For this one I had to interview the wife. She did this. Not me. So here's what she had to say, paraphrased of course.
What it is:
Instacart is a grocery shopping and delivery service that saves its costumers time and energy by allowing them to order groceries online.
On the shoppers end Instacart is an app which allows you to choose blocks of three hours to work in specific neighborhoods in your area. You can either sign up as a full-service shopper who shops and delivers or an in-store shopper who shops for orders within the store for pick up by the customer.
Whatever floats your boat.
How to get started:
Sign up as a shopper and download the shopper app from the Instacart site. Answer some questions, and wait for what seems like forever for them to accept you and send you the Instacart card.
General experience:
Unlike Uber where you can just jump in your car and start driving, Instacart requires you to apply for 3 hour time blocks in specific geographic areas.
Get in the zone...
The blocks are opened up every Wednesday and are first-come first-served. If you have "early access status" you can sign up for hours the Sunday before.
This screenshot sponsored by Uber.
When you are scheduled to work, drive to the geographic area you signed up for and wait for a call. Usually it makes sense to park at the grocery store you most expect an order from. This is not an exact science, sometimes you will get an order from a store on the other side of the "zone" you are working and you'll have to spend time driving there.
Once you get the text you have a certain amount of time to accept the request. If you don't accept it in time the request cancels and you get a ding on your rating. Before you accept it, you can click on the request and it will tell you how many items are in the order, how far away the purchaser is, and how much time you will have to complete the order. This can help you decide whether or not to accept it (though it is in your best interest to take it).
Then you shop. During shopping you can communicate with the customer via text if there are any items you need to substitute or anything you are unable to get.
Each list is divided by product type and in theory by store aisle.
Once you finish shopping you pay with the prepaid Instacart card. Then you load up and a drive to the customer's house. You unload the groceries for them usually, but sometimes they will help if it is a particularly large order.
Make sure you inform them that the "service fee" is not a tip and the shopper never sees it. The customer will need to click on it in the final total screen and erase it before completing the transaction. If they want to leave a tip that has its own section.
How much money are we talking here?
During Thanksgiving week she made $500, but that was a super busy week. Usual revenue is more around $150, it really depends on tips. If you are nice, and you explain the "service fee" nonsense, folks are a lot more willing to tip.
People are so generous at holidays...
What makes it particularly difficult to make money is the fact that it is hard to get hours with the free-for-all system that they use to distribute them. We have heard that it has gotten easier recently though, so you may have a different experience.
General tips:
Try to get two orders at once. That doubles the money per hour.
Make sure you jump on the app early during the hours selection period every Wednesday. If possible qualify for early access by working 90 hours in 3 weeks or 25 hours in the past three weekends.
A rare day with hours available...
Bottom line:
Instacart is fun, you get to meet some cool people and enjoy the challenge of shopping on a time schedule. Money wise it's not the best if you don't jump on the hours when available, but when combined with other shopping services like Shipt it can be a great way to supplement income.