So, you’re thinking about earning some extra pocket money, but you don’t fancy the idea of working from 9 to 5 every day, huh? Well, you might have heard about Instacart and are pondering, “When will I get paid if I work there?” 🤔
Instacart is a cool place where you can earn money by picking out groceries and sometimes bringing them right to people’s doors! It’s like you’re helping people get their food and essentials without them having to leave their houses. You might also be able to just get the groceries ready for pick-up if that’s what the customer prefers!
Now, you may be curious about when and how the dollars roll in. So, here’s the deal—Instacart sends money to their shoppers every Wednesday. And this money is for the work done from Monday to Sunday of the previous week. They send it right to your bank if you’ve got direct deposit set up. If you don’t, no worries! They’ll mail a check straight to you.
And I bet you’re wondering, “What if no one needs groceries?” It’s good to know about days like that too, right? So, we’re going to chat about those slow days, how often the money comes in, and how it finds its way to you.
Instacart says on their website that they give a safe and flexible way to earn. Sounds like a pretty neat way to make some extra coins, doesn’t it?
Alright, let’s jump right into it and learn more!
Unhappy with Instacart? Consider DoorDash!
If Instacart doesn’t float your boat, guess what? DoorDash can be a fantastic choice too!
You can check out how much you can earn there—it’s available in more than 4,000 cities, not just in the U.S., but also in Canada and Australia! So, if you have a way to get around and a smartphone, you are all set to start earning!
How Much Money Can You Make with Instacart?
So, on average, if you decide to be an in-store shopper for Instacart, you can expect to earn about $13 every hour. Instacart suggests that customers tip 5%, but, honestly, that’s a lot less than the usual 15% tip at restaurants! The good news is, a lot of customers will likely tip more than that, and guess what? You get to keep all the tips you earn! 🌟
But, how much Instacart shoppers earn exactly can be a little tricky to figure out. There was a time when Instacart was saying shoppers could make up to $25 every hour! However, some shoppers said, “That’s not really true,” and now Instacart doesn’t talk much about the exact amount you can earn.
Now, this type of work—choosing when and where you want to work—is getting more and more popular. It’s cool because you can be your own boss, working when and how you want to, and earning as much as you decide to work for.
In the past, earning extra money meant doing small jobs like delivering newspapers or mowing lawns. But today, it’s all about services like ride-sharing, online gigs, and, of course, grocery delivery like Instacart!
But, working for Instacart is not as straightforward as mowing a lawn for money. Instacart’s way of paying considers different things like the size of the order, the time of the day, the number of items, and even how big they are!
Breaking Down Instacart’s Pay Structure
Let’s talk about how Instacart decides how much to pay their shoppers. It’s a mix of a few different things.
- Size of the Order: Bigger orders usually mean more dollars!
- Time of Day: Shopping during busy times can earn you more.
- Number of Items: More items? More money!
- Size of Items: Bigger items can mean a bigger paycheck.
If you’re shopping a full cart during the busy times, you’ll probably earn more than when the store is quiet. Plus, you also get tips and bonuses when you get 5-star ratings! 🌟
Even though it might not seem like a lot of money at first glance, remember you can work whenever you want. So, you can decide how much you want to earn.
Do Prices Vary at Different Stores?
You might notice that some stores have higher prices on Instacart. Have you wondered which stores these are, and how much more do they charge? And is there a way to dodge that extra price?
When I first looked into Instacart, I was a bit puzzled, too. I thought everyone at Instacart was doing the same job. But, nope! There are actually two types of jobs at Instacart: In-Store Shoppers and Full-Service Shoppers. 🛒
In-Store Shoppers are the friends who pack up the orders. They just shop and pack, and then the customer picks up their order.
And guess what? Instacart isn’t just about delivering groceries! Customers can also pick up their orders, which can be faster than waiting for delivery.
For those deliveries, there are Full-Service Shoppers. They shop and deliver the groceries. I’ll just call them drivers to keep things simple, okay? Since they shop too, they also get about $13 per hour as a base rate.
If customers ask about tipping, you’ll be glad to know that you get to keep all your tips! This is a nice change from how things were before.
Instacart’s Pay Schedule – How and When?
Ever wondered how often Instacart pays its shoppers? Let’s dive into it!
Instacart sends money to its shoppers every Wednesday! This is for the work done from the previous Monday through Sunday. So, you do your shopping, and then, ta-da! The money appears in your bank account the next Wednesday morning!
Instacart uses a service called Stripe to send you your money. So, when you see Stripe on your bank register, that’s your hard-earned cash from Instacart!
What If I Don’t Have Direct Deposit?
No worries! If you haven’t set up direct deposit, Instacart will just mail you a check.
If you’re in a hurry to get your money, you can use “Instant Cashout.” This lets you get your money straight away through the Instacart app, linked to a debit card. And you can do this as many times as you want for a fee of $0.50 each time.
Does Instacart pay for mileage?
Instacart says they pay for the miles you drive, but it’s kind of tricky to see it because it’s not listed separately in your paycheck. Plus, they don’t pay for the miles you drive to get to the store before you start shopping.
Being an Instacart driver means you’re an independent contractor. So, you handle all your work-related expenses. This includes things like:
- Gas
- Insurance
- Car maintenance
Since you’re covering all these costs, you can also write them off as business expenses when you do your taxes! 🎉 And you can write off the miles you drive making deliveries. But remember, I’m not a tax expert, so check with your accountant or tax software to see exactly what you can write off and the mileage rate.
Don’t forget to keep track of the miles you drive and all your transport expenses related to your business. This will make things smoother when it’s time to do your taxes!
Does Instacart pay you if you don’t get any orders?
Instacart Explorers! 🌟 Wondering if you still get paid even if you don’t get any orders? Let’s find out!
Nope, you don’t get any money if you don’t have any orders to shop. There was a time when Instacart would pay you by the hour if you accepted 80% or more of your batch offers, but those days are gone. No hourly guarantees anymore!
Even without the hourly guarantee, it’s super important to watch your Batch Acceptance Rate. It’s a big deal in getting more jobs, even if you’re doing great in everything else. You could be getting all the stars and positive feedback, but if your Batch Acceptance Rate isn’t up to snuff, you might not get those large orders consistently.
A “batch” in Instacart land is just another word for a job, and each job can have more than one order. For example, if you get a batch to shop for Sam and Dean, that’s one batch but two orders.
Does Instacart take out taxes for its employees?
And, here’s another heads-up: Instacart doesn’t deal with your taxes. If you earn more than $600 in a tax year, you get a 1099-MISC tax form. It helps you figure out your income when you file your taxes, but you don’t send it in with them.
You handle your own taxes, which means you’re probably going to be paying them every quarter. If not, you might have to pay a penalty to the tax folks (the IRS).
Wrapping it Up!
So, remember, no orders mean no money, and keep that Batch Acceptance Rate high if you want consistent work! And, when it comes to taxes, it’s all in your hands! Keep track of your earnings, pay your taxes on time, and you’re golden! 🌈💰
