Instacart shoppers make money by purchasing groceries from local stores the company has partnered with and delivering those items directly to customers.
Order Buyers make money by accepting and fulfilling a “batch” (the company’s term for a unit of work) in which you select, pay for, load, and deliver a grocery order.
According to ZipRecruiter, the average wage for Instacart shoppers nationwide is about $18 per hour
[1]
. However, payment depends on several factors, such as the size of the order, the distance traveled and the time of day.
Instacart is a nationwide grocery delivery service that partners with local stores. The service relies on independent contractors and part-time workers to purchase and transport orders.
Hours are flexible and orders arrive via the Instacart Shopper app. Important details like job responsibilities and how you make money depend on whether you are a full-service shopper or an in-store shopper.
Table of Contents
Full-service shopper: Shop (or pick up) and deliver when you want
- In-Store Shoppers: Shop an assigned shift
They can lift more than 40 pounds.
Have a smartphone. An iPhone or Android device capable of running current software.
Pass a background check. According to Sterling, a third-party company that runs background checks for Instacart, most shoppers are cleared within one business day, but this can vary based on record availability.
Have a bank account. Paychecks are paid via direct deposit, so you’ll need a checking account to withdraw your earnings.
Fill out the documents. As a full service buyer, you will sign a contractor agreement and a W-9 tax form. As an in-store shopper, you become an Instacart employee and sign an offer letter and W-4 tax form.
Register your Instacart payment card. Instacart provides you with a preloaded payment card that you can use to pay for customer orders. New buyers can expect to receive their card within five to seven business days.
- Where can you work for Instacart?
Instacart operates in cities in all 50 states. To see if there are full-service or in-store Shopper openings near you, download the Shopper app and enter your zip code.
How much do full service buyers make?
While in-store shoppers earn a fixed hourly wage, full-service shoppers earn varying amounts depending on the order.
The Instacart app shows an estimate of potential earnings for each order. According to the company, how much you earn per batch depends on “the size of the order, the distance traveled, and the effort involved in purchasing and delivery.”
Earning potential is higher when customer demand increases, so working on Sundays and popular events like the Super Bowl can mean more money. As a full-service shopper, you can earn tips in addition to batch pay.
You may also receive a surcharge for stores located further away and for batches that indicate “high pay,” meaning several heavy items in the batch weigh a total of 50 pounds or more.
(See the video below for several high-effort, high-frustration batches, IRL.)
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What you need to work for Instacart
There are a handful of basic requirements you must meet if you want to make money on Instacart:
- Be at least 18 years old. If you want to deliver alcohol, which can result in higher tips, you must be at least 21 in some states.
Full service buyers must also have:
Drivers are on their own when it comes to fuel consumption. Although the price of gasoline has fallen recently, it is still expensive. Over on Reddit, some posters say driving for Instacart is fine if you’re looking for a temporary side gig, but the extra money may not be worth the wear and tear on your car
[2]
. (People post anonymously, so we cannot confirm their individual experiences or circumstances.)
How to sign up for Instacart
Getting started with Instacart is a simple process:
- Create an account and Download the Shopper app. You provide basic information like your name and location and give the company permission to run the background check.
How to work for Instacart
Depending on your personal availability, as a shopper in the store you will be assigned shifts each week and can expect to work up to 29 hours per week.
As a full-service buyer, you can design your own schedule. Search for available orders in the app or set your app to notify you when an order is available near you. Factors like your customer’s average star rating and delivery time can influence which orders you see. You can check the details – store location, number of items and expected payment – and accept the order.
In both roles, you’ll need to update your shopping progress through the Shopper app and note any changes or refunded items so customers can track their orders. When your cart is complete, you can proceed to checkout using the preloaded payment card provided by Instacart. If you are a full-service buyer, you deliver the order to the customer.
How do Instacart shoppers get paid?
Instacart issues paychecks weekly via direct deposit.
Instant Cashout, a feature you can use as a full-service shopper, allows instant cashout for a $0.50 fee as long as you have at least $5 in earnings.
Consider: Because you are acting as an independent contractor, Instacart does not withhold taxes and you may be required to make estimated quarterly payments.
» Thank you, continue? For more side hustle ideas, check out our guide to making money
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NerdWallet writers are subject matter experts who use primary, trusted sources to write their work, including peer-reviewed studies, government websites, academic research, and interviews with industry experts. All content is checked for accuracy, topicality and relevance. You can learn more about NerdWallet’s high journalistic standards by reading our editorial guidelines.
About the authors 
Tommy Tindall is a lead writer and content strategist covering how to make money—and how to keep it. He has recorded and written about his experiences testing popular gig jobs like driving for Uber, delivering with DoorDash, and full-service shopping for Instacart. He loves making a little extra money, but laments the hours of awkward silence he had to endure as an Uber driver (never again).
Cool kids might call him a content creator because he makes YouTube videos for the NerdWallet channel and app, but he himself isn’t particularly cool anymore. Ask him about budgeting apps – he’s tried most of them, but still prefers a good old Google Spreadsheet to track spending. Then be sure to hit the “Like” and “Subscribe” buttons.
Before NerdWallet, Tommy held much more boring jobs at Fannie Mae and Booz Allen Hamilton. Today he feels very privileged to be writing for you, the consumer.
Kelsey Sheehy is a senior writer and NerdWallet small business expert. She started at NerdWallet in 2015 and spent six years as a personal finance writer and speaker before switching gears to cover the financial decisions and challenges small business owners face. Kelsey’s work has appeared in The New York Times, Washington Post, Nasdaq, and MarketWatch, among others. Kelsey has appeared on Today, NBC News and ABC’s World News Tonight and has been quoted by the Los Angeles Times, CNBC, American Banker, NPR and Vice, among others. Before joining NerdWallet, Kelsey covered college (and how to pay for it) for US News & World Report. She lives in Washington, DC
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