Instacart vs Shipt, ever wonder which is the best grocery delivery app for customers and side hustlers?

There are only two huge names out there in the world of online grocery and delivery economy gigs. Well, probably you’ve heard of others since it's a booming business nowadays.

However, these two are the most well-known and most used by customers- Instacart vs Shipt. Thanks to e-commerce technology, we can now shop for our foods and other stuff at the comfort of our home, without ever leaving our place.

So in this post, let’s compare Instacart vs Shipt. Which is better? How does it work, and what are the requirements to apply as a driver?

More significantly, which one will pay you more? In addition, let’s see both their pros and cons plus if there’s a significant difference or advantage of one over the other.

Therefore, whether you’re looking for the best app to cater to your grocery and food delivery needs or you’re looking for a side hustle to earn extra money, this post is for you!

Read along to find out.

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Instacart vs Shipt: In A Glance

Instacart vs Shipt: What is it, what’s the difference, and how does it work?

The Instacart

Instacart is a food and grocery delivery service app that lets customers order groceries online and deliver them in less than an hour or the same day.

Founded in 2012, today, it operates in more than 5,500 cities across the U.S. and Canada. Moreover, Instacart made it easy for customers to order from their favorite stores.

With more than 500 local retailers and partners, customers can shop from a wide variety selection of stores and items. Customers can even order alcohol and over-the-counter medicines (following legal restrictions and conditions)

Instacart is also free to download from Playstore and Apple Store. 

Check their location page if you want to see whether Instacart delivers in your area.

Full Review: How To Make The Most Money As An Instacart Shopper.

For Customers

Here’s how Instacart works if you want to order food or have groceries delivered from the app.

1. Download the Instacart app or check their website.
2. You can choose from several hundred thousand grocery items; alcohol, home essentials, fresh produce, and more.
3. Select the store you want to order from, and place your order.
4. Instacart will then connect you with a personal shopper in your area to shop and deliver your order.
5. Two delivery options: you can order for delivery or pickup (selected retail stores) and pay for the items online. 
6. For curbside pickup, you must place your order and choose a specific pickup time or schedule an order for a particular day and time, and a shopper will prepare your order at the store.
7. When you get to the store, the Instacart shopper will bring the groceries to your car, or you can pick them up at a designated area.

Instacart partners with many local and nearby stores such as Walmart, Whole Foods, Hannaford, ACME Markets, Best Buy, Country Mart, 7-Eleven, and Costco (no need for a membership card).

Additionally, you can include a tip for your shopper, which is nice but not required.

Moreover, Instacart offers exclusive deals and coupons to help you save. They also have a contactless delivery option through the “leave at my door” option found within the app. 

Lastly, you can track your order and communicate with your shopper in real-time using the Instacart in-app chat feature.

Instacart vs Shipt: On Fees

As mentioned, you can order at Instacart without applying to their retailer club membership. Hence, you can order from warehouse clubs, like Costco, Sam’s Club, and BJ’s Wholesale Club.

New customers may be eligible for exclusive deals and free delivery options. 

For instance, as of this writing, you can get unlimited free delivery for two weeks using Instacart. That is a $0 delivery fee on orders over $35 with average savings of $7 per order.

Instacart also notes that they have lower service fees compared to non-member pricing. If you want to test the waters, you can opt for a 14-days free trial. But you will be charged $99/yr after the free trial, or you must cancel by 02/20 at zero cost.

Furthermore, here are the breakdown of fees in using Instacart.

Delivery: Fees start at $3.99 for same-day orders over $35 (order minimum for each retailer within an order)

Pickup: Equivalent to a delivery fee for pickup orders.

Service: The service fees vary, depending on location, quantity, and types of items in the customer’s cart (orders containing alcohol have a separate service fee)

Instacart Express: $99, subscription feature of Instacart for customers who want to save more money and receive exclusive online grocery deals and perks. You have a flexible payment plan, so you can choose to be billed annually or monthly.

The benefits of Instacart Express include $0 delivery fees on orders of $35 or more, average savings of $7 per order, and reduced service fees. For more information, read here.

For Shoppers/Delivery person

There are generally two options. You can become a Full-Service Shopper or In-store Shopper. 

• Full-Service Shopper- independent contractors that offer the flexibility to choose their own hours (required to have their own vehicle). They do the shopping plus delivery straight to the customer’s door.
• In-store Shopper- a part-timer at Instacart, doing the shopping part only. There is no need for access to a reliable car since an in-store shopper puts all customers' orders ready for pick-up. Either the customer will pick up the item himself or have it done by someone with help from another delivery service.

Signing up

Here's what to do to get started earning money as an Instacart shopper.

1. Create an account on the Instacart website or download the app and sign up from there.
2. Complete the signup process. This includes stating your contact information, driver’s license, social security number, and banking information- this is needed for when you will get paid.
3. Get cleared for a background check.
4. Once you’re cleared for a background check, you can now start shopping and delivering.

