How Decide How Much to Tip on Instacart: 8+ Guidelines

• Tip at least $5 on every order, and tip $1 for every two items in orders of 10+ things.
• Tip large orders like you would at a restaurant: 15-20% of total cost.
• Add extra money for especially good service or difficult orders, like if you live up a flight of stairs or ordered heavy items.

Deciding How Much to Tip

Tip at least $5 on every order, even if it’s only a few items. Instacart has a recommended 5% tip, but when you order on Instacart you’re sending someone to the store, to your house, then back to their home. Even for a small order, gas, parking, and tolls add up (which they have to pay themselves). A 5% tip doesn’t reflect the work they’ve put in. Instacart shoppers are tip based workers, like restaurant servers. They rely on the money you give them directly to make ends meet, so unless the service is bad, never tip less than 5%.

For 10 or more items, tip half the quantity of what you get. A lot of the work of an Instacart shopper is, perhaps unsurprisingly, shopping. Even if your items are $1 each, they all cost the same amount of labor. A good way to properly compensate for this is to tip $1 for every two items you get. Instacart shoppers are paid $.30 for each unique item on your list, so if you buy 30 bags of dog food, they get the same amount of money as if you’re sending them out for a loaf of bread. For example, an order of one loaf of bread and one stick of butter would pay $.60, and an order of 20 gallons of milk would pay $.30.

Tip 15-20% on orders of $100 or more. When you have an expensive order, it’s best to treat your shopper more like a restaurant server. They’re putting in extra work and physical effort—all those groceries can get heavy. Especially if it’s a large order, 15-25% is a good tipping range. For example, a trip of 40 items that totalled $300 would need a $60 tip.

Tipping Etiquette

Tip higher when you get better service. You have the option to change your tip after your order, so if someone really did a great job, show them your appreciation with a big tip. Some shoppers will go above and beyond by packaging groceries well (eggs on top and heavy things on bottom), insulating things to keep them cold or hot on the ride over, contacting you when they can’t find something in your order, and completing the delivery quickly. A common complaint amongst Instacart users is that they don’t receive everything they asked for, because either the store was out or the shopper couldn’t find it. When that happens, either the shopper will look for a substitute or they’ll refund you for that item.

Only tip cash as an extra add-on. Instacart workers can see how much you’re planning on tipping in the app, and many drivers won’t pick up orders that don’t have a pre-attached tip. To ensure you’re getting the best service possible and to give your shopper some peace of mind, tip through the app instead of tipping in cash. You can always add a cash tip and the end if you’re happy with their work.

Tip designated drivers 10-15%. Sometimes Instacart will break up shopping and driving in high traffic areas. The in-store shoppers (who aren’t eligible for tips) are actually employed by Instacart, and make $15.25 an hour on average. Since they’re doing the actual shopping work, tip your driver like you would a delivery driver—around 10-15%.

Tip based on time instead of money. Tipping based on cost is common in the service industry, but in the case of personal shoppers, it’s less about the price and more about how long something takes. If your order has a lot of items but is relatively cheap, keep in mind how long it took to gather instead of how much it cost when you’re tipping. For example, if you ordered 35 items from a dollar store, don’t just tip based on the $35 cost. Instead, tip based on the quantity of items. For large orders, consider 15-25%.

Tip more based on inconveniences. Instacart shoppers are taking things right to your door, and you’re paying for that convenience. If you're a long drive from the grocery store or up a flight of stairs, give a little extra for the extra effort. It’s good practice to tip more for heavy items, as well. If you live on a high floor in a walk-up apartment, consider the physical labor the person is putting in for you. Especially if you were ordering something like pet food, tip extra. Another great example is when you order things in bad weather. If you sent someone out for cough drops in a thunderstorm, tip them more than usual for the trouble.

Reasons to Give Larger Tips

Instacart workers have to pay for their own travel expenses. Instacart pays drivers around $.60 per mile, but that doesn’t take into account tolls, parking, and general wear and tear. Your drivers have to pay a little bit just to get your food to you, so compensating them with an adequate tip will offset those costs.

Instacart shoppers can make less than minimum wage without tips. With the exception of the in-store shoppers, Instacart workers are not paid an hourly minimum wage, and instead rely on “good” orders (often large orders with high preset tips) and tips for their livelihood. Instacart will pay $5-$10 for an order, even if it takes more than an hour. Think of Instacart as a service that matches you with personal shoppers, and not an employer. Shoppers work for you more than they work for the actual company Instacart, and so tips directly reflect most of their income. If you’re curious about where your tip goes—don’t worry! Instacart workers keep 100% of their tips.

Instacart workers don’t get benefits. Since they’re mostly independent contractors, Instacart workers aren’t offered insurance, retirement benefits, or sick leave. Being responsible for your own health and wellbeing while working a low paying job is difficult, and you have the power to help them out.

How to Tip on Instacart

Add a tip during checkout. Go to “Go to Checkout” on the Instacart app or website. Scroll down to “Delivery Tip” and press “Change” to take it off the default. Type in how much you want to give, then press “Save Tip”.

Increase or decrease your tip after delivery (if desired). Press the three horizontal bars in the upper left corner of the app. Go to “Your Orders” on the menu, then click the order you want. Tap “More” then “Change tip”. On the website, click the three lines at the top left corner, then click “Your Orders”. Click “View Order Detail” on the one you want to change, write your new tip, and press next. You can increase your tip up to 14 days after the order is completed, or decrease it up to 2 hours after, just don’t engage in tip-baiting. Tip-baiting is when someone posts a large tip to be sure the order gets picked up, then removes it or lowers it significantly when it’s completed. Tip-baiting is an unfair practice and not allowed on the platform, so steer clear.