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Did you know that Instacart can bundle separate customer orders into one ‘batched’ order?
With batched orders, shoppers can shop for more than one order at the same time and save on back-and-forth trips to the store.
But not all shoppers are excited to do double and triple batches. Some shoppers say they are nothing but trouble, adding extra complexity without extra pay.
Here’s how double batches work for shoppers & customers and how shoppers should decide if multiple batches are worth doing.
Multiple batches on Instacart: Doubles, triples, and multiple store orders
A double batch is two shop and deliver orders from the same store combined into one order. Shoppers shop for both orders at the same time.
Orders can also be bundled into 3 shop and deliver orders (a triple), or even a quadruple (4) or quintuple (5) batch.
Here’s how it works for shoppers: You shop for both orders at the same time, separate the items at checkout, then deliver each order to the customers.
The legendary quintuple (5) batch. It exists! Credit adamrit on Reddit
Multiple store orders
Instacart can also batch orders from two different stores into one combined order. Instead of shopping for two customers who ordered from the same store, you’re shopping for two customers who ordered from different stores.
Multiple store orders have a similar pay structure as double batches and come with similar advantages and disadvantages.
How are shoppers paid for multiple batches?
The total payout for a double batch is displayed upfront on the list of available batches, similar to single batches. Total pay from Instacart + total in-app tips are displayed. Any heavy order pay is also included in the upfront estimate.
Like many gig apps, Instacart uses a private algorithm to determine order pay and doesn’t explain exactly how payments are calculated.
Instacart only says that payouts are determined by “the number of items, type of items, driving distance, and effort involved in shopping and delivering.”
You don’t get double pay for double batches
Shoppers don’t necessarily receive double payment for double batches. If two single batches each pay $5, the two batches combined won’t necessarily pay $10.
Some shoppers complain that Instacart collects double service fees from customers but doesn’t pay double to shoppers.
How much is the pay for each order in the batch? Find out after delivery
The app does not show the pay breakdown for each order until you complete delivering every order in the batch.
There’s no way to tell in advance if both orders have a tip or if one left a large tip and the other left none.
In the example below, Customer A generously tipped $42, but Customer B tipped $0. The shopper had to wait until the order was complete to find out.
Customer A tipped huge. Customer B didn’t tip at all. Credit SixLahue on Reddit
Related:
Tip: You can remove part of a multiple batch without harming your cancellation rate
Let’s say you accept a double batch and discover that there is a major issue with one of the orders. You can contact shopper support and have that one order removed without harming your cancellation rate as long as you cancel before checkout (source).
Remember—you can be deactivated if your cancellation rate is higher than 15%. Protect your rating by removing only one part of a multiple batch.
If you start a multiple batch and start having problems with one of the orders, don’t hesitate to contact support to have it removed.
Benefits of double and triple batches: Efficiency, potential for higher pay
A double batch can be very lucrative and efficient if both orders tip well, don’t have too many items, and the total mileage required isn’t too high.
You can knock out two orders in one trip instead of shopping & delivering one order only to return to the same store to shop & deliver another order. That could mean fewer miles for the same—or potentially more—pay.
The highs and lows of double batches
Drawbacks of multiple batches: Complications, bad ratings, poor pay
Double batches can be two bad options rolled into one. Image credit jayrady on Reddit
Double batches have more room for error and a higher chance of bad ratings.
More orders come more chances to make a mistake or run into difficulties, and more issues mean a higher chance of bad ratings.
And on Instacart, bad ratings can be a job killer. Low ratings can put you lower in the order priority list, so every bad rating hurts.
All of the difficulties of an order are multiplied on a double batch: Communicating about replacements, dealing with heavy items and frozen items, managing the expectations of your customer, and packing up your car.
All those challenges you already face on a single order add up on a double batch.
Do you know the struggle of going back and forth with a customer about replacements? Imagine doing that with two customers at the same time!
And when it comes time to bag it all up and deliver it, you have to be extra careful not to get the orders mixed up.
Another downside of double batches is that a non-tipping order can be batched with a high-tipping order, which can feel unfair for shoppers and customers.
You might see that customer A tipped $25 while customer B tipped $0. It doesn’t seem fair that a non-tipper got the same service as a high tipper, especially when many shoppers try to reject non-tipping orders.
More about Instacart & delivery apps
- Deactivated on Instacart? What to Do
- Need More Batches on Instacart? Here are Tips
- How Earnings Promotions Work on Instacart
- Cart Star tiers on Instacart: How to get priority access
Live order updates: Customers know when their order is part of a batch
“Live order updates” is an app update that lets customers know when you are shopping a multi-order batch.
Customers now know when their order is part of a batch
That’s a big improvement over the previous experience. In the past, customers didn’t know when their order was batched with other orders.
Customers didn’t understand why their orders were taking longer than expected or why their shopper took so long to deliver their order once it was out for delivery.
It was poor communication by Instacart, sometimes leading to lower ratings and tips for shoppers.
