Instacart Side Hustle: A Guide To Making Money With Instacart

Are you looking for a side hustle? Something to make a little bit of money in your spare time? Instacart Side Hustle is a great resource for anyone who wants to make money working as an Instacart shopper.

We’ll take you step-by-step through the process of making money with Instacart, while also showing you some tips & tricks to save you time and make more money!

How the Instacart side hustle Works For Shoppers.

Instacart is a grocery delivery service that connects shoppers with customers. Customers place their orders online or through the Instacart app, then the shopper goes to the store and shops for them. The shopper then brings all the groceries back to their car and drops them off at the customer’s house. It’s really simple!

How to Apply To start An Instacart Shopper side hustle.

If you you want to become an Instacart shopper, here are the steps you will need to take:

Go to the Instacart website and click on “Become a Shopper”
Fill out a short application with your name, social security number, driver’s license information or government ID (if you have one), and other personal information if applicable
Complete an identity validation process by providing bank account information or credit card details so that Instacart can verify these details before letting you start accepting orders from customers

What You’ll Need To start an instacart side hustle (as a shopper).

To be an Instacart shopper, you’ll need the following:

Be at least 18 years of age
A smartphone. It doesn’t even have to be a fancy one. If it can do calls and texts, that’s all you need. You’ll also want to make sure it has a camera so you can take photos of your items as they’re being scanned.
A car that has a lot of trunk space (and possibly some cargo room in the back seat).
Able to lift at least 50 Lbs
A good attitude! If you’re generally happy with life and looking for ways to make more money without making any big changes in your daily routine? Well… then we have something great for you here!

Sounds like a fit

How Much money can you make with the Instacart shopper side hustle?

How much you earn as an Instacart shopper depends on how many batches you complete.
You can earn more by completing more batches in a short amount of time.
You will also get occasional bonuses during certain weekends and special holidays.

Is Instacart a good side hustle to make money?

The answer is yes! If you enjoy grocery shopping and have previous experience working with customers, then Instacart is a great way to make some extra cash on the side while helping people save time and money. You don’t need any special skills or certifications to get started, either. Just a smartphone with the Instacart app installed and the ability to lift up to 50 pounds (which is about five bags of groceries).

Instacart shoppers typically earn $15 to $25 per hour, almost always by the end of their day. And it’s not uncommon for an Instacart shopper to make more than this. As an instacart shopper, you can also make upwards of $30+ per hour during a busy season or near the holidays.

Start earning today >>

Can you make a living with an instacart side hustle?

You can if you put in at least 40 hours of work a week. This also depends on your spending needs. Full-time instacart shoppers make upwards of $1300 a week. However, I recommend you shouldn’t make it your only source of income.

There have been situations where instacart has fired shoppers for reasons beyond their control. You can be fired from instacart at any time. So consider signing up for instacart alternatives like doordash, Shipt, ubereats in case this happens.

Can you make 100 a day with instacart?

It is possible to make $100 a day with instacart or even more than $1000 a week. However, the pay is unpredictable. Some days you can make more or less. There is no guaranteed amount of money you can make per day or week. So I highly recommend it as a side hustle and not a full-time source of income. You can check out other ways to make money (here).

What It’s Like To Shop For Instacart (instacart side hustle)

Shopping for instacart involves accepting a batch and completing it.

Here’s what you do on the job as an instacart shopper:

You will need a smartphone or tablet with internet access.
When you log in to the instacart shopper app, you are presented with batches to complete. Each batch shows you the total travel distance, the money you’ll earn, and the time to complete the order. You can then select the order, go to the store, shop for it, pay for it with your instacart card, then deliver it to the customer.

You will be paid after completing each batch. An interesting fact with instacart is that they will pay you for your time even if something goes wrong. For example, if a customer cancels their order or if you can’t find their items in the store you still receive payment for the batch.
You will earn money per delivery based on several factors including distance traveled and weight of items delivered (you get more money for heavy items).

Can you shop for yourself while doing instacart? (Instacart side hustle)

Yes, you can. However, keep in mind that doing so will increase the time to complete a customer’s order which can impact your ratings. If you are a parent or you are babysitting, you can also do instacart with a baby as long as you follow instacrt’s other terms of the contract.

Does instacart have a dress code? (Instacart shopper side hustle)

As an instacart shopper, you are an independent contractor. At the time of this publication, instacart currently does not have a dress code for its shoppers. You can wear anything you want or designate your own uniform. However, I recommend dressing appropriately as you will be interacting with customers. Your ratings can also be impacted by your dressing.

