How Much Money Are You Spending With Instacart? Here's The Breakdown

Instacart can save you the time and energy of shopping in person, but ordering groceries online comes with plenty of frustrations. For example, you have to be actively mindful of avoiding certain grocery home-delivery mistakes, like forgetting to choose specific substitutes. Most glaringly, however, is that it's definitely costing you extra — and you're paying for more than just groceries. While Instacart is transparent about added fees and taxes (though it settled a $60 million FTC lawsuit alleging deceptive tactics in 2025), there could be additional charges depending on which store you're shopping at.

There will always be a delivery fee, unless you're an Instacart+ member, which costs $109.99 per year as of March 2026. Those delivery fees for non-members start at $3.99 but may vary depending on the store and can climb as high as $9.99. There's the adjustable tip for your driver, with a suggested amount that depends on the market (anywhere from 5% to 20%). And there's the service fee, usually calculated as 5% of your order's subtotal, but again, this varies. It's these grey areas that can get you. Sure, Instacart tells you about these fees, but since so much also depends on the individual stores (and there are many), it can get a bit murky. This is why it's always important to check the "Pricing & fees" section of the store you're shopping.

Depending where you live, there are other fees you could be faced with. For long-distance deliveries (over 30 minutes away or including a toll), you could be charged as much as $7.99. Some states, like California, require bottle deposits and bag fees, which can vary by store. While taxes will be the same amount as you would pay shopping in the store, the delivery and service fees could also be taxed, based on where you live. Additionally, if you're purchasing heavy items or alcohol, there could be an extra fee, depending on your order and location.

One of the app's most concerning upcharges, however, is a little trickier. Often, the price of an item on Instacart is higher than the in-store price. This is dependent on the retailer itself – if the merchant you're buying from has "in-store prices" under their logo, you're safe, but if it has "view pricing policy," you'll be taken to a webpage that (convolutedly or not) explains how items are priced. Regardless, you could pay anywhere from 30% to 50% more on your groceries if you order them from Instacart, according to CNET — but again, this depends on the store. It's this grey area that causes confusion and makes it so there is no definitive answer to exactly how much more groceries cost using Instacart.