If you have a busy life, then you may be looking for ways to help free up some of your time.
One of those ways might be allowing someone else to shop for your groceries on your behalf.
Instacart is a grocery delivery service that uses personal shoppers to shop and deliver your groceries to your door.
Although it is a little pricey at $99 a year with service fees, delivery charges, and delivery tips, you may wonder if the price is worth it.
Here are 10 reasons Instacart is worth it.
Is Instacart Worth It? (10 Reasons It Is)
1. Large Grocery Store Selection
One of the advantages that Instacart has that not all other delivery apps have is its huge selection of grocery stores.
Many other delivery apps may only have access to one or a few different stores.
Instacart worked fast to make itself one of the leading grocery delivery apps on the market.
In so doing, it quickly partnered with big-name store chains.
Some of these stores, as a result, didn’t feel the need to partner with other delivery apps.
Others may have signed exclusive deals with Instacart.
Because of that, you may only be able to get delivery from that specific store with Instacart.
Some of the stores that partner with Instacart are:
- ALDI
- Costco
- Dollar Tree
- CVS
- Target
- Walgreens
- The Vitamin Shoppe
- Sephora
- 7-Eleven
These are only some of the stores that you can use Instacart with.
The company continues to add more grocery store chains to its service every year.
Because of its huge list of available stores, you’re basically able to get anything you need through Instacart.
You can spend time at home or doing other errands while someone else takes care of your shopping for you.
Instacart is worth it because it has a huge list of grocery stores unlike some of the other delivery apps.
2. Pharmacy Services
Another reason that Intacart is worth it is that it doesn’t only offer grocery delivery services.
You can also take care of your pharmacy needs with Instacart.
Whether you need some more first aid items or to pick up a prescription, Instacart is available.
Right now, it’s partnered with CVS and Walgreens as its two major pharmacies.
However, there’s a chance that they can also pick up your prescriptions if the grocery store you prefer has a pharmacy.
For example, if you use Costco to fill prescriptions, then there’s a chance that Instacart can pick them up from there, too.
That’s because Costco is one of the grocery stores that Instacart works with.
Keep in mind that there are some limitations on the type of prescriptions that Instacart workers can pick up.
In most cases, however, your prescriptions can arrive alongside your groceries, saving you two trips.
Having someone else handle your prescriptions and pharmacy visits is ideal for those who have plenty of other things to do instead.
It saves you some time since you don’t have to stand in long lines waiting to speak with the pharmacist.
Instacart is worth it because it offers pharmacy services on top of grocery services.
3. Alcohol Shopping
Not every delivery app allows its workers to buy and deliver alcohol.
That’s because there can be some confusing laws about alcohol transport in some states.
There’s also the problem of those under 21 handling alcohol.
Because of this, many grocery apps stay away from alcohol deliveries.
That isn’t the case with Instacart.
They sort their employees between those who can deliver alcohol and those who can’t.
For example, those under the age of 21 are unable to accept grocery orders that contain alcohol in them.
This ensures that they never have to worry about delivering alcohol.
Workers who are 21 or older handle grocery orders with alcohol instead.
Being able to order alcohol through Instacart is also beneficial because it can be a safe way to keep the party going.
If you and your friends are already drinking, then no one should get in the car to go get more booze.
Instead, you can rely on Instacart to have someone buy the alcohol for you and bring it safely to your home.
This also ensures that everyone stays at the party and no one misses out on anything.
Instacart makes having parties safer thanks to its alcohol delivery.
It’s also beneficial because it saves you a trip.
If you work with a grocery delivery app that doesn’t do alcohol delivery, then you’re going to have to just go to the store anyway and buy it.
You’re not really saving much time or gas that way.
Instacart handles it all for you so you don’t have to worry about it.
Instacart is worth it because they handle alcohol deliveries.
4. Makeup And Jewelry
While some grocery stores sell a few brands of makeup and jewelry, they don’t always sell the good stuff.
They also tend to have access to makeup brands that mass produce their products rather than exclusive designer labels.
