How Does Instacart Make Money?

Online grocery shopping has shifted from a convenience to an everyday habit. Customers now expect groceries to arrive within hours, retailers want digital storefronts without building complex logistics systems, and delivery platforms are racing to capture this growing demand.

Instacart has connected millions of customers with local grocery stores through a fast and scalable delivery ecosystem. Its success also created a strong business blueprint for startups and enterprises planning to enter the on-demand grocery segment.

According to Mordor Intelligence, the online grocery delivery market size was valued at USD 0.75 trillion in 2025 and estimated to grow from USD 0.91 trillion in 2026 to reach USD 2.43 trillion by 2031, at a CAGR of 21.68% during the forecast period (2026-2031). This rapid growth has made Instacart a household name and a benchmark for businesses exploring grocery delivery app development.

How does Instacart actually work, and how does it make money? If you are planning grocery delivery app development, understanding its three-sided model is the right starting point.

This blog breaks down the Instacart user flow, shopper workflow, and revenue streams. You will also see features, pricing, and lessons you can apply to your own product.

What is Instacart? (Meaning & Overview)

Instacart is an on-demand online grocery delivery service app introduced in 2012 that allows doorstep delivery of groceries and other home necessities. In plain terms, Instacart means getting someone else to do your grocery shopping for you: you place an order online, a vetted personal shopper buys the items at a real store, and they are delivered to your door. 

Key partnerships include Albertsons, Aldi, Costco, CVS, Kroger, Publix, Sam’s Club, Sprouts, Wegmans, and in Canada, retailers such as Costco, Loblaws, Walmart Canada, and others across the United States and Canada.

The organization has already partnered with more than 30 distributors across the United States and Canada, including Albertsons, Aldi, Costco, CVS, Kroger, Publix, Sam’s Club, and Sprout.

How Does Instacart Work?

The platform operates on a three-tiered model, or three-sided marketplace, involving customers (users), shoppers, and stores. Here is how Instacart works for each side.

How Does Instacart Work for Users (Customers)?

• Sign up on the app or website and confirm your delivery address to see local stores that serve your area
• Customer browse goods from their choice of local grocery stores
• Adds their preferred goods to the virtual shopping cart
• Input address and payment details, then choose a delivery or pickup window (same-day, in as little as one hour)
• The mobile application notifies the shopper of a list of goods
• Once the shopper buys and delivers the goods, the user may give a tip to the shopper
• Track your order live via GPS, then tip after delivery (optional)

How Does Instacart Work for Drivers and Shoppers?

Here, we will discuss two kinds of shoppers. One, a full-time shopper, and the second, an in-store shopper.

• Full-time shopper and in-store shopper both register and create a profile on the app or website
• Both shoppers receive orders on their smartphones via notifications
• Both shoppers pick up the ordered items manually and put them in the bag
• Full-time shopper or employee delivers the items to the customer, while in-store shopper does not deliver the stuff but make sure that stuff is ready to pick up, as they are in-store employees only
• Once their hours are completed, the admin of the platform offers a payment to both shoppers

For Stores

• Grocery store owners make a partnership contract with Instacart
• Store owners list their groceries and sell them on the app
• They also promote and advertise their business on the platform frequently

Let’s now understand, how instacart makes money in the next section.

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How Instacart Makes Money?

Instacart runs a three-sided marketplace business model, earning revenue from both sides of every transaction. Its main revenue streams are: delivery charges, service fees, membership fees, mark-up prices, in-app advertising, and payments from grocery partners.

Instacart Revenue Model

Moving ahead, for ordering groceries online made through the website, the company does not charge the stores any commission. The firm, however, has other ways of earning revenue like,