Requirements

• At least 18 years or older
• Have legal authorization to work in the U.S.
• Able to lift up to 40lbs without accommodation
• Have regular access to a reliable car
• Regular access to a smartphone capable of running the Instacart Shopper app
• Pass a background check

Earnings

Instacart shoppers are paid weekly via direct bank transfer.

For Full-Service Shopper: The total earnings potential depends on the individual. It is because they are freelancers or independent contractors. That also means they can work and earn as much as they can; depending on the number of hours they work, the number of orders they fill, and the type of orders received.

For In-store Shopper: As an employee of Instacart, they are entitled to an hourly wage and are scheduled for shifts based on personal availability, up to 29 hours each week.

More significantly, the tips go 100% to drivers and shoppers. And if you’re wondering if Instacart shoppers must pay for the groceries themselves, well, it’s not. 

They were given a prepaid card with a balance that they could use at checkout to register and shop. Moreover,  Instacart shoppers/drives usually receive this after a few days of signing up.

Now that you’ve read everything there is to know about Instacart, let’s go to the other side of the ring.

Shipt

Shipt is another delivery service app, similar to Instacart. They also have a pickup and delivery option for customers. Aside from food and groceries, Shipt also caters to various household items and electronics delivery.

Founded in 2014 and initially owned by Target, Shipt has partnered with various big store selections. However, these stores vary depending on which area you live in.

Before, Shipt was a membership-only site. It changed today as customers can now order without shelling a whole year or monthly commitment. But, there’s a corresponding delivery fee, or you can purchase a Shipt Pass (more on it later!)

Like many other delivery service apps, Shipt also has a subscription option (we’ll get to that later!)

Moreover, Shipt is available for free both on Android and iOs devices.

Instacart vs Shipt: One point of difference is that Ship doesn't have in-store shoppers, unlike Instacart. If you’re going to be a personal shopper at Shipt, you'll always have to do the whole process. That means you do the shopping plus delivery, not just delivering orders.

For Customers

Maybe it’s your first time, or you’ve been ordering food online for a while now. Whichever of the two, if you’re looking for other services to try out, Shipt is one to consider.

Here’s how Shipt works for customers.

1. First, you can check if Shipt is available in your area, go here, and type your ZIP code.
2. Download the app or visit their website.
3. Choose a nearby store you’d like to shop.
4. Once you place your order, a personal shopper will pick your orders and deliver them to you right next to your doorstep.
5. Your shopper may notify you within the app if the item you order is out of stock and whether you have substitution preferences.
6. Once your order is updated, the shopper will now deliver your order according to the timeslot you select. (Some locations may also offer grocery pickup services)

 So what stores do they shop? Shipt partners with more than a hundred local retail stores. This includes Meijer, CVS, Costco, HEB, and Target, to name a few. They also partner with stores that sell things other than groceries or foods, such as Office Depot and PetCo.

You can change the store any time but you can only shop at one store per order.

If you have exclusive coupons or vouchers at a specific store, you can apply them before checkout within the Shipt app.

Ultimately, you can choose to deliver the same day or choose between delivery windows up to three days in advance.

Instacart vs Shipt: On Fees

As mentioned, Shipt used to be a membership site only, meaning you can’t order without paying a subscription fee.

However, it changed now as they enable the Shipt app to be used even for those non-members or casual customers. They just have to pay a delivery fee.

So, similar to Instacart, Shipt is also priced at $99/yearly with free delivery on orders above $35.

But, Shipt has a flat rate delivery fee for non-members, which is $7-$10 per delivery without additional service fees. To save on delivery fees, customers can purchase a Shipt Pass: 3 Shipt Passes ($9 per delivery) and 5 Shipt Passes ($8 for delivery)

Furthermore, keep in mind that Shipt prices will vary slightly from in-store pricing. That means you may be paying more for an item than you would purchase it yourself in the store.

For example, an item you order is worth $35; you must expect to pay $5 more; that is, the total would be $40. This is for Shipt to cover the cost of their maintenance and operation, such as picking, packing, and processing.

Well, this is expected as Shipt is an intermediary platform. 

Learn more about Shipt pricing here.

For Shoppers/Delivery person

Yes, you can also drive for Shipt. If you want to maximize your earnings and make extra side-hustle income, here’s how to do it.

Signing up

1. Create an account on the Shipt website or download the app and sign up from there.
2. Fill out personal information to complete the signup process. This includes stating your contact information, age, make and year of your car, etc.
3. Sign documents and complete the W-9 form.
4. Acknowledge the background check.
5. Once you’re cleared for a background check, you’ll receive a welcome kit that includes a prepaid card and an official Shipt T-shirt. Shipt encourages their shoppers and drivers to wear the merch to get assistance from store associates.
6. You can now start shopping and delivering!