With live order updates, customers know when their shopper is shopping & delivering other batches. It’s no longer up to shoppers to communicate each stage of the delivery process.
Double and triple batch strategies
Some double batches can be worth your time, so here are a few tips to help you decide.
It’s a good idea to accept a double batch when:
- Order payout is high
- You’re very familiar with the store and confident you can get it done quickly
- You’re organized enough to keep the orders separate
- You’re not bothered by communicating with two customers at once
- Customer delivery locations aren’t too far apart
It’s better to reject a double batch when:
- Order payout is low
- You don’t know the store, or it’s difficult/chaotic
- The orders have too many items and might not fit easily in your vehicle
- The customer delivery locations are too far apart
How to manage multiple batches
Here are a few tips to help you efficiently complete doubles and earn high ratings.
Carefully separate the orders in your shopping cart. Place items from one order inside an insulated bag or handled basket, and place items from the other order in the cart. You can also separate the orders by cart level.
Don’t do the double batch if you think it might lead to a bad rating. Your customer rating is important. Just a few poor ratings can affect your income. Skip double batches if you’re not confident you can get 5 stars on each one.
How Instacart can improve multiple batches for shoppers and customers
Instacart should increase pay for multiple batches. Many shoppers think the earnings calculation for multiple batches is unfair, especially considering the real risk of lower ratings and a more complex shopping experience.
Shoppers might not be so quick to decline multiple batches if Instacart sweetened the deal for shoppers and offered higher pay and more flexible ratings.
Instacart did make one big improvement to multiple batches: The app now notifies customers when their order is part of a multiple-order batch.
The ‘live order update’ finally tells customers when their order is batched with another customer. That takes one more thing off of your plate so you can focus on shopping.
KMM says
Something not mentioned is how the checkout process of double/triple batches affects other customers in the checkout line. I experienced this yesterday (which is why I looked up this article). The shopper had at least 3 orders (1 larger) and was struggling to keep things organized. It looks like shoppers only pay once for the multiples, right? Seeing that she had a line behind her, should she have checked out as quickly as possible and then finished sorting out of line or in her car?
Mary says
No shoppers do not pay just once for all order. Each order is paid one at a time. That is why it gets crazy trying to keep things with the right order.
Danny says
I just became an instacart driver and there is a promo for earnings based on completed batches. It’s bogus they don’t consider a double or triple batch as 2 or 3 completions to the count. I know we benefit from higher potential pay and whatnot, but at least give 1.5 count or something…
Doug H says
Especially frustrating since most batches are doubles lately!
Mary Lueth says
Many customers tip based on the total bill. If there are a few items out of stock, your tip gets adjusted down. Not right. I often spend MORE time searching for the out of stock items, consulting a clerk or trying to find a replacement. We should actually get tipped more.
Cc says
I agree with this statement 100 %. Just because the store doesn’t have something doesn’t mean we don’t deserve the tip just the same. I often wonder if the customer gets reimbursed for the tip also or is that going to instacart? They also need to start paying per order not per batch especially on the split store shops
Toni says
Totally agreed!
AB says
Absolutely 💯
Dude says
After impulsively accepting two orders with multiple batches that I had to abandon at the store due to problems with the massive amount of groceries that proved impossible to sort through at the checkout (Instacart does not provide for being able to do this), I recommend that shoppers DO NOT accept multiple batches per order. The somewhat reduced $$$ you will make is more than worth it in all the reduced stress. Instacart itself is the only entity benefitting from this.
Tanya says
Looks like where I live (Indianapolis) we aren’t getting much choice. For about the last 3 weeks I’ve seen mostly 2 Shop & Deliver. Seems like this might be the new norm. I prefer single shops for the reasons stated in this article. It was spot on!
Jamie says
Yes in my area I find that most orders that pay a decent amount are either Costco orders or a double/triple, batch but almost every order I do is a double/triple batch. It has become more than normal rather than the exception. I haven’t had any incorrect deliveries. Except for one time upon delivery I accidentally gave someone the Powerade for the next customer but they noticed and gave it back to me and even tipped me $10 but then I went to the next customer and when I took their bags out I noticed I forgot to give the first customer one of the small bags with whipping cream in it so I had to drive back to the first customer but that was the only time I’ve had an error I have a five star rating currently so I must be doing OK on the multiple customer orders. I bring reusable bags and whichever order is smaller I put all the items in my reusable bags everything else I just put in the cart and while I’m walking to the next aisle I go to my done list and make sure I am separating accurately, but I understand it is kind of a pain I’m just used to it, it’s the norm for me I rarely see orders with one delivery worth shopping for now unless it’s for Costco which gives me anxiety because I think going to Costco is a pain in the rear. I will say the one time I did shop Costco, I had an employee help me shop most of my order they even found my basket when I lost it lol (I like to leave my basket at the end of an aisle so I do not have to navigate through customers) so Costco was a good experience I just don’t like going there because the customers are not in a hurry, they don’t pay attention to Fellow customers who may be in a hurry and on a timer or even care when someone else is
In a hurry I think most people when they go to Costco are not planning on being in and out quickly.