How to maximize your instacart side hustle earnings

Here are some tips to help you maximize your earnings as an instacart shopper:

Get Tips by Being Friendly and Helpful
Increase your shopping speed
Focus on completing high-paying orders
Don’t go overboard with the customer service part of your job — but do be polite and friendly.
Get good at the app. Not knowing how to efficiently use the app from scanning items to checking out can kill your time.
Ask customers if they will like additional items. The more items you shop for per batch the more your earnings.
Do a good job of selecting produce items. Being able to select produce items correctly is an important part of being a good Instacart shopper. You should always check for bruising and ripeness before placing an item in the bag.

If you’re unsure about an item’s quality, feel free to ask the customer if they want it replaced with something else. You can earn more tips and high ratings from doing this.
Go above and beyond what’s expected of your job description. For example, if you’re asked to pick up milk from the grocery store but the customer requests another item at Whole Foods Market nearby, for example, offer your services there as well!

You could make some extra cash by picking up items outside of your designated area or even helping out with other errands while doing your normal grocery shopping route.

How To Get More Orders As An Instacart Shopper (instacart side hustle)

Be available at peak times. This will maximize your chances of getting orders
Choose a location that is busy. You will be competing with other shoppers for jobs, so choose a busy area where you can find plenty of orders. The more orders there are, the more likely it is that you will get some good ones!
Complete instacart’s training to get access to restricted orders like alcohol.
Purchase a cooler bag to get approved for orders that require a cooler bag.
Make sure your shopper rating is high enough that shoppers will want to add you as a preferred shopper
Be ready. Before starting each shift, make sure that you have everything needed. This will ensure that no time is wasted between deliveries!

Side hustles like instacart (instacart side hustle alternatives)

The Instacart shopper side hustle is one of the most popular ways to make money. It’s a flexible job that can be done in your spare time, and there’s no limit to how much you can earn from it.

But there are some downsides to being an Instacart shopper. The pay is unpredictable. You also need to spend a lot of time shopping for items and delivering them to customers.

What if this is not the right fit for you? There are other ways to make extra money with your car.

Here are the four instacart shopper side hustle alternatives:

1) Shipt

Shipt is another grocery delivery service that works a bit differently than Instacart. Shipt shoppers pick up groceries at local stores and deliver them to customers. The average earning is $15/hour, $25-$50 bonus per promotion, plus tips. You can sign up here.

2) Doordash Driver

You can earn $18-$20/hour plus tips & bonuses. No minimum hours are required! DoorDash is another grocery, food, and package delivery service like Instacart that allows you to be your own boss and set your own hours.

Make money with doordash today >>

3) Amazon Flex

Like Instacart, this company lets you work for them remotely using an app on your smartphone. You’ll deliver packages and other items for Amazon customers by driving around town with your own vehicle (or bike). The pay is $18/hour plus tips from customers if they like your service enough.

4) Uber Eats driver

Uber Eats is Uber’s food delivery service, which allows drivers to deliver food from restaurants in their area. In many cities in North America and Europe, Uber Eats is available 24 hours a day and seven days a week.

Uber Eats pays drivers based on the distance traveled and time spent delivering orders, plus tips from customers through the app. Usually, the pay is about $15-$25 per hour. The pay rate varies depending on where you live and how busy it is around lunchtime or dinner time (when most people order food).

What Pays Better: Instacart or DoorDash? (instacart side hustle)

Instacart and DoorDash are the two biggest delivery services in the United States. Both companies are rapidly expanding their delivery services across the country, but which one pays better?

The answer depends on a number of factors such as location, speed, and availability. If you’re looking to make more money with fewer tasks, then DoorDash is probably your best bet. This is because with doordash you simply pick up items and deliver them. However, you have to schedule a time slot before you dash sometimes with doordash. But if you’re looking for something more flexible and more available, Instacart might be a better fit for you. Instacart allows you to work any time you want.

Summary

woman shoping illustrating instacart as a side hustle to make money

If you want to make more money, consider making it as an instacart shopper. This is a side hustle that gives you the option to work whenever you want and as much or as little as you want. The great part about being an instacart shopper is that there are no quotas or deadlines to meet. You can log in any time of day or night when your schedule allows for it.

When working as an instacart shopper, you will be responsible for picking out items from local grocery stores/delis and delivering them straight to your customers’ doorsteps (or even their refrigerators). You can earn enough money from instacart to sustain a living. However, I recommend you explore other side hustles. This is because earnings from instacart aren’t predictable and you can also get terminated from at any time without notice.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You’re now ready to become an instacart shopper. If you have any questions about this process, leave us a comment in the comment section or contact us directly.