Instacart and Shipt are two of the most popular delivery apps in the market these days. Although they were already popular in the USA before the restrictions. All the restrictions that have taken place in the last year have increased their popularity and it’s easy to see why.
Apps like Instacart and Shipt allow people to get anything they need delivered at their home, protecting them from getting sick and let’s face it, spoiling them on their lazy days. They also help restaurants increase their customer base and thrive in difficult times. Same for drivers that are looking to earn some extra cash in the short term.
It seems like a win- win for everyone involved and you might be wondering, which app is a better option for you?
The first thing you need to do is making sure that the app is available in your location. Although both Instacart and Shipt are available in most US cities, Instacart covers a larger geographic area (including Canada!). If you want to confirm which app is available in your area, you only need to go to their website and enter your ZIP code.
Please keep in mind that even if they are both available in your area, they might be partnered to different stores. You may also be interested to read: Walmart Vs. Target Which is Better?
Is shipt or instacart better to work for?
If you want to make some extra cash working for one of these apps, you first need to get familiar with what they offer you…
Instacart, for example, offers two different roles you can choose from. These are “Full Service Shoppers” and “In- Store Shoppers”.
The former ones are independent contractors and they can work as many hours every week as they want and are in charge of shopping the orders and get them delivered to customers. In- Store Shoppers in the other hand work part time for Instacart (maximum 29 hours per week) and they are in charge of shopping and packaging the orders (no delivery involved).
Same as it happens with other apps, being an independent contractor means you take care of your own taxes as well as any expenses related to your vehicle’s maintenance.
Both apps will allow their shoppers to schedule their working hours in advance and turn “on” and “off” their account based on availability. Once you are “on”, you will be able to see all available orders in the app.
The main difference between both apps in this stage is that while Shipt will only give you an estimate on how long will an order take you and how much money you can earn for it, Instacart will give you the exact amount you can make for each of these services.
When you accept the order, the app will make available all the information you need to start shopping, including an option to contact the customer in case you have any question or any item substitution needs to be made. Both Instacart and Shipt provide their shoppers with a prepaid card that they use to pay for the orders before delivery.
Both apps will let you accept or reject orders, the only difference being that Instacart will contact you once your rejection rate has gone too high.
Let’s say you have decided… which requirements should you meet to become a shopper?
In both cases you will need to be at least 18 years old, have a valid driver’s license, a car insurance, and a smartphone.
Now, regarding technology, Instacart requires your phone to be an iPhone 5, Android 4.4 or higher whereas to work for Shipt you will need either a iOS 10, an Android 5.1, or newer. In this sense, if you’re not so tech savvy or haven’t updated your phone in a while, Instacart is probably the best option for you.
You will also need to develop physical strength to join any of these platforms. If you apply for Instacart you will have to be able to lift at least 50 pounds or more, while Shipt requests you to lift 40 pounds or more. So if physical strength is an issue, Shipt may be is a better option for you.
Once you submit your application they will run a background check on you and they will notify whether they will let you in or not. This process usually takes 10 working days, or less.
Also read: Grubhub Vs. DoorDash Which is Better?
Who pays better instacart or shipt? Instacart or Shipt pay more?
Now, here is what you have been waiting for: payment.
These two platforms are very similar when it comes to payments for their shoppers. The average shopper will make between $15 and $20 per hour from which you will have to deduct taxes afterwards.
Instacart usually pays more per hour than Shipt, however, Shipt pays more per order. So, if you can complete more orders, you can make more money with Shipt. But that’s not always the case as road conditions isn’t always smooth. You may end up making more money with Instacart one day and then the next day more with Shipt.
Where does this payment comes from? Both platforms factor the number of items from each order you complete, which kind of items were there, the time of the day and how long did you have to drive. Larger orders at busier times will give you more money. Same if you decide to work on holidays.
Both apps will allow you to keep the 100% of the tips you receive and will give you additional discounts on partnered stores and/or for vehicle maintenance.
Final verdict? If money and benefits is the main factor for you, these apps are very similar, and you will not be earning significantly more money in one of them compared to the other. Instead, factors such as location, available technology and physical strength might be a better criterion.
More to read: Uber Eats Vs. PostMates Which is Better?
Instacart vs. Shipt, which is better for stores?
We were already living in a digital era in which smartphones were an extension of our bodies and you could do, almost anything, online.
