How Much Money Can You Make Driving for Instacart?

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Usually, when we think of grocery shopping, we think about how much money we have to spend to get the food we need. But when you work for Instacart, grocery shopping can be a great way to make some extra cash while helping out others in your community who may not be able to make it to the store on their own.

Of course, you'll also be giving up your free time and putting extra miles on your car, so you want to know the work you're doing is worth the effort. So, let's break down how much Instacart shoppers get paid to help you decide if it's right for you.

How Instacart pays their shoppers

Instacart shoppers get paid in three ways:

• Batch pay: This is the base pay shoppers get. It varies based on the distance you'll have to drive and the number of items in the order. You can always see this when viewing offers. Two factors may increase batch pay:
  • Boosts: If there aren't enough shoppers in the area to meet customer demand, Instacart will boost the batch pay to incentivize drivers to travel further away to complete the orders.
  • Heavy pay: When an order contains several heavy items, you'll get at least a $2 boost to your batch pay. The order will also note this clearly, so you can avoid heavy orders if you'd like.
• Promotions: Instacart may run promotions when there is high customer demand. You may be able to earn these on specific orders or on batches of orders.
• Tips: Instacart customers may tip you at any point and you get to keep 100% of these tips.

Because so much depends on where and when you work, it's impossible to predict exactly how much you'll make as an Instacart shopper. But the average shopper in the U.S. earns about $18 per hour, according to ZipRecruiter. This is about on par with other delivery services, like DoorDash and Grubhub.

Drivers can choose between two payment methods: Either they can receive a direct deposit to their bank account weekly or they can cash out their earnings immediately after a delivery. If they choose the latter, their money will show up in their bank account within two hours.

Maximizing your Instacart earnings

Drivers hoping to maximize their Instacart earnings can try the following:

• Pay attention to peak earning times: The Instacart app can help you identify peak earning times in your area, so you know when to work in order to earn the greatest profits.
• Look out for boosts and heavy pay: Scan the offers available in your area for boosts and heavy pay if you're comfortable taking on a little extra work.
• Check the promos section: The promos section of the Instacart app lays out all the details of current promotions in your area. Consider taking advantage of these to earn extra money on top of your base pay.
• Be professional and prompt: Customers may be more likely to tip you well if you're courteous and deliver items quickly.

Your income will still fluctuate over time, depending on demand and how much you're willing to work. You can always try it out for a while to see how you like it. If it's not for you, there are plenty of other side hustles that can help you fill your savings account .

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