That can make shopping at grocery stores rather frustrating.
This can be a problem when you use a delivery app that only handles grocery stores.
You can never rely on it to deliver high-quality or rare makeup products.
That isn’t the case with Instacart.
One of the stores that it partners with is Sephora.
Sephora has a reputation for having unique makeup and jewelry items that you can only find in its stores.
If you have an eye on a certain product, then you can have someone go to the store and buy it for you.
This is a great benefit for people who don’t want to rely on grocery store makeup as their main source of makeup or jewelry.
Shopping through Instacart at Sephora is the same as shopping at any grocery store.
You find what you want through the app and make your purchase.
Then the shopper goes to the store and picks it up and brings it to your door.
This is a great benefit if you need to be ready in a hurry but find yourself without the makeup or jewelry piece that you need.
While your shopper handles the shopping for you, you can stay at home and continue to prep yourself.
Instacart is worth it because it doesn’t force you to rely on the products bought at grocery stores solely.
5. Easy Interface
Another problem with some grocery delivery apps is that they’re difficult to use.
There are often too many buttons or not a clear interface.
Since the goal of grocery delivery apps is to speed up the shopping experience, having an easy user interface is essential.
Otherwise, the individual just ends up spending a lot of time trying to make the app work.
This can become frustrating if they’re unable to figure out how to use the app.
The great thing about Instacart is that it has a simple interface to use.
You simply log into your account, then choose the store that you want to shop from.
You can even enter the store’s name in the search field if you don’t see it immediately as an option to choose.
Instacart strives to make using it even easier, so the next time that you log in, you’ll likely see your most frequently used stores listed.
Once you’ve selected your store, you’ll see the shop pop up on the app.
You’re able to quickly find what you want by either going through the categories or by searching for it in the search field.
The shopping experience is similar to any kind of online shopping experience.
You buy what you want, determine the quantity, then add it to your shopping cart.
Once you’re done, you check out and select the time of delivery as well as whether you want to tip the delivery driver or not.
Before you hit submit, Instacart will also tell you your order total.
This helps you budget as needed.
Instacart is a great app because it’s easy to use.
Even those who struggle with technology can easily learn how to use the app after a few uses.
The more you shop, the more Instacart learns about your shopping habits, too.
It might start to list your most commonly bought items at the front of the page.
This removes the need to search for it in the store.
Instacart is worth it because it’s an easy app to use.
6. Set Order Time And Get Free Orders
You don’t always have to pay extra for delivery.
Sometimes you only need to worry about tipping your driver.
One way you can save a bit of money is by ordering later.
For example, if you know you need to get groceries in the next few days, then you might want to order them sooner rather than later.
This allows you to have more options for delivery and, if it’s out far enough, even get you free delivery services.
Instacart offers delivery times in hour slots.
For example, after choosing your items, the app will take you to a scheduler.
You’ll see a list of dates, usually for the next seven days, and time slots available under each date.
It might read 5–7 PM or 11 AM–1 PM, for example.
After you choose that time, that’s when you can expect your shopper to do their shopping and then deliver to your home.
Instacart allows you to choose down to the hour when your groceries arrive.
This is beneficial because it helps you plan out the rest of your day.
You can quickly run another errand and make it back in time before your shopper arrives because you have a general idea of when to expect them.
It also allows you to choose the day which means you have complete control over when to expect your groceries.
Instacart is worth it because it gives you complete control over order dates and times.
7. Promo Codes And Coupons
Not all grocery delivery apps have the ability to add promo codes or coupons into the system.
Instacart does, which makes it one of the better grocery delivery apps.
When you checkout with your items, you’ll see an area where you can apply promo codes and even gift cards.
Instacart also has coupons attached to certain items in the store while you’re shopping.
This allows you to apply the coupon immediately by clicking on the banner associated with it.
One reason some people don’t use Instacart or any other grocery delivery app is that they think that they can’t use coupons anymore.
That isn’t the case.
Instacart has its coupons built into the app.
If you see any promos floating around the internet, then you can also use them to save even more money on your purchase.