Now social restrictions have strengthen the power of mobile devices and online deliveries, turning e- commerce in a need for any business that wants to thrive in these circumstances.
Furthermore, increasing your presence online by partnering with Shipt or Instacart will also help you increase your customer base without having to duplicate your marketing budget.
Both platforms have seen major growth in the last years, but in geographical terms Instacart is clearly the winner. If you live in a small town or are looking to reach non- local people, then Instacart might be the way to go.
The downside of it is that Instacart works with around 58% of grocery retailers already (including Costco and Kroger), which can be a huge competence if you are a small business.
Other than that, there is not a big difference between these two platforms. They will both charge you commission fees for every transactions users make – between 10% and 15%, which can sometimes feel like you are not making any money out of these apps despite of increasing your sales.
Final verdict?
If you are a small business with no budget to spend on marketing or delivery infrastructure, partnering with both of the apps can be ideal to grow your business, reach more people and get more sales, although not necessarily more money.
If you already have your own delivery service working and can afford to increase your online presence by yourself, then this is the way to go in the long term.
You would also be interested to read Uber Eats Vs. DoorDash Which is Better?
Instacart vs. Shipt which is better for users?
Both apps are very easy to use and all you need to do is downloading the app, signing up, logging in and placing your order. They are both available for Android and iOS devices.
Who provides better user experience Instacart or Shipt?
One of the things that differentiate these apps from others like DoorDash or UberEats, is that they offer a wide range of groceries and household essentials to choose from. In fact, this is their main service instead of fast food.
However, the user experience is very similar. Once you have selected your items and pay for them on the platform, you will have a personal shopper picking them up for you at the store and then you will get them delivered at whatever address you have added during checkout. In both cases it’s a pretty straightforward process.
Both apps will also allow you to choose substitution preferences in case your preferred product is not available. These options are usually “no substitutions”; “getting contacted about substitutions”, or “substituting for a specific product”.
If you are not happy about the service or simply if you want to know more about how these platforms work, they both have a very good Customer Care Department which you will be able to contact either by phone call or through their live chat feature in the website.
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Instacart vs. Shipt, who has better pricing?
When it comes to assessing which option is better, pricing becomes an essential aspect of it. Fortunately, Instacart and Shipt know that delivery fees can be a huge factor on clients who are looking for a long term and regular service. That is why they have created membership plans for their customers. For both apps the membership costs $99 per year.
Shipt memberships will provide you with free deliveries on all orders above $35, while any order under that amount will cost you $7 in delivery fees. If you don’t want to commit to a 1- year subscription then you can just buy Shipt Passes, which will get you a discount on delivery fees for each order you place.
Shipt Passes range price starts at $10, they can only be used once, and never expire. You can buy them directly from your account in the app. The more passes you buy at once, the more discount you get.
Instacart in the other hand will only offer you the yearly membership payment, or a monthly subscription at a price of $9.99. These subscriptions include a free delivery on any order over $35. Without these subscriptions the delivery fee would be around $3.99, or higher if it’s a peak time.
When it comes to the products’ price on Instacart, this would depend on where you shop since every store set their own prices. To the final amount you will need to add a service fee, which is set at 5% being $2 the minimum amount that can be charged for this concept.
Pricing policy in Shipt is a bit different and products are a bit more expensive than they would be in the store. The final price of your order is estimated to be around 5% more expensive than it would be in the store. This is done to cover service fees.
This is another interesting read: Postmates Vs. DoorDash Which is Best?
Bottom line? Instacart seems to be the cheapest option of these two.
Now, let’s start with discounts….
Who provides better discounts and deals, Instacart or Shipt?
Although both apps will offer you in- app discounts and deals, these are specific to the platform and almost never will honor any discount offered by the actual store. You can find all the offers available only by clicking the saving tabs.
On the other hand, you will be able to earn discounts and deals with both apps only by inviting your friends to join. In this sense, the referral program is much more appealing in Shipt than it is in Instacart.
As part of their referral program, Shipt will allow you to earn more than $100 in special discounts throughout the year while Instacart has limited the amount to $50 in a year. And this is everything you need to know to make a decision between Instacart and Shipt. Remember to first confirm which of these apps is available in your area and if they are partnered with your preferred store!
Final verdict
Both Instacart and Shipt has their pros and cons. We would recommend you to sign up for both of the delivery services. You can always stop using any one if the conditions aren’t right.
Image credit: supermarketnews.com, techcrunch.com
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