Heidi C.

I have used Instacart to order & receive groceries and I have worked as an Instacart shopper. The prices are higher than if you go to the store yourself, pick out all the items, bag them and deliver them to your house. I am confused why anyone would think the price should be the same?

Generally, an order of 35-40 items (delivery distance 5-10 miles) takes me 1-1.25 hours to complete. This doesn't include time driving back to the store. I will typically make $20-25 for an order like this. Most people tip 5-10% of their order total which is not a lot considering how much work is entailed (not to mention wear and tear on your car). Servers typically get 15-20% and they don't spend over an hour focusing on just you.

One other thing I'd like to point out is during the last 2 years we have been hearing about shortages daily. We should all expect that items we want may not be available. The most frustrating thing I encounter as an Instacart shopper is when a customer doesn't respond when you ask about a replacement, but they complain (or give you a bad rating) for not reading their mind.

I personally love being an Instacart shopper because it keeps me active and pays me to do it. There's a steep learning curve when someone first starts shopping, and I could see how that might be the reason for many of these negative reviews. If you have issues reach out to customer service; they have been so helpful to me as both a customer and a shopper.