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Want to save money on your next Instacart order? There are tons of ways to save: Promo codes, coupons, the Instacart+ membership, and way more.
Instacart and the brands they partner with constantly run new promotions that can help you get big discounts. Here’s what you need to know.
The top ways to save on Instacart:
- New users can use an Instacart promo code to save
- Find store discounts, coupons, and promos in the app
- Shop at stores that offer in-store pricing—no more markup!
- Order pickup to save on fees
- Use Instacart+ to get free delivery, reduced service fees, and more
- Sign up for Instacart+ with a Chase credit card to get free months
- Cross promotions with other brands that offer discounts
Instacart promo code for new users: Save $20
You can get a discount on your first Instacart order when you enter another Instacart user’s invite promo code.
The promo code discount can be significant—currently up to $20 off your first order.
For example, if you use my code DHERRERA162D0, you will get $20 off your first order, and I will get $10 of app credits. Use a friend’s code to help them get free credits!
You can also share your code with friends to give them discounts, and to receive app credits for yourself.
Are there Instacart promo codes for existing users?
Short answer: Maybe, but they are hard to find, and it’s easier to save in other ways.
Promo codes are mainly intended for new users, and most codes that you find online won’t work if you’ve already paid for an order on Instacart.
For existing users, Instacart mainly offers savings through the Instacart+ membership, store-specific discounts & coupons, and temporary promotions with other brands.
Store discounts, coupons, and promotions that don’t require a promo code
To find other ways to save that don’t require a promo code, head to the Deals section of the app.
The Deals area lists all the current ways to save, and store-specific deals.
Check out Deals for all the current ways to save
Store-specific deals are typically discounts on items and temporary promotions. These promotions won’t require a code and are usually automatically applied.
Check out the cereal deal below. It is displayed in the item listing and is automatically applied when you purchase the required number of items.
This deal is automatically applied when you buy two boxes
Some deals will also be advertised through an email or app notification. Click the link in the email or notification to activate the promo.
For some promotions, Instacart will let you know when you need to add more items or spend more to qualify for the discount.
The $5 off deal below requires a minimum spending amount, and the Instacart app will let you know how you can earn the deal.
Instacart reminds you about some promotions before you check out
Avoid markup by shopping at stores that offer in-store ‘everyday’ prices
Retailers on Instacart set their own prices: Instacart does not add markup to items!
Some stores choose to use higher prices on Instacart, while others offer pricing that matches in-store pricing.
By shopping at stores that offer in-store prices, you can be sure that you’re not paying any additional markup that you wouldn’t usually see if you went into the store.
Look for labels that say ‘everyday store prices‘ or ‘in-store prices‘ as you browse the app.
Avoid markup by shopping at stores with in-store prices label
After you tap on a store, a link at the top of the page will give you more info about the store’s pricing policy.
One thing to remember: Even if a store uses everyday prices, you might not receive every current in-store promotion or sale.
Item list prices may be the same, but certain limited-time offers in the store might not be available on Instacart.
On the other hand, Instacart might also offer discounts and coupons only available in the app and not in the store.
Use curbside pickup to pay little or no fees
Curbside pickup is a great way to save on Instacart fees: There are no service fees for pickup orders!
Pickup orders still have a ‘pickup fee‘ equivalent to a delivery fee.
Instacart can be nearly free to use if you order pickup from a store that offers in-store pricing.
You are only paying a small pickup fee to have someone else shop your order and have it ready for you to pick up at a convenient time.
Instacart+: Unlimited free delivery & other discounts
Instacart+ is a yearly membership that offers unlimited free delivery, reduced service fees, and other discounts.
Free delivery means that the delivery fee for orders will be $0. However, you will still have to pay Instacart services fees—which are lower for Instacart+ members.
How much lower are the service fees when you’re an Instacart+ member? Instacart doesn’t say. They only promote that the fees will be lower, but don’t offer any specific discount numbers.
Instacart+ is a good deal if you use Instacart more than once per month
How much does Instacart+ cost?
Full price for Instacart+ is $99, but you may get a lower price through trials, limited-time promotions, and partnerships with other brands and credit cards.
The full-price membership works out to around $8 per month, which is worth it if you use Instacart more than once per month.
Typically just one or two orders will have $8 in service and delivery fees, so the membership pays for itself quickly.
Watch out for Instacart+ deals. $49 for the first year will quickly pay for itself if you’re a regular user
Use Chase credit cards to get 3–12 months of free Instacart+
You can get limited-time free access to Instacart+ when you sign up with an eligible Chase card. The number of free months depends on the Chase card that you use.
- 12 free months with Sapphire Reserve and J.P. Morgan Reserve
- Six free months with Sapphire and Sapphire Preferred
- Three free months with Freedom, Freedom Unlimited, and other Freedom cards
After your free period ends, you will be billed the typical annual rate, which is currently $99/year.
You can also get statement credits from Chase: $15/month, $15/quarter, or $10/quarter, depending on your Chase card.
You can redeem the current Chase promotion until July 31, 2024.
Another great benefit of the Chase promotion is that existing Instacart+ members can extend their membership for free with a qualifying Chase card.
Previous Instacart+ members can also take advantage of this offer—you don’t have to be new to Instacart+ to claim the promo.
Signing up for Instacart+ with most Chase cards can get you free months of membership
EBT users can get free delivery on your first three orders
If you have an EBT card, you can get $0 delivery fees on your first three orders when you add an eligible EBT SNAP card and pay for your order with the card. Orders must be $35 or more.
Cross promotions with other brands: Save on Instacart+ and more
Instacart frequently partners with major brands to offer limited-time deals.
Typically when Instacart parnters with another company, the promotion will offer discounts on orders, free or discounted Instacart+ memberships, or discounted fees.
Past promotions have been for the subscribers of services like Grubhub, PayPal, Peacock TV, Costco, and more.
All of those partnerships offered different ways to save, and were a significant benefit for Instacart users who took advantage of them.
The best way to learn about new cross promotions is to watch out for emails and app notifications from Instacart and other brands you subscribe to.
Marketing emails might be annoying, but staying subscribed can pay off when a new promotion launches.
How to enter a promo code and track your active promotions
To enter a promo code on Instacart, go to Menu > Track credits and promos, then tap on the bottom button to add a promo
Go to Menu > Track credits and promos to input codes and see active promos
Track credits and promos will also show you any active promotions you have. For example, the user below has a free delivery active in their account.
Input a promo code and track other active promos
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