Requirements

• Must be 18 years old and above
• Have a valid driver’s license and insurance
• Have a reliable vehicle – 1997 model or newer
• Capable of lifting 40 lbs or more
• Have insulated cooler bags

Earnings

Shipt shoppers are paid weekly, every Friday via direct deposit. Instant Pay is also available, but conditions and qualifications may apply.

Moreover, Shipt shoppers have total control over when they’d like to work, even which location to shop. Hence, they can set their schedules.

Shipt also allows its shoppers to accept and shop for more than one order at a time. Shoppers can already see how much they’ll make within the app before taking the order.

Plus, tips are 100% given to shoppers. While earnings may vary, Shipt shoppers can expect to make around $15-$20 per hour. However, Shipt is not as widely available in some cities compared to Instacart.

Do groceries cost more with Shipt?

While certain items may be more expensive through these two delivery apps than if you would purchase at the store, both Shipt’s and Instacart’s total costs come out nearly close to each other.

Well, it’s one way for them to make money. Not to mention delivery and additional service fees. Items and delivery charges may be priced differently in Shipt and Instacart, but they are not far apart.

Instacart vs Shipt: Which is best for customers?

Customers can also earn cashbacks, price deals, and vouchers while using Instacart and Shipt. But since Instacart has partnered with hundreds and thousands of retailers and merchants, it makes sense that Instacart is better for customers who want to shop and save on the best grocery deals, availability and store selection wise.

While Shipt has only partnered with a few retailers, they grow and make more presence in other cities. You can also get significant discounts through Shipt with referrals.

In terms of cost, both are comparable as they share the same membership fee of $99/yearly. Although Shipt has a flat rate of $7-$10 per delivery (without a service fee), which makes it easier for budgeting. 

On the other hand, Instacart charges delivery starting at $3.99 plus additional service fees.

So, in this case, Instacart wins over broader reach and availability plus store selection, while Shipt is better in terms of cost.

Winner: It’s a tie! Both Instacart and Shipt have a unique proposition for customers.

Can you work for both Shipt and Instacart? 

Yes, you can work for both. Moreover, you can even try other delivery side- hustle gigs out there to maximize your earning potential.

Instacart vs Shipt: Which pays more?

The average earnings of shoppers/drivers for Instacart fall between $3-$36 per hour. In comparison, Shipt shoppers make an average of $16-$22. Of course, these all vary and differ every day due to location, peak or busy hours, plus how experienced you are.

Thus, we can say that the earnings for Instacart vs Shipt are reasonably even.

Both Instacart vs Shipt let their shoppers keep 100% of the tips, and they can also accept or reject orders before taking them. However, be mindful of your rejection rate, as this may affect your rating as a shopper or driver.

Here are a few tips—research which area you can take higher-order rate. Furthermore, if you’re willing to work during holidays or busy and peak hours, you may earn more.

So, which is better for side-hustlers or delivery? Our best pick: Both!

Winner: Both! Earning rate is comparable and fairly even.

Is Shipt better than Instacart? 

Now for the Instacart vs Shipt review, let’s do some apple to apple comparison of their perks and where do they fell short. This applies to both shopper/drivers and customers.

Alternatives: You may check out other food delivery services to compare.

• Doordash Review
• Postmates Review
• Grubhub Review
• Uber Eats Review

Does Shipt work the same as Instacart? 

Shipt and Instacart work almost the same, both online delivery service apps. However, they are of different companies. 

Customers can download the app for free, choose a store to shop from, place an order, and checkout.

Then, a personal shopper will deliver the item at the customer’s door, or they can arrange pickup orders.

The main difference between Instacart vs Shipt is the delivery and service fees plus the availability.

Instacart vs Shipt- The Final Verdict

In conclusion, both Instacart vs Shipt are forward-thinking platforms that give customers the convenience of online grocery shopping and offer people the opportunity to earn additional money through delivery gigs.

It doesn’t hurt to try and work for both. However, each has its unique perks and drawbacks.

As an independent contractor, you still have to pay your taxes. Moreover, you are responsible for managing and arranging it on your own, so you may check for an accountant or financial advisor on how to do that.

Another thing to remember is although it’s free to join, keep in mind those fees you may personally incur in the long run. This includes the wear and tear of your vehicle. Moreover, Instacart and Shipt do not reimburse your mileage.

For customers, you may see different prices of items, and on the platform, it may be higher than when you shop in-store. So be aware of that and take it into your budget consideration.

Then for shoppers, if a customer requires replacing an unavailable item, offer your best judgment in substitution and don’t forget to be polite and provide excellent value and customer service. That way, you may get higher tips!

Have you ordered via Instacart or Shipt?  And if you’re a hustler, have you tried doing delivery gigs in Instacart or Shipt? 

If you have tried any other delivery apps, share your experience below!