• Delivery Charges: Any order delivered above $35 by Instacart is subject to a standard delivery fee of $3.99 for scheduled or 2-hour shipment and $5.99 for 1-hour shipping. Orders under $35 are paid with daily or 2-hour shipping at $7.99 and a 1-hour delivery fee at $9.99. Such delivery fees are distributed between both the store and the company.
• Membership Fee: It encourages its users to access an annual membership. By just spending $99 for a year, consumers can get unlimited delivery on any orders over $355 for a whole year.
• Payments From Grocery Partner: It offers retail stores a portal to market their items. They charge these partners a fee in exchange for the same. The fees are calculated on the basis of the store’s earnings. The company earns about 3% of the price on each order as a fee for managing fees, sorting orders, and supporting the shop.
• Mark-up Price: Any shops selling their goods on Instacart give the same prices as their in-store prices, but there are few shops listed on Instacart that have a mark-up of 15% higher than their in-store prices. The revenue from these mark-up prices heads to Instacart, which makes customers pay for them.
• Advertisement Placement Charges: These are normally charged for supporting the shops, for the facilities in exchange. For instance, you see some advertisements and promotions when you open the application, and certain shops always appear at the top. This is because of the placement fees charged by this app through these retailers.

How to Make Money as an Instacart Shopper?

For a shopper, getting started on this platform is pretty simple.

• You just need to be 18 years old
• Must be able to lift 30-plus pounds
• Have a smartphone
• A bank account for direct deposit.

And you’re all set to earn money when you,

• Download the Instacart shopper application
• Complete the online sign-up and onboarding
• Complete the documentation and background check process
• Register your Instacart payment card

Now, the question arises: how much do Instacart shoppers make? (Full-time shopper vs. In-store shopper)

The pay of full-time shoppers depends on the order. On each order, the company offers an estimation of future earnings and promises that shoppers will receive at least $5 for each delivery(batch) and $7 to $10 for each batch of full-service (shop and deliver).

The company also says that what you are paid for a given batch of orders depends on the number of items, the type of items, the driving distance, and the shopping and distribution effort involved.

Also, when making deliveries, full-service shoppers often earn tips.

For in-store shoppers, there’s a fixed, hourly wage that varies from location to location. They are paid weekly or monthly via direct deposit, depending on their contract.

How Much Does it Cost to Deliver Groceries by Instacart?

While users make a purchase on the application, there would be the following kinds of fees that occur.

• Delivery Charges: Just like Amazon, Flipkart, and many other websites, the first purchase will be free of shipping charges. If a customer signs up for “Instacart Express Membership” for $99 for a year or $9.99 for a month, he/she can avail of free deliveries for all purchases on orders above $35. If a customer without Instacart express membership needs a same-day delivery service will be charged $3.99 for orders above $35.

• Grocery Charges: The prices of grocery stores’ goods on the website have nothing to do with Instacart. It is decided by individual retailers. In addition, you will not always get to take advantage of all the deals in the store. Sales on this platform are open to you, but a special section of coupons could still be available for your store of choice, where you can conveniently browse and purchase.

• Tipping costs: Most people don’t want to leave their homes right now, and since the Instacart shoppers are doing their job to help them, the company roughly pays 20% of the tip to their shoppers. And it is highly encouraged.

Increased Demand for Instacart During Coronavirus

While in February 2020, people were eating out in restaurants, playing sports, making physical shops crowded, March had hit the Instacart differently or maybe miraculously?

As coronavirus made the urge to feel the emergency of the decade, the people have turned to order meals to their homes to prevent being vulnerable to the coronavirus and standing in long food queues. As a result, Instacart CEO Apoorva Mehta said that it received five times as many orders as it did last year for the same period.

For many US and Canadian shoppers, the pandemic had changed their shopping habits from store moving to online scrolling permanently, which also led to Instacart hiring personal shoppers about 250,000 overnight. This means the company army expanded from 180,000 to 500,000 in just eight weeks.

Instacart, the grocery delivery service company, has also started to sell non-grocery products by partnering with major names such as Walmart Inc, beauty goods distributor Sephora, and convenience store 7-Eleven in the United States.

With that, Instacart raised $225 million and the firm was estimated at $13.8 billion in June 2020.

As the company focuses more on a spike in online shopping due to new opportunities, it earned another $200 million in its new seed round in the next to next month, valuing the firm now at $17.7 billion. A huge surge in success!

However, post the coronavirus, it would be interesting to see how the company plans and tests its strategy to maintain its market share.

What are the Unique Features of the Instacart App?

1. User Profile

   This feature helps customers to add their address content and billing information, as well as set potential purchasing preferences. Order history from grocery stores, coupons, loyalty discounts, and gift cards should all be offered for robust customer service.

