In the past year, the demand for food home delivery has surged, and Instacart has benefited from this surge in popularity.
Instacart is an app-based service that lets users place orders for groceries from their homes using a mobile app, much like Uber, Lyft, Postmates, and several other app-based services.
You can work as an Instacart shopper full-time or on the side.
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What Is Instacart
With the help of the grocery delivery app Instacart, customers may connect with independent contractors interested in offering personal shopping and delivery services to local businesses.
Customers can utilize the service without becoming members.
In addition, customers can place orders up to two weeks in advance and take advantage of the app’s many features, such as curbside collection.
Finally, Instacart offers secure grocery delivery across North America and Canada with contactless delivery.
How Does Instacart Work for Drivers?
You’ve come to the correct place if you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to work as a personal shopper.
Customers order groceries online from one of many grocery stores, agree to pay a delivery cost, and then tip the delivery person in advance.
Once an order has been accepted, you drive to the store, purchase the necessary items, carry the order back to your car, and then deliver it to the customer.
As a result, grocery buying is a source of income for Instacart delivery drivers.
Reasons to Become an Instacart Shopper
There are many benefits to using Instacart as your shopping service, but three, in particular, stand out.
Make Extra Money
You can easily generate extra money if you wish to supplement your income from employment elsewhere by doing other people’s grocery shopping.
Kill Time
You can set your hours and act as your employer, which is an additional bonus.
With this flexibility, you can choose when your next shift will be and how much flexibility you’ll need to fulfill your job’s requirements.
Develop a New Skill Set
The opportunity to learn a new skill or service is another benefit of the gig economy.
In this instance, that entails understanding where to locate recent groceries and necessities and maneuvering a shopping cart through the occasionally congested grocery aisles.
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Instacart Shopper Requirements
Do you want to start using Instacart to make additional money and occupy the empty hours in your day with something useful and productive?
The minimum prerequisites are listed below, which you should be aware of before applying.
Requirements for Full-Service Shoppers
Make sure you meet the following criteria to use Instacart full-service:
- 18 years or older
- Eligible to work in the United States or Canada
- Consistent access to a smartphone with iOS 9 or later or Android 5.0 or later
- Possession of a registered, insured vehicle that works
- Ability to lift at least 30 pounds
- Ability to satisfy all of Instacart’s food safety policies
Requirements for In-Store Shoppers
Before joining Instacart as a part-time W2 employee, you must meet a separate set of criteria if you wish to work the in-store shopper position.
- 18 years or older
- Eligible to work in the United States or Canada
- Consistent access to a smartphone (same operational requirements as above)
- Ability to lift at least 30 pounds
- Ability to satisfy all food safety policies
How to Apply to Become an Instacart Shopper
Simply fill out the application at shoppers.instacart.com in the US or shoppers.instacart.ca in Canada to become an Instacart shopper.
The website will remember where you left off and allow you to return and finish the application at a later time, so you don’t even have to do it in one sitting.
You can use the Instacart app for iOS or Android to apply to be a shopper.
No matter how you apply, you must provide basic personal data, like your name, address, and phone number, as well as details about your car (if applying to become a full-service shopper).
After that, Instacart will conduct a background investigation, which could take up to 10 days.
The application process for full-service shoppers is completed online; however, if you apply for an in-store shopper position, Instacart will contact you by email to discuss the next steps, which may involve in-person onboarding.
You must choose a session that is convenient for you.
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Conclusion
Working at Instacart is a great opportunity to earn extra money during downtime.
Many workers consider their work at Instacart to be full-time.
Others view Instacart as their side gig and simply pick up extra hours.
Give Instacart a try no matter what decision you make.