Why Does Instacart Charge More Than Total, Explained

Instacart's pricing can be confusing, especially when it seems to charge more than the total of the individual items.

Instacart charges a delivery fee, which can range from $3.99 to $9.99, depending on the store and location.

This fee is added on top of the cost of the groceries, making the total price appear higher than expected.

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Instacart charges more money for certain stores, but sometimes there isn't any added markup fee at all. It depends on which stores you're shopping at around town.

The average markup is just that: an average. Instacart holds the right to raise prices higher than the quoted percentage.

You can review Instacart's pricing information page to see if you'll be charged more at a specific store. It's the retailers themselves that set the prices charged through Instacart.

At Aldi, you won't typically see a large markup. In fact, many of the items are the same price as if you went there yourself.

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Aldi prices through Instacart aren't always higher than shopping without the delivery service. If you're worried about whether or not you'll have to pay more, you can look through your order as you place items into the virtual cart.

Kroger is another store where prices differ between the app and store. On average, groceries without additional fees are about 10% higher through Instacart.

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Instacart charges more than the store for certain items, but the amount varies depending on the store. The average markup is 15%, but some stores have a markup of up to 23%.

Some retailers, like Costco and Loblaws, set the prices for Instacart, but the company keeps all the profit from pricing differences. This means that customers may be paying more for their groceries without knowing it.

The prices in the Instacart app are not always the same as those in the store. In fact, a recent investigation found that shoppers at Loblaws and Costco were paying about 10% more per grocery item beyond the itemized delivery and service fees.

Instacart notifies customers that prices vary relative to store prices, but some customers may miss this notification and end up paying more for their groceries.

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Instacart charges more money for certain stores, but not all stores have a markup. Some stores, like Aldi, don't typically see a large markup, and many items are the same price as if you went there yourself.

Aldi prices through Instacart aren't always higher than shopping without the delivery service. You can look through your order as you place items into the virtual cart to see if prices are the same.

Kroger, on the other hand, has variable pricing, where the prices differ between the app and store. The bottom line is that groceries, without taking into account any additional fees for using Instacart, were about 10% higher, on average.

Costco makes a lot of its money through customer memberships, and when Instacart shops for a customer, Costco loses out on a potential subscription. Costco shoppers at Loblaws and Costco are paying about 10 per cent more per grocery item beyond the itemized delivery and service fees.

Here's a breakdown of the stores with and without markup:

Keep in mind that some stores have hidden markups, like Loblaws, where the prices are higher on Instacart, but not always disclosed on the receipt.

Instacart marks up prices at Costco, with an average markup of around 15%. Some customers have experienced markups as low as 10%, while others have seen markups of up to 23%.

This markup covers the cost of Instacart employees' membership fees, which can range from $60 to $120 per year per customer. The markup profits go to Instacart, not the employee who has the membership.

Instacart employees already have the memberships purchased, so customers can avoid annual fees and memberships when shopping through Instacart. This convenience comes at a cost, however, as customers end up paying more for their purchases.

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Instacart charges more at some stores, but not all. In fact, according to Instacart's pricing information page, it's the retailers themselves that set the prices charged through Instacart.

Some stores, like Petco, Safeway, Kroger, and Publix, do not raise the prices on Instacart. This means you can shop on Instacart and pay the same prices as you would in-store.

However, at stores like Kroger, prices can be higher on Instacart. In one study, groceries were about 10% higher, on average, without considering additional fees. This is because some items in-store may be on sale, but not reflected on Instacart.

Here are some specific stores that were found to have variable pricing on Instacart:

Kroger is one of the stores that Instacart does not raise the prices on, according to Instacart's pricing policies. However, it's worth noting that prices can vary between the app and the store.

Some items, like Heinz Tomato Ketchup, are priced the same on Instacart and in-store, at $3.99. But other items, like Breyers Vanilla Chocolate Strawberry Ice Cream, are significantly more expensive on Instacart, at $6.59, compared to the in-store price of $4.00.

