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Shopping · Limited availability

Instacart

Shop and deliver grocery orders locally. Someone else finally writes the list.

Work location
Choose grocery-shopping and delivery batches
Starting cost
No join fee listed
Where it works
United States and Canada; city capacity and shopper waitlists vary

01 / The work

What you actually do

Instacart full-service shoppers choose available batches, shop customer grocery lists, communicate about replacements, and deliver orders. The platform operates in the United States and Canada, with city capacity and waitlists varying. Applicants need a smartphone, identity and background checks, plus an eligible vehicle, licence and insurance. Applying is free. Shoppers are independent contractors who cover operating expenses. Batch access and demand vary, so acceptance does not guarantee orders.

02 / Public perspective

People’s experience

In sampled Trustpilot reviews, some customers praise helpful individual shoppers. Sampled customers describe missing items, substitutions and support difficulties. These are self-selected user reports from a company-level review page. They do not establish typical contributor earnings, access to paid work or reliable payouts.

Separate source snapshots, not a combined rating. Ratings and reviews are self-selected opinions and may describe customers rather than people earning through the platform.

External review source

Trustpilot · instacart ↗

1.2/5

12,327 reviews ·
Reviewer group: customers

Visible reviews largely discuss customer order problems, substitutions and support; one sampled reviewer identifies as a shopper. The site-wide score does not isolate earners.

Positive experiences Some customers praise helpful individual shoppers.

Common complaints Sampled customers describe missing items, substitutions and support difficulties.

03 / The practical detailsRequirements, fees & payout
Type of work
Grocery Shopper
Application or approval
Yes
Existing audience needed
No
Vehicle needed
Yes
Known payout
Direct deposit
  • Current age minimum
  • Application or approval
  • Background check
  • Smartphone
  • Eligible car
  • Driver's licence
  • Insurance
Added to Limito

04 / The evidence desk

Company evidence

Unable to verifyUnable to verify

Limito has not completed a sourced assessment of this company’s operating history.

Evidence of an operating business is not a safety guarantee or a satisfaction rating. The Limito Score separately measures opportunity evidence.

Company file

About Instacart

Instacart connects grocery customers with stores and independent shoppers through its shopping and delivery service. Its company timeline records a 2012 launch in the San Francisco Bay Area and later expansion, including Canada. Shoppers use separate onboarding and order tools to select and deliver available orders. The general company review score largely reflects customer orders, not shopper earnings.

Founded: 2012 Year source ↗

Official sources & last checked

Limited availability · Last checked: Needs checking

Your next move

Before you apply to Instacart

  1. Confirm that shopper applications are open in your area.
  2. Prepare identity, work-eligibility and payout information.
  3. Check the current vehicle and smartphone requirements for the role.
  4. Be ready for any required background-check steps.
  5. Review how batches, shopping and customer delivery work before starting.

Open official application ↗

Takes you to Instacart’s official website.

The evidence, assessed

Limito score

Not ratedEvidence checks only

One point per evidence check. This measures how much we can confirm, not pay or job quality.

A recorded evidence review is needed before we give a score.

How the score works →

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