Anthony Sanseverino says
As a customer, I discovered another problem with the Double+ batching of orders.
InstaCart told me, Your order should arrive by 10:54. Well, at 11:18, it still hadn’t arrived.
So, I sent opened the Chat session back up, and asked, What’s going on? Are you lost (as I saw that the Shopper was way North of my location, as well as as the store)?
The reply, No not lost. Sorry. But, I’m delivering another order first.
Once the Shopper arrived, she did apologize. But, this delay allowed a frozen item to be nearly thawed out. And, a few refrigerated items, to be much warmer than expected.
Hopefully, the items will still be edible.
Jamie says
The shopper should be carrying bags for frozen items especially for a long delivery typically Instacart is fairly good about who they pick to deliver first and they tend to pay attention to the items on the order and take all that into account but obviously nobody’s perfect but I carry bags to keep hot food hot is cold food cold because I don’t want low customer ratings even though it might be out of their hands as far as the distance they have to drive you always have to look at a situation and decide what you can control and all the part that you can play so I just carry the bags with me because Instacart is not gonna be perfect and we need to account for that and make up for any mistakes they may make they help us when we make mistakes they’re actually very good about it so we should return the favor I apologize that you had that issue hopefully you put it in the comments you don’t necessarily have to give them a bad rating if it was out of their hands but you could know that they should carry a freezer bag to prevent that in the future also you have a receipt online if you need to return something like that you should be able to return it but obviously you didn’t want to go to the store and shop so you probably don’t want to have to do that lol
Bill says
Walter, Rate the customers? Do you not realize you are being paid to do a service?
Kyle says
Uber and Lyft are also services, but drivers rate customers. If you have ever worked serving customers, you know that there are a few who can be difficult or worse. It is helpful for other service providers to know this in advance, thus customer rating.
Dan says
Yes this would help as my wife and I do this to spend time together but have done 2 orders to a customer that didn’t tip either time and would help others notice that… some people don’t understand that we save them the trip and the time to shop… maybe it’ll help them to remember when they get pizza or go out they tip for service received
Walter says
Instacart doesn’t provide isolated bags or ice. As a shopper we provide what we need to do our job. Some of us take our job more seriously then other’s. I also have extra grocery bags in my car just incase the store packs them to heavy or they rip. Even with all the extras I do I only have a 4.85 rating which Instacart says is below average. There are a lot customers that only rate you if they can fine the smallest thing to gripe about. I wish we could rate our customers that have us run all over the store only to say never mind just refund🤦♀️
Anthony Sanseverino says
Yes, it’s a shame that some customers ding the Shopper for the he store being out of stuff.
But, if a customer asks for 2 pounds of grapes, and the Shopper gets 3 pounds, then that’s not right either (had this happen. But, luckily, I caught it, and the Shopper fixed it).
Rebecca Little says
Let’s be realistic…Why would you want a specific amount of grapes? I’m a shopper and it’s disgusting to have to separate grapes. Having to search through multiple bags to get the right amount of grapes especially during a pandemic is beyond sanitary. Plus the back and forth to the scale to weight this item cuts into a shoppers time.
Jamie says
I agree with you sometimes it’s ridiculous when they want five bananas and the customer expects it to be 2.21 pounds and you have to keep changing out bananas to get the right weight. I had one customer who wanted the greenest bananas I could find (which is an odd enough request as it is ) and a very specific weight almost impossible to hit, I had to check with the customer and let her know I could not give her both she needed to choose lol it’s so funny to me as well how they will specifically know that you need to be very close to the very specific and odd weight. Don’t they not realize that sometimes the onions are bigger/smaller…….it’s like they just want to make our job harder lol I just wonder if when they’re in the store, do they actually go back-and-forth to a scale until l they get the specific weight they want? I really want to see that because I never see people doing that in the store, unless they are shopping for a delivery service lol it’s funny how picky you can be when you have someone else doing the work for you
Bean says
Anthony, not right?? im a shopper with my fiance and we spend MOST of the provided time in the produce section trying to get the weight JUST RIGHT and 9 times out of 10 cannot. as customers, the standard you all hold needs to be lowered. WE are driving around and picking out YOUR groceries. nothing and no one is perfect. if you want a specific amount of grapes, go get it and weigh it at the store yourself.
Jamie says
Walter when you deliver your order don’t you get the pop up with the thumbs up and thumbs down asking how your experience was? If you give a thumbs down they will have you explain what happened that will cover you if they give you a bad reading and then you just call and you ask them to remove it The more you communicate with Instacart the better is what I have found there a times well I will chat with him multiple times during the day they’ll give you extra money like bumps when certain things happen it’s great to communicate with them I just do it through chat it’s really easy . Just a suggestion but maybe you’re not getting that pop-up I don’t know