What Is Instacart Refund Policy? (Your Full Guide)

If you’re a fan of grocery delivery, you’ve probably heard of Instacart. It’s one of the most popular services around, and for a good reason – it offers a great selection and delivers quickly. 

Moreover, Instacart really cares about the quality of its services. That is why if you are not happy with your order for some reason, or if something was delivered incorrectly, you can get a refund from the company. But what is the Instacart refund policy exactly? In this article, we’ll answer that question for you and provide all the information you need to get your refund from Instacart!

What Is Instacart’s Refund Policy?

Instacart aims to provide the highest quality service to all its customers. That is why the company has a “100% satisfaction” guarantee in place and offers a refund for any order that does not meet your expectations.

Therefore, customers who are unhappy with their orders are encouraged to report an issue within one week of receiving the order. That way, they will be eligible for a refund. 

Refunds may be issued in the form of account credit or a direct deposit. Account credit is instant, while direct deposit may take up to one week to process.

How Does Instacart Refund Policy Work?

Although Instacart offers a very simple and easy refund policy, there are a few conditions you need to meet in order to receive your money back. For example, your complaint must first be eligible and then pass Instacart’s review process.

Your refund request will be eligible if you encounter one of the following problems with your order: 

• Wrong item
• Missing item
• Poor-quality or damaged item
• Late arrival/delivery
• Unprofessional service

Then, if your refund request is eligible, it will go through Instacart’s review process. Unfortunately, if your complaint does not fall into any of the categories above, it will not be eligible for a refund. 

How to Get a Refund From Instacart?

There are several ways you can get in touch with Instacart customer service and ask for a refund. 

1. Request a Refund on the Instacart App

The easiest way to get a refund from Instacart is by requesting it through the app. To do so, follow these simple steps:

1. Log into your Instacart App.
2. Select “Your Orders” at the top left of the screen.
3. Find the order you had a problem with and click “Get Help”.
4. Select the issue(s) you experienced with your order from the offered list.
5. Click yes or no, depending on whether you were charged for the item(s) you had the issue with or not.
6. Next, select the item(s) that were affected.
7. Click “Refund.”

2. Request a Refund on the Instacart Website

To request a refund on the Instacart website, follow these steps:

1. Sign in to your account on the Instacart website.
2. Then, click on the “Your Orders” button.
3. Find the affected order and click “Report a Problem.”
4. Select whether you want to change your tip and rating.
5. Click “Report an Issue” and identify the issue with your order.
6. State if you were charged for the item(s) you want a refund for.
7. Pick the item(s) you had an issue with.
8. Click “Refund” and then “All Done.”

3.  Contact Customer Support

If your issue is a bit more complex, and you need to speak to a customer service representative, you can do so by calling Instacart’s customer support line.

Alternatively, you can use the live chat feature on the Instacart website to speak to a customer service agent in real time. To do so, just go to Instacart’s Help Center and click on the “Get Help” button.

Does Instacart Refund The Difference?

If your Instacart shopper finds a cheaper replacement for an item on your list, they’ll let you know and refund you the difference. 

Remember that you were already charged a higher amount for the order; that sum served as insurance in case your total ended up being more. 

The initial charge is supposed to be dynamic, and that is why very easy for Instacart to lower it.

So, if you are ever overcharged, don’t hesitate to reach out to customer service, and they will refund the difference.

How Long Does Instacart Refund Take?

If you choose to receive an account credit for a refund, you will receive it almost immediately. Credits for the refund will automatically apply during checkout on your next order. 

To see any Instacart credits, you can visit the “Credits, promos & gift cards” section in your Instacart account.

However, if you want to get the money back on your card, you might have to wait for a bit. Essentially, Instacart will process your refund right away, but depending on the bank you use, it might take 5-10 business days for the money to show up in your account. 

What Happens If You Don’t Get Your Instacart Order?

If you don’t get your order, you should immediately reach out to Instacart customer service. You can do so through the app, the website, or by calling customer support. 

If you don’t receive your order within the expected delivery window, you can also reach out to customer service and ask for a refund. 

To get a refund, you’ll have to go through Instacart’s refund process and explain what happened. You might also have to provide additional information, such as your order number and the delivery address. This is so that Instacart can investigate the issue and figure out what went wrong.

What If My Order Was Delivered to the Wrong Address?

Instacart promises to refund your entire order if the shopper delivers it to an incorrect address – as long as you supplied the right one in the first place.

If you realize that you mistakenly typed in the wrong delivery address after placing your order, you need to contact Instacart Care for help as soon as possible.

If your driver cannot find you upon delivery, they will reach out to connect with you through the app. Instacart shoppers are not allowed to leave orders unattended unless otherwise instructed by you.

Do Instacart Shoppers Pay for Missing Items?

Instacart Shoppers do not pay for the missing items on an order. By doing this, Instacart can lose money because they have to spend more driving back to the store to fix it.

If an order is incomplete or if the delivery is bad, it affects the shopper’s rating. Customers rate their delivery with stars, and if something goes wrong, it gets reflected in the Shopper’s individual report. 

However, many Instacart customers have been exploiting this policy to scam the company. After an order is placed, they mark numerous items as missing or damaged, receive a refund for their entire order, and then keep the items without paying for them. 

Instacart shoppers often get frustrated because there is only so much they can do to prove otherwise unless they take pictures themselves. Only then will the problematic rating drop from their account.

Can Instacart Shoppers Get Penalized for Refunds?

Instacart shoppers do not always get penalized for giving refunds, but they could sometimes receive a reliability incident. Reliability incidents occur when shoppers don’t adhere to the rules or follow best practices. 

If Instacart employees get too many reliability incidents, their access to batch orders and less-desirable shifts can be limited as a penalty. And that can have a huge impact on their earnings.  

Can You Return Something You Bought on Instacart?

Returns are dependent on the store’s return policies, which can differ by retailer. Although not all stores participate, some retailers allow you to return an item by showing your digital Instacart receipt.

Conclusion 

Instacart offers a refund policy to keep customers happy. That is why you can easily request and get a refund if something goes wrong with your order. The process is pretty simple and straightforward, but you can always contact Instacart customer service if you need help. 

However, it is essential to remember that your request must fall under one of their qualifying reasons, such as receiving the wrong order, damaged goods, or an incomplete order. Additionally, your request will be reviewed and processed accordingly by the Instacart customer service team. 

The refund will be processed almost immediately, but it might take 5-10 business days for the money to show up in your account. 

Hopefully, this blog post helped clear up any confusion regarding Instacart’s refund policy. Thank you for reading!