Instacart Review: Is Grocery Delivery Worth the Fees in 2026?
Instacart will bring almost any local store to your door within hours, but the bill is built from retailer prices, service fees, delivery fees and tips, so we pulled the fee pages apart.
Sixty-second verdict
- Instacart’s own help center says retailers set their prices on the platform, and some charge more than they do in the store.
- Instacart+ costs $99 a year or $9.99 a month and removes delivery fees on orders of $10 or more, but service fees still apply.
- Pickup orders carry no service fee whether or not you are a member, which makes them the cheapest way to use the app.
- Trustpilot reviewers rate the company among the worst we have read this year, citing wrong-address deliveries, missing items and refused refunds.
Beacon Score
Unmatched store coverage and real convenience, undercut by layered fees, marked-up shelf prices at some retailers and a poor record when orders go wrong.
- Product18/25
- Value13/25
- Service9/25
- Trust13/25
What we'd buy from Instacart
Instacart+ annual membership $99 per year
The only sensible way to use delivery more than a couple of times a month.
The annual plan removes delivery fees on eligible orders of $10 or more per retailer, includes Peacock Premium on its ad-supported tier, and adds a year of New York Times Cooking, which monthly members do not get. Family members can share carts and benefits, though added users cannot claim the Peacock perk. It does not buy faster delivery or reserved slots, and service fees, tips and taxes still land on every order. Refunds are only possible within five days and before you use it.
- Best for
- Households ordering groceries most weeks
- Weak spot
- Service fees still apply to every delivery
Instacart pickup orders Price varies by retailer
No service fee for anyone, member or not, according to Instacart’s fee page.
If you can drive to the store but do not want to walk the aisles, pickup removes the biggest line on an Instacart receipt. The help center says pickup orders carry no service fee regardless of membership, though some retailers add a pickup fee instead. You still pay whatever price the retailer has set on the platform, so check its pricing policy link under the store logo. Instacart has also run credit-back offers on pickup orders for select customers, which expire after twelve months.
- Best for
- Drivers who want to skip the aisles cheaply
- Weak spot
- Some retailers charge a separate pickup fee
Instacart+ monthly membership $9.99 per month
A trial run of membership for busy months, without a year’s commitment.
Monthly members get the same delivery-fee waiver on orders of $10 or more and the Peacock benefit, but not the New York Times Cooking subscription reserved for annual members. Fees are not refundable, though cancelling keeps your benefits until the paid month ends. Twelve months on this plan costs noticeably more than the annual plan, so it makes sense only for seasonal use, such as a new baby, an injury or a stretch of bad weather.
- Best for
- Short bursts of heavy ordering
- Weak spot
- No refunds, and pricier than annual over a year
Pay-per-order delivery Price varies by retailer
Fine for the occasional emergency run, with every fee shown before checkout.
You do not need a membership to order. Without one, you pay a delivery fee that varies by retailer, delivery window and order total, plus the service fee and a tip, all shown at checkout. Orders must be at least $10. For one-off orders when you are sick or snowed in, that is acceptable. For regular shopping, the stacked fees and possible shelf-price markups add up quickly, and a long-distance fee can apply if the store is labeled as farther away.
- Best for
- Occasional sick-day or snow-day orders
- Weak spot
- Fees stack up fast on small baskets
Skip these
Convenience orders
Instacart’s fee page says convenience orders can arrive in as little as thirty minutes and run late at night, but that service fees and item prices may be higher than on other delivery orders. Paying a premium on both the goods and the fee for snacks and late-night basics is poor value. Plan the order a few hours ahead or walk to the corner store.
Priority delivery
Priority windows add a fee for the fastest available slot, and availability depends on shoppers. The only safety net is a possible automated credit or refund of the priority fee if the order arrives more than thirty minutes after the window closes, and Instacart can withhold it after significant order changes. Given how many reviewers report hours-long delays, we would not pay extra for speed.
Instacart against the field
Two brands a shopper is likely to be weighing at the same time. Words only; the numbers change too often to print.
| Row | Instacart | DoorDash | Walmart+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Range | Groceries, warehouse clubs, pharmacies, pet stores and restaurants from many local chains | Restaurants first, plus grocery and convenience stores in many areas | One retailer’s grocery and general merchandise range, delivered from local stores |
| Price position | Retailer-set prices that can exceed in-store shelf prices, plus service fees | Membership removes delivery fees, with service fees and menu markups common | Store prices online, with a membership covering delivery on qualifying baskets |
| Returns | Refunds, replacements or credits at Instacart’s discretion, varying by retailer | Refunds or credits for missing items handled through the app | Returns follow the retailer’s own policy, including in-store drop-off |
| Standout | The widest choice of local stores in a single app | Strong restaurant coverage and frequent member promotions | Bundled perks for shoppers who already buy much of their household basics there |
Before you check out
Each line below was read on Instacart's own site in October 2026. Policies move; if one has, tell us.
Is Instacart for you?
Buy if you are
- Busy households who shop several stores and value time over money
- People who cannot easily get to a store because of illness, mobility or a newborn
- Pickup shoppers who want to skip the aisles without paying service fees
Pass if you are
- Budget shoppers who compare unit prices and hunt in-store deals
- Anyone who needs dependable delivery windows for perishables or events
- Households that order once a month or less and would pay fees each time
Still wondering?
Are Instacart prices higher than in the store?
Sometimes. Instacart’s help center says retailers set their own prices on the platform, and while many offer everyday store prices, some set different ones. Some in-store sales may not apply either. Tap the pricing policy link under each store’s logo to see which approach that retailer takes before you fill a cart.
Is Instacart+ worth it?
Only if you order delivery regularly. The membership removes delivery fees on eligible orders but not the service fee, tips or taxes, and it does not get you faster slots. Annual members also get Peacock Premium and a year of New York Times Cooking. If you mostly use pickup, there is little reason to pay.
What happens if my Instacart order is missing items?
Use Report an issue on the order in the app or on the website. Missing or damaged items show as adjustments on the receipt, and refunds are processed right away but can take five to ten business days to appear. Instacart’s terms say remedies are at its discretion, and many Trustpilot complaints describe refused refunds.
Does the Instacart service fee go to my shopper?
No. Instacart says the service fee covers platform costs such as shopper operations, insurance, background checks and customer support, and that it is not a tip. Your tip goes entirely to the shopper, split evenly if two shoppers handle the order.
Where we land
Instacart is the most flexible way to get groceries from the stores you already use, and for some households that convenience is worth real money. Go in knowing what the receipt is made of: retailer-set prices, a service fee, delivery fees unless you are a member, and a tip. Pickup is the bargain hiding in the app. If you value reliable windows and easy refunds, the public reviews suggest you will be disappointed often.
See it at InstacartWhere this came from
This is desk research: the brand's own pages plus published customer reviews, read in October 2026. Nothing was sent to us and nothing was tried in person.
- Instacart+ membership page and help center articles on benefits, Peacock, managing and cancelling membership
- Instacart help center articles on fees and taxes, item pricing, receipts and refunds, tipping and credits
- Instacart terms of service, membership cancellation and refund section
- Instacart profile on Trustpilot, including October 2026 one-star reviews, and the Instacart app listing on the US App Store