified containers and volume. A deposit fee may range from $0.05 to $0.15 per container depending on factors such as volume, container, and beverage. The deposit is generally refundable.
Unlike some online food delivery apps, where there are no small order fees, there is a minimum order amount on Instacart of $10.
Instacart, very similarly to UPS and FedEx, raises fees on heavy packages and orders like cases of beverages and pet food. The fee is a percentage of your subtotal order and applied if the total combined estimated weight of these items is above 50 lbs.
The heavy fee begins at 5% but can be higher for heavier orders.
You can easily review the fee before the check out and remove the heavy elements.
Shoppers are notified about the heavy order before the pick up, and the “heavy pay” is included in the driver pay .
💡 Pro Tips: When you join Instacart and create an account, you'll be eligible for free delivery on your first order.
You can find a lot of reviews of Instacart in the Instacart reddit for couriers and customers. I’m really attracted to gig-economy startups. So, take your time to read through this review. I’ve been using the grocery shopping service occasionally to order my groceries and get them delivered.
Here's what I learned, and what you need to know before ordering from Instacart and getting groceries without leaving your house.
Do you want to know if the stores on the platform inflate their prices? The delivery app encourages stores to maintain consistent pricing. Each partner store, however, determines the price of their item. Some partners increase the cost of items ordered for delivery. Is Instacart a good buy?
Instacart charges $7.99 for one-hour delivery or $5.99 for two-hour or more delivery (you can select one-hour time windows), though prices may rise during peak periods.
Prices for the same order may vary depending on the time, day, and driver availability. On occasion, there are price differences on the app, and they have overcharged me on multiple occasions.
Furthermore, they charge a "service fee" in addition to their delivery fees, raising the total price.
You will not be given more delivery windows or earlier time slots than other customers as a result of your subscription. However, you will receive faster delivery and your express order will be delivered to your door in one hour. It would make paying that service fee more bearable because delivery fees would be eliminated.
The subscription is well worth it because it entitles you to free Instacart deliveries everywhere, which is ideal for frequent customers who enjoy having others do their chores for them.
Instacart Express members, in fact, receive free delivery on all orders over $35. Even during surge periods, this price remains constant. You can also cancel your membership at any time.
Related Article: Instacart Headquarters Address
In all cities where Instacart is available, you can make online grocery shopping from Publix and Safeway and get them delivered via Instacart! But all of these delivery fees can add up, especially if you’re not using referral credits . The solution? Instacart Premium membership. But how much is Instacart Express?
The express delivery has two options. Basically, you can choose from a monthly or annual membership.
If you choose a monthly membership, your Instacart membership fee will be $9.99/month and will auto-renew every month on your membership billing date. If you choose an annual membership, your membership fee will be $99.99/year and will auto-renew every year on your membership billing date, unless you choose to cancel it.
However, you can manage your membership renewal by logging in to your account directly from the app.
💡 Pro Tips: You cannot use food stamps benefits to pay for the membership
If it is available in your city, you'll see it as an option in the menu of the Instacart app. Once subscribed, view your subscription details at any time by going to Instacart Express in the app’s menu.
Instacart offers a free 14-day trial for users who have not previously tried Express.
In order to start your free trial period, you will need to provide a payment method. Once your trial is over, you will be automatically enrolled in your chosen membership plan and the payment method you signed up with will be charged. If you do not wish to continue the membership, make sure you cancel it before the billing date. Your membership will auto-renew on your membership billing date until you cancel.
Instacart is not a membership-based grocery marketplace like Shipt. This means that you can use it without paying the annual fee.
Are you looking for an instacart membership promo code? We found better than this. Costco is currently offering a special deal on subscriptions.
Instead of paying an Instacart annual fee of $99, if you are a Costco member you can buy eGift Card for the subscription. Express Membership does not auto-renew for $78.99.
You will save 20% of the annual fee.
Instacart recently made a partnership with Grubhub. Grubhub diners who sign up for an Express membership will get 2 months of Instacart Express for free, plus $10 off their first Instacart order of $35 or more.
Chase and Instacart teamed up for a new partnership benefiting select credit cardholders. Those eligible could receive a complimentary Free instacart membership for 1 year (~$99 value).
Chase credit cards eligible for a complimentary membership include:
You will also get a 10 off their next order of $35 or more as a Chase Instacart benefit.
You can cancel your subscription to Instacart at any time by using the grocery store delivery app or website. You must cancel at least one day before the next scheduled subscription renewal date to avoid having your bank account charged for the next subscription period (e.g. if renewal date is January 10, you must cancel by 11:59:59pm PT on January 9). Benefits will be valid until the end of the current billing period if you cancel your membership.
Users of the Instacart mobile app can cancel their subscription by following our step-by-step instructions.
If you want to stop using Instacart services, we suggest you consult our guide on how to delete your Instacart account .
Related Article: How To Cancel Shipt Free Trial, Membership, Orders
Can you save money on your Instacart cart? In addition to the membership subscription, we want to wrap up our article by showing our readers how to use Instacart to save money on grocery delivery.
If you are looking for ways to avoid busy grocery stores right now, here is our list of meal subscription service you may like:
I believe Instacart is as smart and valuable as Uber, Airbnb, or any of the dozens of other food delivery services that now exist. The app is simple to use, and Instacart's service is user-friendly, making it simple to ensure you get exactly what you want.
To have groceries delivered to your door, you do not need to sign up for a membership. However, with the Instacart express cost of $99, you will save a significant amount of money. Finally, you have the option to cancel your membership at any time. Create an Instacart account to receive free shipping on your first order. Don't forget to check out our comprehensive Shipt vs Instacart comparison.
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