We believe every family should have access to the food they love at prices they can afford. That's been at the core of Instacart since the beginning, from being the first online grocery platform to bring SNAP to all 50 states to offering $0 delivery fees on orders as low as $10, an industry low. As we build the leading grocery technology platform in the world, making food more accessible and affordable for every family remains the foundation everything is built on. 

Grocery prices continue to be top of mind for many families. And as questions about technology and pricing get louder, we've heard a clear signal: people want to know exactly what they're paying and why. That's a fair expectation. So today, we're publishing a new plain-language guide to how pricing works on our platform, what we will and won't do, and what customers can count on from us — now and in the future.

Download: Instacart's Pricing Explainer

In short, here’s what we’re committing to: 

1. Same items, same time, same store location — same price. Customers shopping from the same store location at the same time will always see the same item prices on Instacart. Similarly, the same fees apply to any two customers ordering delivery to the same address from the same store location at the same time.
2. We will never use your personal information to set prices. We will never use personal information (protected characteristics, demographic data, or individual shopping behavior) to determine item prices, membership prices, or fees. This is sometimes called surveillance pricing. To be clear: We do not do this, and we never will.
3. No dynamic item pricing. We do not — and we never will — change item prices or membership prices based on supply and demand signals or real-time data. We don’t provide retail partners any tools that enable this, either. On the other hand, fees can vary based on things like delivery distance, basket size, and selected delivery speed.
4. Full transparency before you check out. Fee information and each retailer's pricing policy are always accessible before checkout. No surprises at the end of your order.

This is all grounded in an important, but sometimes misunderstood, fact: Instacart is a grocery technology company, not a retailer. Our grocery partners control item pricing on their Instacart storefronts, just as they do in their physical stores. That distinction matters. When you shop from one of our retail partners on Instacart, it's that retailer’s prices you’re seeing.

One clarification worth calling out: Personalized discounts such as coupons, targeted deals, or loyalty rewards are fundamentally different from surveillance pricing. When we use data to surface a lower price for you, that's helping you save, which is why we’ll keep offering personalized coupons and discounts. 

We're proud that we've helped customers save more than $3 billion via promotions, deals, and other affordability tools in the last few years alone. We'll keep doing that, and we’ll continue to help our retail and brand partners help you save money, too. 

Click here to view Instacart's Pricing Principles and Commitments

Setting the Record Straight 

Previously, a small number of retail partners ran limited, completely randomized price tests on their Instacart storefronts, similar to tests retailers have long conducted in their own stores. These tests never used customer data to determine prices: no personal information, no demographic data, no shopping history. But they raised questions and concerns for customers, so we ended them immediately in December 2025.

We're actively pushing to lower your grocery bill

Principles matter. Action matters just as much.

In addition to our work helping customers save billions through promotions, deals, discounts, and loyalty programs in recent years, we were the first online grocery platform to accept SNAP in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., and we offer a 50% discount on a year of Instacart+ membership for SNAP families. And for Instacart+ members, we offer $0 delivery fees on orders as low as $10 — the lowest minimum in the industry.¹

We're continuing to build on that work.

One of the most meaningful ways we can help customers save is by working closely with our retail partners to encourage them to offer the same item prices on Instacart that they charge in their stores, so shopping online doesn't cost more than walking the aisle. Early this year, Hy-Vee and Raley's moved to no markups on Instacart. Since then, Fareway and several local independent grocers have done the same. 

In fact, Instacart has more retailers offering grocery delivery with no markups than any other third-party marketplace in North America.² And we're actively working to bring even more partners along, because we've seen what happens when they do: retailers that offer no markups grow significantly faster on our platform. That alignment of incentives matters. When lower prices are better for customers and better for retailers, we can push harder and further.

Affordability is our #1 priority

We know families are under real pressure from high grocery costs. Helping customers save money is the right thing to do for our customers — from busy parents and caregivers to families in food deserts, seniors on fixed incomes, and those who depend on delivery to access the food, medicine and other daily essentials they need. 

It's also core to our business. Online grocery today accounts for about 13% of the grocery market in North America, and one of the biggest barriers to wider adoption is cost.³ The more affordable we can make online grocery, the more people will consider shopping their favorite retailers on Instacart. 

These principles are our commitment, in plain terms, to every customer. We'll continue working every day to make grocery more accessible and more affordable for everyone.

Download: How Pricing Works on Instacart

¹ Costco $35+, eligible restaurants $25+. Service fees apply.

² As of July 2026. Fees and in-store offer exclusions apply.

³ EMarketer, FAQ on digital grocery, January 2026.