2. Product Search

   Product search provides a smoother way for shoppers to discover what they want on the home page itself. Highlight the most important grocery stores’ items so that clients can filter outcomes by attributes such as price and color. Filtered product quest lets you optimize visibility and build more purchasing options through all of your inventory.

3. AI-powered Search

   Recently, the Instacart app introduced AI-powered search into their mobile application. This feature offers answers to their customer’s questions. With the power of AI, customers of Instacart are now able to discover new ideas or suggestions. Integration of AI-powered search level-ups the personalization game of their app and improves customer experience. You can also integrate ChatGPT into your mobile app.

4. In-app Payment

   This function is to offer as many customer payment options as possible. Cash, credit or debit cards, wallets, vouchers, coupons, and gift cards. When the order is received, send the invoice to the customer and link the order record to the history of orders.

5. Checkout

   This feature includes functionalities like,

   • View and edit local grocery products and whole foods
   • Apply coupon codes, if any
   • Set tip for shopper or delivery person
   • Select delivery time schedule including date
   • Add payment and contact details
   • Pay and confirm the order

6. Track Orders

   Using GPS tracker (tracking technologies) or any other location-based app solutions, allow your customers to track their order delivery and area. This will allow them to be happy without concerns and go on their day, enriching the trust.

7. Product Recommendation

   You can provide customers with product recommendations based on their past shopping habits. Because more than 50% of smartphone users are likely to buy products from relevant recommendations on products.

8. Admin Panel

   This function helps the admin to manage their business operations like,

   • Handle shoppers and customers
   • Track area & manage delivery orders
   • Activate & deactivate shopper accounts
   • Manage stores and partners
   • Generate reports on service

9. Shopper Panel

   To monitor the account, signify availability, and track earnings, each approved shopper will get access to the shopper panel of the website, or mobile apps. This helps shoppers to track their daily, weekly, and monthly orders in an organized way.

What are the Pros and Cons of Instacart?

Pros

1. Wide retailer selection and fast delivery windows

Instacart partners with over 1,500 retailers, including Costco, Loblaws, Walmart, and Sobeys across the US and Canada. Customers can shop multiple stores in a single order. Same-day and one-hour delivery windows make it convenient for urgent grocery needs and busy households.

2. In-app convenience features

The app supports product search, real-time order tracking, in-app chat with shoppers, replacement approvals, and saved payment methods. AI-powered recommendations suggest items based on purchase history. Users can schedule deliveries up to two weeks in advance for added planning flexibility.

3. Earning opportunities for shoppers

Instacart offers flexible work for full-service and in-store shoppers. Earnings include base pay, customer tips, and bonus incentives during peak hours. Shoppers set their own schedules and cash out instantly through the app, making it a popular side-income option.

Cons

1. Higher prices than in-store

Some retailers list grocery items at marked-up prices on Instacart, often noticeably above in-store rates. Promotional discounts, store coupons, and loyalty deals from physical stores may not apply on the app. This increases costs for budget-conscious shoppers.

2. Additional fees beyond grocery prices

Customers pay delivery fees, service fees, and optional tips on every order. Smaller orders under a set threshold trigger higher delivery charges. These layered fees can push a routine grocery run noticeably above standard in-store totals.

3. Quality and availability inconsistencies

Shoppers may substitute out-of-stock items or pick produce that does not match user expectations. Refunds and replacements require app communication and can delay the order. Time-sensitive items like fresh meat and dairy occasionally arrive bruised, damaged, or close to expiry.

Build Your Grocery Delivery App with Space-O Technologies

Instacart is a well-designed three-sided marketplace whose model has reshaped grocery commerce across North America. With online grocery sales expanding, now is a strong moment to launch your own delivery platform.

Operating since 2018, Space-O Technologies has helped 100+ clients, including Fortune 500 brands, ship secure and scalable mobile products. We design and develop custom delivery service apps for startups and enterprises across the US and Canada.

Our team also builds location-based applications with GPS tracking, geofencing, and real-time route optimization. Book a free consultation to get a custom estimate, technical roadmap, and feature scope for your grocery delivery project.