Even a long time before the pandemic strikes, people have been fond of grocery delivery services. And we have seen such exponential increases of grocery delivery members who want to get the products they’ve ordered online to their doorstep without any problem. Amongst the wide array of options out there, Instacart and Shipt come as the most competitive options for those who want to make and save more money in delivering their items. If you want to be a shopper and make money from grocery delivery opportunities, it is a great idea to compare these two best sites first before choosing one for you.
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Shipt and Instacart Overview
Both Shipt and Instacart are grocery delivery services. These providers let the customers make the order of groceries via their official site and their apps. In a nutshell, you can do the groceries while you are on the go as well. Then the shopper will shop for the customer’s order and deliver it to their address.
Instacart has been partnering with over 25,000 grocery stores across the US. The customers can create their account through the mobile app or official website. And they will place the orders where you as a shopper will process them.
Instacart offers two options for shoppers: 1) full-service shoppers and 2) in-store shoppers.
Full-service shoppers are independent shoppers who shop anytime they want. They have the freedom to maintain their operational hours. Meanwhile, in-store shoppers are those who work part-time for Instacart. They are only responsible for shopping and packaging orders. The maximum working time is 29 hours per week.
Shipt was known as a membership-only site, but now it also opens opportunities for non-members. It is a great opportunity for those who want to try their services.
How the platforms work
Instacart and Shipt have pretty much similar ways to work. As the shoppers, you can use both apps to schedule your operational hours in advance so that you can lock on the orders only when you are working.
This will give you the status “on” when you are ready to take the orders. In this status, you will be able to see the available orders in your app.
While both platforms work pretty much the same way, there is a difference that you’d like to consider. Shipt platform comes with the time estimation and earnings expectations for each order. Meanwhile, Instacart directly tells you how much you will earn for each particular delivery order.
The order’s approval is 100% your choice. You can accept or reject particular orders for any reason. For instance, you might reject one order because the timing is not good, or for other reasons. Once you accept the order, you will go to the specific grocery store and start shopping. The items list will be shown in the app of the Instacart or Shipt. You can also use the app to get in touch with the customer for questions, replacement, substitutions, and others.
The good thing here is that you don’t have to pay for these with your own money. Instead, Instacart and Shipt give you a prepaid debit card that you can use to pay in the grocery stores.
As you finished shopping, the app will notify the customers. In this case, the customers can track the order, know who’s the shopper, and other valuable information.
All the directions are already available in the apps. So, even though you don’t remember the map, the app will help you to navigate. All you need to do is just drive to the store, purchase the items, and deliver to the customers.
The availability of Instacart and Shipt
The availability of Instacart and Shipt in your location can be a deal-breaker. After all, you don’t want to go for hundreds of miles just to take the orders. Not only the logistics that you need to worry about but also the expenses that you need to spend.
Shipt covers fewer locations in the US than Instacart. Instacart has managed to spread its wings in major US cities. They have plenty of areas to cover. So, your chance will be mostly better with Instacart. But more coverage areas means more competition. You should; don’t neglect the fact that you are not the only shopper in your area. There’s a chance that your neighbor is your competition.
So, it is much better to always be open to more than one option.
The requirements of the platforms
You will want to check these requirements and see if you can meet them.
Device requirements
Since both platforms come with mobile apps, you will expect that the software will be updated from time to time. Make sure to have more updated gadgets to start with the platform. Instacart requires iPhone 5 or Android 4.4 or higher. Meanwhile, Shipt requires iOS 10 or Android 5.1 or higher.
Driver and vehicle requirements
You will need a car to drive to the grocery store and deliver the orders. Instacart does not disclose the details of car specifications. They only require full-service shoppers to have consistent access to their cars. Meanwhile, Shipt requires the driver with a car manufactured in 1997 or newer. If you have an old car, it will be challenging to apply for Shipt.
Physical requirements
The physical requirements are not limited to only certain people. As long as you don’t have any difficult situations, you are good to go. Instacart shoppers should be able to lift 50lbs or more with or without tools. Meanwhile, ship shoppers must be able to lift at least 40 lbs or more.
Who pays better?
Both Instacart and Shipt pay well for their shoppers. Whether you are working with Instacart or Shipt, you’d expect to earn between $15 to $20 per hour. In some areas, some shoppers even make $22 per hour. But it is crucial to comprehend that the income that you’d expect is $15 to $20 per hour, no more. So, when you compare them based on the potential income that you’re able to attain, you can rest assured that they both pay well for the shoppers. You need to combine this aspect with other factors to make an informative decision.