Finally, if someone gifts you an Instacart gift card, that’s easy to use, too.
Instacart is worth it because it helps you save money rather than miss out on coupons.
8. Refunds
Accidents and mistakes happen.
There’s a chance that your delivery worker chose the wrong type of milk or didn’t choose a good substitution.
There’s also a chance that something might have gotten lost in the craze of the store.
If your driver shows up and doesn’t have all your items or something is damaged, then you can get a refund.
You don’t waste your money because Instacart is happy to take care of any problems that you face.
It even gives you a generous amount of time to report your problem.
You have up to 14 days to report a problem with your order.
That problem covers things like damaged items, missing items, or even incorrect items.
You can report a problem with your order through the website or app.
You can also call customer service if you want someone else to fix the problem for you.
They might ask for some proof of damaged items, so it’s a good idea to take a picture of the damage to have it ready.
Otherwise, Instacart will refund what you spent on the order.
This ensures that even if mistakes happen, and they likely will, you don’t waste your money because of it.
Instacart is worth it because it protects its users.
9. Free Delivery
There are also ways to qualify for free delivery.
Besides ordering early, you can also qualify for free delivery by ordering more than $35 worth of items.
If you’re grocery shopping, then this is usually easy to do.
You can load up on everything your home needs and get well past the $35 mark.
Once you do have a cart worth more than $35, you automatically get free delivery.
That helps you save a bit of money since it takes away the delivery charge.
Keep in mind that you’ll still have to pay a service fee, though.
It’s also good to tip your delivery worker even if you don’t need to pay the delivery charge.
That said, Instacart helps you save a bit of money by offering free delivery on orders over $35.
That makes the grocery delivery app worth it.
10. Saves Time And Effort
Perhaps the biggest reason Instacart is worth it is that it saves you time and energy.
You’re already busy and tired.
Using Instacart is a chance to let someone else take care of something that can sometimes be an hour or two-hour trip.
You get that hour or two hours to yourself instead.
You may be surprised by what you can do with that extra hour or two in your life.
From preparing dinner early to getting more cleaning done to even just relaxing more.
Using Instacart makes grocery shopping a lot more convenient.
Because of the time you save, Instacart is worth it.
What Are Some Problems With Instacart?
While Instacart has a lot of strong points for making it worth the price, there are a few problems or disadvantages that you should consider.
Here are some problems that Instacart has.
1. Not Suitable For Rural Households
Instacart primarily serves those in urban and suburban areas.
While you might find some delivery drivers who are willing to drive to your home, that isn’t always the case.
You can entice them by offering a large tip, but that means that using Instacart will become more expensive for you.
If your convenience is worth it, then you’ll likely find that the app is worth it.
However, because it doesn’t support rural zones yet, there are a lot of local stores that it doesn’t support.
Those who don’t have access to big stores like Target or Costco may find themselves out of luck.
2. Expensive
Perhaps the biggest issue with using Instacart is the price.
On average, you can expect to pay $10 to $15 more than you normally would on groceries.
That comes down to the slightly higher prices on the app, any additional charges you might face, and the tip for the worker.
You also miss out on in-store sales that are running.
If you’re not there, then you may not see that there’s a sale on a different version of the product that you want to buy.
That said, Instacart does try to make you aware of sales on their app.
However, as a whole, using Instacart is more expensive than shopping on your own.
That higher price is the cost of convenience.
3. Difficult For Some To Use
If you’re not used to shopping online, then you may have some problems trying to figure out how to use Instacart.
The app has done what it can to make itself easy to use and read.
However, it relies on its users being comfortable with shopping online and how those mechanics work.
If you’re not sure how to add an item to a basket or schedule your delivery, then using the app might be difficult.
Conclusion
Instacart is a great grocery delivery app because it partners with several different types of stores.
You can order everything from groceries to jewelry to even prescriptions through the app.
Although the service might be on the expensive side, it saves you time and energy which are likely already in short supply.
NEXT: Where To Sell Pokémon Cards? (Top 10 Places)