I will share the pros and cons of using Instacart grocery delivery service from my own experience of using Instacart for more than one year. So that you can decide if it is right for you.

I am the kind of person who enjoys grocery shopping. Choosing perfectly ripe and fresh fruits and veggies can be the highlight of my day.

Stocking up on items that I regularly buy when they are on sale is a source of joy and happiness because I know that I can use the money I save on groceries on something else.

However, with the pandemic, family members sick, and the kids at home all the time, grocery shopping was increasingly difficult.

So I started to look for grocery delivery options.

From the alternatives available in my area, Instacart seemed to have the most store options and reasonable prices.

I will start by answering the questions I had when considering the pros and cons of Instacart.

How much does Instacart Charge for Delivery?

Instacart Delivery Fee is $3.99 on orders over $35.

The Charge for delivery can be different if you are:

• requesting one-hour delivery
• spending less than $35
• buying from club stores.

You will see the delivery fee before checking out.

In addition, you will also have to pay for the Service Fee and Tip for the shopper.

What are the Fees for Instacart?

There are three different charges involved in every Instacart order.

Here is a screenshot of one of my receipts so that you get an idea of how much you will have to pay in addition to your groceries.

There is a Delivery Fee of $3.99 when you buy at least $35 in groceries.

The minimum Tip for the shopper is 5% of the total amount of your groceries (174.96 x 5% = 8.75).

There is a Service Fee, which could be 5% or more of the total amount of your groceries.

It is difficult to find out in advance how much you will have to pay in fees and tip because it will depend on how much you spend.

You may choose to give a higher tip to the shopper but the minimum tip is 5% of the groceries you buy.

As a basic rule, the more you spend, the higher the Tip and the Service Fee will be. On the other hand, the Delivery Fee is always the same if your order is $35 or more.

If you spent $174.96 in groceries, using Instacart will add $21.49 (Delivery Fee, Tip, and Service Fee).

So you will end up paying $200.04 for getting your groceries at your door step.

Do Groceries Cost More with Instacart?

Stores usually have weekly items on sale. You may receive the flyers in your mailbox with stores advertising the special offers of the week.

Some stores will offer the same prices on Instacart and in the store.

However, it can get tricky when you order one day and ask for the delivery on a different day, when the sale may be over.

Most stores have an Instacart price, which is slightly higher, than what you would pay in the store.

While you shop online with the Instacart app, you see the price of the item and that is the price you will pay regardless of the sales that the store may offer for in-person shopping.

I compared the price on the weekly flyers with what is offered on Instacart and most stores do not apply those sales to orders on Instacart.

Is Instacart Express Worth the Fee?

At this time, Instacart express costs $99 per year or $9.99 per month.

It eliminates the Delivery Fee of $3.99 on orders above $35. It also reduces the Service Fee.

Acording to their website, Instacart Express members save around $7 per order compared with nonmembers.

Below you can see the difference between Instacart and Instacart Express.

Let’s take a look at how many orders you will have to make per year for Instacart Express to be worthwhile.

If you pay $99 : $3.99 = 25 if you make more than 25 purchases in one year you will save money with Instacart Express.

There are around 48 weeks in a year, if you are planning to use Instacart for more than 6 months and buy once a week, you will save money using Instacart Express.

Here is one of my receipts with Instacart Express:

Pros and Cons of Using Instacart

Deciding about the pros and cons of Instacart will depend on your specific circumstances.

Let’s start with the Benefits.

Pros of Using Instacart

Extra Time

If you have a lot of things going on in your life, having your groceries delivered can be a big time saver. Once you have used Instacart a few times, it will take less than 5 minutes to order your groceries online.

Compare 5 minutes with getting to the store, finding your groceries, waiting in line to pay, and driving home.

Healthier Food Options

When grocery shopping in person, I always had the intention of only buying healthy food but I would make exceptions for chips, cookies, or ice cream. I would tell myself that a little bit of junk food was OK.

It would take a lot of willpower to resist buying my favorite unhealthy food when they were on sale or after seeing them over and over in different isles.

However, when using Instacart, I only have to make the effort to purchase healthy food choices once a week.

I make a list of everything I need and stick to that list. There aren’t any items on sale, so there is no need to buy things because they are on sale, I just buy what I need.

The surprising effect is that after a few weeks, I don’t even miss the chips, cookies, or ice cream.

We replaced ice cream with frozen fruit and we bake our own cookies.

Instacart makes it easier to focus on healthy eating habits because you have to deal with less temptations.

Convenience

There are many different stores to chose from. You can select the time and date that you want to receive the groceries.

Cons of Using Instacart

More Expensive

If you are on a mission to save money, Instacart is not a good option because you have to pay not only delivery fees but also the tip for the shopper and a service fee. In addition, items are usually a bit more expensive on the Instacart App.

Every store is different. For example, Sprouts will let you take advantage of the in-store sale prices but Food for Less or Ralphs will not.

How much more money am I spending on groceries using Instacart?

I am spending about the same amount of money but I am buying less stuff. I do not buy chips, cookies, ice cream, and other tempting and unhealthy food options.

On average I would spend $20 per week on unhealthy food. Now, that money goes to the tip, service fee, and delivery fee.

Service Varies

Some shoppers are very thoughtful. They will send you pictures of the available items when a product that you ordered is not available.

Other shoppers will directly refund the item or choose a replacement without letting you know. So, you may end up happily or angrily surprised depending on what you get.

You can chat with your shopper if you need to make any changes or if the store does not have the product that you requested.

I hope that these pros and cons will help you decide if grocery delivery using Instacart is the right option for you.

If you decide to give Instacart a try, use this (affiliate link) INSTACART. You will not only get your first order delivered for free, which will save you $3.99 but you will also get a $10 discount on your order.

Let me know what you think about Instacart or using grocery delivery services. How do you get your groceries?

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