Instacart's pricing can be unpredictable, and it's not uncommon to find items that are cheaper in-store. For example, a 3 lb bag of Honeycrisp Apples costs $6.59 on Instacart, but only $5.99 in-store.

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Here's a breakdown of the prices for a specific order at Kroger:

In this specific order, the total cost on Instacart was $139.92, while the total cost in-store was $128.66.

At Trade Fair, you can expect the prices on Instacart to match the in-store prices for most items. However, there may be some variation in prices, especially for produce and dairy products.

Instacart prices were mostly in line with Trade Fair's in-store prices, with a few exceptions. For example, Oscar Meyer Deli Turkey was priced at $5.99 on Instacart, significantly cheaper than the $8.39 in-store price.

One notable instance where Instacart was cheaper was with the Oscar Meyer Deli Turkey, which was $2 cheaper than buying in-store. However, if the in-store price had been $8.39, the difference would have been only 70 cents.

Here's a breakdown of the prices for the items compared:

The total cost of the items compared was $156.97 on Instacart and $158.67 in-store, with a difference of $1.70.

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Instacart charges a 5% service fee, with a minimum fee of $2, which can add up to around $10 for larger orders.

The service fee is a variable charge that depends on the size of the order, so bigger orders mean bigger fees. For example, the service fee was just under $10 for each order in this article.

Instacart also charges a base delivery fee of $7.99, regardless of the order size. This fee can be waived if you plan ahead for delivery tomorrow, or you can get free delivery on orders over $35 with Instacart+ membership.

Delivery tips are optional and go directly to your shopper or driver. Instacart calculates tip amounts equivalent to 2.5%, 5%, 10%, and 15% of the order total, but many sources recommend tipping 15% to 20% of the order total.

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The pick-up fee is a fee you'll pay for using Instacart's grocery pickup service. It can change from store to store.

To avoid any surprises, make sure you review the details of the pick-up fee before placing a pickup order.

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Instacart charges a 5% service fee, with a minimum fee of $2. This fee can add up, especially for larger orders.

The service fee is calculated based on the order total, so the larger the order, the larger the fee. In the example, the service fee was just under $10 for each order.

You can expect to pay at least $2 in service fees, but it can be higher depending on the size of your order. For instance, in the example, the service fee was just under $10 for each order.

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One thing to keep in mind when using Instacart is how they handle discounts. Costco clarified that they will apply any in-store discount to items purchased through Instacart, even if the discount isn't shown on the Instacart site.

Instacart shoppers may not always reflect the correct total on the receipt, as seen in a TikTok video where a shopper spent $119 on a $179 order, leaving a discrepancy of $60.

Instacart's prices can vary significantly from the in-store prices, with some retailers setting prices that are 10% higher on average, as seen with Kroger. This means that if you were to shop at Kroger without Instacart, you'd spend around $140, but with Instacart, the total would be about $190.87.

Aldi prices through Instacart are often the same as in-store prices, but certain bulk items and gift cards aren't available for delivery. You'll receive a notification if an item isn't eligible for delivery, but this doesn't necessarily mean you'll be paying more.

The Instacart website includes a section dedicated to the breakdown of fees, which includes standard delivery fees and a service fee that helps support the Instacart platform. However, this fee doesn't go directly to the driver's pocket.

At Loblaws and Costco, shoppers are paying about 10% more per grocery item beyond the itemized delivery and service fees, as well as missing out on advertised in-store specials and sales. In one example, Marketplace paid $12.99 in store for President's Choice Blue Menu lean Italian beef meatballs, but the price was $15.35 on Instacart, a markup of $2.36.

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To give you a better idea of the price difference, here's a comparison of in-store totals and Instacart totals for two retailers:

Keep in mind that these percentages can vary depending on the size of your order, and using Instacart's cheaper delivery options or adding your local loyalty program in the app can help save some money.