How to Use Instacart to Get Groceries Delivered

Instacart is a service that hires personal shoppers to do your grocery shopping for you. You pick the store, fill a cart on your phone or computer, and an Instacart shopper goes to that store, picks out your items, pays, and drives the groceries to your home. Most orders arrive within one to three hours. Instacart works with many stores you already know — Costco, Aldi, Kroger, Publix, Wegmans, Safeway, and many more, depending on where you live.

This service is helpful when leaving the house is hard, when the weather is bad, or when you do not drive. Instacart is also a good backup when a family member who usually shops for you is out of town. The shopper communicates with you by text inside the app, so if a brand of bread is out of stock, they will send a photo of options and ask which one you prefer.

There are real costs to know about. Instacart charges a delivery fee (usually $4 to $8) and a service fee (around 5%). Item prices on Instacart are sometimes a little higher than in-store. A tip for your shopper is expected — 15% to 20% is normal, the same as a restaurant. If you plan to use the service often, an Instacart+ membership ($99 a year) removes most delivery fees and is worth the cost for weekly users.

The app guides you through every step, and customer support can be reached by phone if anything goes wrong. Many seniors find that after the first one or two orders, the routine becomes familiar and quick. You can save favorite stores and reorder past items with one tap, which makes weekly shopping take only a few minutes.