Instacart is on the rise with its grocery delivery services as many people have been switching to similar platforms. Sometimes, the customers can require special assistance, such as bringing the groceries inside the apartment. So, does Instacart bring your groceries inside?
It’s up to the Instacart Shoppers to bring your groceries inside your apartment, but it’s not a requirement, and Instacart doesn’t typically expect them to do so (according to their contract). Shoppers get training to hand your groceries over to you at your door, but they can also decide an ideal action for different situations.
Instacart shoppers may be more interested in fulfilling special requests if you provide a nice tip. So, it’s a good idea to mention special requests ahead and tip them accordingly. A physically challenged person will need special assistance from the Shoppers, and you can also specify that. Keep reading to learn what you’ll have to do for your upcoming Instacart delivery.
Does Instacart Bring Your Groceries Inside?
Instacart shoppers typically won’t bring your groceries inside your home. Instacart Shoppers usually maintain their policy of delivering your groceries to your doorstep only. But, several Instacart Shoppers will gladly offer additional assistance if you ask.
It’s not the best idea to expect them to climb a flight of stairs for you and bring the groceries inside because most people find it uncomfortable to get strangers inside their house. But for exceptional situations, like if the customer is disabled or elderly, Instacart Shoppers are ready to go the extra mile and carry your groceries inside or upstairs.
Besides, it also depends on how flexible and Instacart Shopper is and how much they want to help and respond to their customers’ needs. No matter what the motivation is, it’s best to remember that bringing the groceries inside isn’t a part of their terms.
In reality, unless the customer is disabled or needs special assistance, Shoppers also feel hesitant to go inside a stranger’s house and will most likely not attend to the customer’s wishes. After all, that’s not what their contract states.
Instacart is available in many stores, and often, customers place orders for heavy items. It’s natural to want a little help to bring the order inside, but Shoppers may not oblige, and it’s essential to know why.
Some Instacart Shoppers say that the kitchen is as far as they’d go inside a customer’s house. In contrast, others say that they won’t assist anyone personally unless they’re elderly or disabled. So, even if you ask for extra assistance, you’ll want to make sure that you tip the Shopper appropriately.
Can Instacart Drop Your Groceries on Your Porch?
If you choose the “Leave at my Door” option for delivery, you can get a contactless delivery. Instacart Shoppers will leave your groceries on your porch, and you won’t need to answer them while they deliver your items.
It’s natural to be a bit apprehensive about unknown people entering your apartment to deliver groceries. Incidentally, the Shoppers may also feel anxious to enter your home because you’re also a stranger to them. Fortunately, Instacart came up with a quick fix that pleases both sides.
Instacart Shoppers are supposed to hand the grocery over to you unless you want them on your porch, without any contact. In case you forget to click on the “Leave at my Door” option, you can also let them know by chat, which the applicator will allow you to do. It will also let you choose your preferred time.
This feature is for those times when you might not be at your home to receive your groceries at the delivery time. But these days people also use it if they want a contact-free delivery. Instacart Shoppers will still have to click a photo of their delivered grocery at your house and send it over to you if you choose this option.
The app will also notify you after the Shoppers leave the grocery on your porch, and the photo will serve as evidence of that.
Should Instacart Shoppers Get Any Additional Tip to Bring Your Groceries Inside?
If Instacart Shoppers give you extra assistance or bring your groceries upstairs, it’s only fair to provide them with additional tips. They deserve more, especially if they’re delivering heavy items and bringing those upstairs inside your home.
As their terms only state that they only need to deliver groceries at your door, you should compensate them for doing some extra service for you. For whatever reasons, if they’re bringing your order upstairs, it’s always an excellent idea to tip them generously as a sign of gratitude.
At times, it’s effortless to take things for granted. When an Instacart Shopper decides to do you some extra service, you shouldn’t take it for granted because services like Instacart make our lives very easy. In some cases, grocery deliveries only take an hour to reach your doorstep.
You might wonder why I advise you to tip the Shoppers more than usual because you would already pay a delivery fee, right? The truth is, Instacart gets this delivery fee instead of the Shoppers. It’s also likely that Instacart prices their grocery items higher than regular stores, so they are reaping vast amounts of profits.
Additionally, their contracted Shoppers do most of the actual work. So, how much should you tip Instacart Shoppers? Instacart recommends you tip their Shoppers at least five percent. But I advise you to tip more than that if it’s a regular order. If you have requested special assistance, I suggest you tip five percent more than you usually would.
These tips go to the Shoppers directly, and they’re allowed to keep 100% of their earned tips. A considerable amount of their income comes from these tips, and you might even get a high customer rating from them too!
Do You Have to Be Home to Receive the Groceries?
A customer generally has to answer the door to receive their groceries from Instacart Shoppers. But you can select the “Leave at my Door” option at the time of placing your order through the app, and the Instacart Shopper delivering your order will leave it on your porch.
If you don’t select this option, you’ll have to be home or have someone receive your order on your behalf. Additionally, if an Instacart Shopper doesn’t find anyone responding to receive the groceries from them, they might take the groceries back and return them to the store.
Besides the “Leave at my Door” option, you can also leave notes in the app’s “Special Instructions” section about where to keep the bags and who might collect them on your behalf. The drop-off area also needs to be safe from animals and other hazards.
After going through some forums about this topic, I’ve discovered that if the Instacart Shopper delivering your groceries can’t reach you within a set timer of 10 minutes, the Shopper will leave with the groceries. It doesn't happen much often, but Shoppers are most of the time happy to get free groceries when it does!
If you forgot to leave notes at the “Special Instructions” section and click on the “Leave at my Door” option, you could at least try to leave a sticky note addressing the Shopper. Then the authorities of Instacart can let the Shopper know what to do.
Also, if you’ve ordered alcohol, you’ll need someone above the drinking age to receive it on your behalf if you’re not home. Shoppers also face issues when they have to deliver ice cream. Often, groceries have refrigerated and frozen items, which you’ll need to put inside the freezer as soon as you get home.
If you’re not letting the Shopper know about your absence, not only will it be a hassle for the Shopper, but your groceries will also go to waste, and you won’t get a refund for it. So, considering all that, I recommend mentioning it in the app if you'll be home to receive your groceries or having someone receive the groceries on your behalf.
Is It Safe to Let an Instacart Shopper in Your House?
From the viewpoint of safety, it’s relatively safe to let an Instacart Shopper inside your house. Before Shoppers sign their contract, they have to go through background checks. If they don’t pass it, Instacart will not hire them.
While recruiting Shoppers, Instacart also checks an applicant’s driving records and criminal history. Through these extensive steps and procedures, they want to ensure that they only hire trustworthy and dependable individuals.
So, you can rest assured that these people aren’t random ones who pose a threat to you. Instacart screened them while hiring them. Instacart also keeps records of each of its Shoppers’ deliveries and customers. A large portion of the interaction between the Shopper and the customer is also accessible to Instacart.
However, there is never a hundred percent guarantee to anything, and this case is no exception. Sometimes, not-so-good people may pass several companies’ background checks. But, the odds of something scary happening to you while you let in an Instacart Shopper in your house are pretty slim.
Instacart undoubtedly makes our lives easier with its effortless grocery delivery system. In this article, I answered one of the most frequently asked questions, “Does Instacart bring your groceries inside?” I hope you gained some insights on that now. The ordering experience of Instacart is easy, and Shoppers are very friendly and communicative.
If you bring shoppers inside your home to deliver your groceries, don’t forget to tip them generously. And if you can’t receive your order, make sure you have someone ready to answer your door when the Shopper arrives. Till then, good luck and happy shopping!
