Why is Instacart charging me more? (Must know!)
Instacart is a popular company that specializes in delivering grocery products to customers after an order is placed. Since its founding in 2012, the company is now widely regarded as one of the largest grocery delivery companies in the United States.
Instacart makes it easier for their customers to buy groceries by delivering grocery orders to their doorstep, or by helping customers make grocery purchases and have them delivered to designated pickup locations.
However, in some cases, Instacart may charge you more than what the grocery store typically charges. Find out why below.
Why is Instacart charging me more?
Instacart will set an “entitlement hold” at checkout that is 15% higher than your total. This temporary hold is to cover any order changes that may occur due to replacement items, weight adjustments, additions or special requests. After delivery, the reservation will be cancelled and the total amount charged.
The correct final charge will be reflected in your account 7 business days after ordering.
Instacart also has a “partner” store that offers customers better prices. To learn more about these prices and why or when Instacart charges you more, read on…
Instacart charges and variances
While Instacart doesn’t always charge you more than a grocery store under normal circumstances, they may charge you more if you decide to shop at a non-Instacart partner grocery store.
The Instacart Company works with more than 750 national, regional and local grocery retailers to meet customer needs.
However, if the grocery retailer you choose is not currently an Instacart partner, you may pay a slightly higher fee for pickup or delivery from Instacart shoppers.
When shopping at a partner store, Instacart will usually give you the normal store price.
Most of the largest retail stores in the US such as Costco, Kroger, Publix, Sam’s Club, and CVS are Instacart partners, and you only pay normal store prices when you shop at these retailers.
Additionally, retail stores that partner with Instacart set the price for each item on the Instacart marketplace themselves.
While these retailers may update some of these prices on a daily basis, they may also decide to set a higher price than what you would buy in-store at their store.
It may also be part of the reason why you think Instacart is charging you more than the store price.
Read: What time does Instacart open?
Why is Instacart charging me twice?
When shopping on Instacart with a debit/credit card, you may be notified that your account has been temporarily suspended until the final charge is debited from your account.
This temporary hold is usually placed on the account to adjust for groceries added or removed from the cart when an order is placed.
At the end of the day, you only pay for the grocery items you pick at no extra cost.
There is absolutely no need to panic if your account is temporarily frozen while shopping. Temporary holds are usually marked “pending” and typically disappear within 3-5 business days, depending on your banking institution.
Also, according to the instacart website, when placing an order, you may receive unexpected charges from Instacart. Some of these costs may be due to:
- Temporary authorization hold for pending orders
- Totals adjusted for changes to your order (for example, items that were unavailable or that were replaced at a different price)
- Recurring charges, such as Instacart+ subscription fees.
However, if you pay for an order twice, in addition to these reasons above, it is most likely a small mistake by your banking institution. You may need to contact your bank’s support staff to help you fix this type of error.
Why is Instacart charging me $100?
If you suddenly receive an unexpected $100 charge from Instacart, it’s likely because you signed up Instant Shopping Cart+ Forget to cancel your membership after the free trial period expires!
Simply put, Instacart+ (formerly Instacart Express) is a subscription-based service that qualifies you for free shipping and reduces service fees and charges for all grocery orders completed with Instacart.
The service costs $9.99 per month, compared to $99 for the full-year plan, with a $19 discount for opting for the full-year subscription plan.
With this Instacart+ service, shipping is free on grocery orders over $35. You can also choose your groceries from any retail store you want.
You can decide to pick one item from one of your favorite grocery stores, then pick the next item at another grocery store, and both items will be delivered to you together.
Once you sign up for Instacart+, you are eligible for a 14-day free trial, after which you will be billed automatically.
So if you suddenly receive a $100 fee from Instacart, chances are you signed up for the Instacart+ service, took a 14-day free trial, and forgot to cancel your membership.
However, if you cancel your Instacart+ membership within 15 days of your actual membership (15 days after the trial period), you may be eligible for a refund.
However, this only applies if you are not using the Express service at all during this period.
Read: When does Instacart close?
When does Instacart charge your card?
After the free trial period expires, Instacart will charge your card. When this happens, your debit/credit card will be charged immediately based on the subscription plan you selected when you signed up.
If you prefer the annual subscription plan, you will be charged $99 immediately, or if you use the monthly subscription plan, you will only pay $9.99.
However, there is a special promotion for Instacart users in Canada with a TD Bank credit card. Special offer for TD Bank credit card users, including 3 months of Instacart+ free membership, after which their card will be charged.
Users will also receive a notification from Instacart 3 days before the end of the free trial period, informing them that the service fee will be charged after the free trial period expires.
Why is Instacart charging me for a subscription?
Instacart charges you a subscription fee because you’ve signed up for the Instacart+ package, which qualifies you for faster service from the company.
As mentioned, you can pay monthly or annually, depending on your preference.
However, if you do not wish to continue paying for this Instacart+ subscription. You may decide to cancel your membership. To do so, just follow the steps below.
- First, log into your Instacart app, or if you use a browser, log into your account
- Tap the three horizontal lines in the upper left corner of the screen
- Select Instacart+ Membership
- Then in the upper right corner of the page, select “Cancel Membership”
- choose continue
- Then please provide your reason for canceling your membership in the drop down box that appears
- Then proceed to cancel.
By following the steps above, you have successfully unsubscribed from Instacart+ and will no longer be charged for any subscriptions.
in conclusion…
To avoid being charged more than your store by Instacart, you may have to shop at a store that Instacart works with.
The company has more than 500 million products in 5,500 cities in the U.S. and Canada, and fulfills millions of orders each year in more than 40,000 partner stores.
All you have to do is log into the app, then find your nearest grocery store and shop there.
For seamless and faster delivery, you may have to sign up for Instacart+, which gives you access to many of the perks and benefits that regular instacart users can only dream of.
In addition to the very fast delivery you’ll enjoy, you won’t be charged for any orders over $35.
Becoming an Instacart member also qualifies for a reduced service fee, and you can also save up to $7 per order.
If you are a frequent Instacart customer, it is highly recommended that you sign up for Instacart+ as it can save you a lot of money in the long run.
