Whether it be for Christmas, Thanksgiving, a special date, or an event, it would be surprising to not find alcohol at your disposal in an American household. However, sometimes, we can be lost in the hustle of daily chores and forget to store alcohol supplies before special events. This is when we can rely on home grocery delivery services to save our day!
Instacart is one of the most popular American grocery delivery and pick-up services. As you might have guessed by now, yes they do deliver alcohol but not in every state and certainly not to recipients without a valid ID or legal age.
Though that should answer your basic concern, there’s still a lot more left to uncover in terms of validity, policies, and the procedures that follow when ordering alcohol from Instacart. Hence, if you’re interested to know more about everything in-depth, read through this article till the end to have a crystal clear idea regarding the question; does Instacart deliver alcohol?
Can I Order Alcohol From Instacart?
If you’re looking for a good time but lacking some booze, beer, or wine then you can have it delivered to your doorstep at the tap of your fingers using Instacart.
However, there’s an exception. Instacart is only allowed to deliver alcohol in a few states according to their policies and state laws. Also, even the states that are generous enough to allow the delivery of alcohol right at your doorstep, still require you to show a valid ID. Also, numerous Instacart policies need to be followed for you to be able to order alcohol.
The cost and delivery charges for alcohol depends more on your order cost and time urgency. Unless you’re ordering from a partnered store with Instacart, you might have to see through additional 15% markup charges according to Instacart policies. But that pretty much covers all the exceptions for any additional prices that may come up.
Let me be direct and name the states that do allow users to deliver alcohol, beer, wine, etc.
- Connecticut
- Washington
- Florida
- California
- Ohio
- Oregon
- Virginia
- Texas
- Missouri
- Minnesota
- Massachusetts
- Illinois
- Kentucky
- North Carolina
Why these specific numbers of states? Well, due to state laws and because some states are prohibited from selling liquor or alcoholic beverages in grocery stores. However, keep in mind that Instacart can deliver products from special liquor stores as well!
Nevertheless, these 14 states are the only confirmed states that Instacart can operate alcohol delivery on without complications, even if some states may legalize selling alcohol in grocery stores if the state does not fall on this list, chances are Instacart can’t deliver alcohol in those states.
Don’t be disheartened just yet though, Instacart is an evolving and expanding company so, very soon their area of operation may extend further into other states when allowed permission! Time will tell when that happens, but if you’re looking for other ways, you can always ship your alcohol as some States allow you to do that.
The process for delivering alcohol allows states through Instacart is pretty much the same as doing so for other grocery products, you just have to search for the alcoholic beverage of your choice, the time you want it to be delivered, and from a selected store of your choice.
How To Order Alcohol On Instacart?
It can be summarized as UBER Foods but for the sake of getting your groceries done without you having to leave outside the comfort of your home. Sometimes you might feel like making a nice meal on your holiday season but don’t want to head out due to lack of mood or your own respected reasons. Well in that case, you can always lie your head onto the shoulder of Instacart.
Here’s how you carry out an order:
1. Firstly, choose whether you want to order from their mobile application or website.
2. Log in using your existing Facebook or Gmail account or might as well register and open a new account.
3. Provide a zip-code that will pop up available retail stores that can be shopped from.
4. Make sure you fill-up the delivery address section as well as it’ll decide the availability of stores from area-to-area.
5. Select a particular store according to your criteria to shop from.
6. Search and add any grocery items of your choice. Review and confirm your products before checking out.
7. Choose the time when you want your products to be delivered and then select your desired payment method.
8. After placing an order, wait, and if you feel like adding more items, you can always do so right before shopping begins as implied by the dialog box on your screen.
9. Welcome your shopper near your home, check the products and then pay them and later on leave a good review.
10. Voila! Now you can easily enjoy unpacking your groceries and enjoy the rest of your day!
As convenient and easy-going it may seem, do know that not all experiences will go smooth or cheap. Additional fees like delivery, service, or retail store charges still apply so keep your head up for some extra spending. Well, I guess that pretty much covers the basics of Instacart, now let’s move onto the more complex situations that may arise.
Instacart’s Policies for Delivering Alcohol
These are designated policies as provided by Instacart’s official website. I have paraphrased and briefed some of these for your convenience –
- Not all partnered retailers in the Instacart market sell alcohol.
- Alcohol items can’t be replaced, special requests can’t be promised.
- You need to mention your date of birth during checkout on your screen. You must be 21 or more to be eligible to order alcohol, you must be present during delivery to sign papers and show your valid ID to your shopper as verification.
- Your privacy will be kept safe, but shoppers are legally responsible to check the validity of your by scanning or to verify your age.
- Your passport does not count as a valid verification ID if you’re delivering alcohol from the state of California, or any retail stores from Walmart, Costco from any States.
- In any other States other than California or stores from Costco and Walmart, shoppers may be able to manually enter your information in case scans do not work. If you’re from California or if you order alcohol from Costco and Walmart, shoppers cannot manually verify your ID, and thus will return your alcohol to the stores and give you your refund.
- No alcohol will be left unattended without a recipient present. No alcohol products will be delivered to any visibly intoxicated recipient by the shopper.
- If these agendas and policies are not followed, no customer will have their alcohol product delivered by the shopper. Nevertheless, they will not be charged for the price of the alcohol, however, any tip, delivery fees, etc. are still applicable.
Special note: As of 4th November 2020, Instacart has decided to temporarily accept orders for alcohol for expired IDs only if-
- If the ID expires on or after March 1, 2020, and the recipient is above 35 or above and is not from the state of California, New York.
- Any customers age 65 or above will be eligible regardless of their state or ID expiration date.
Why Get Alcohol Delivered by Instacart?
As mentioned before, who wouldn’t love having a nice bottle of alcohol delivered right to your doorstep just by the tap of their fingers? Whether it be for a special occasion or to satisfy your desire to have a little drink at the comfort of your home, you can always resort to the delivery of alcohol through Instacart.
Sometimes, people may feel a little uneasy when they want to get a drink for themselves. And driving back home intoxicated is another story. In these scenarios a home delivery seems like a much smoother, safer, and a much more private alternative.
After all, the social stigma of purchasing alcohol sometimes make some people uncomfortable when buying alcohol for themselves. So, no need to feel the social pressure or the trouble of buying it on your own when you have Instacart. Just make sure you are eligible legally for drinking and always maintain a safe standard.
For the convenience of getting your beverages on time and right at your doorstep, the price or additional charges aren’t very high either.
Conclusion
All things considered, I think by now I have given a proper answer to your “Does Instacart deliver alcohol?” question. Everything else on the other hand feels pretty self-explanatory. Consumption of alcohol products has many ties linked in with the laws of a particular state. Thus, I advise you to abide by these laws and not stray away for your good.
Though it sounds too good to have so much convenience and have alcohol delivered with ease. Don’t get disheartened if you can’t enjoy this yet, because very soon you will be able to order alcohol in your state through Instacart as well! It’s only a matter of time before the expansion and allowance take place.
I hope this article answered all of your queries. Wishing you the best of luck. Thanks for stopping by.
