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Once upon a time, working for a ridesharing service like Uber or Lyft was your only option if you wanted a side hustle so you could earn some extra cash around your existing work or school schedule.
Those days are long gone.
Now it’s so much easier to pick up a side hustle, whether you choose to become a dog walker, a babysitter, or a delivery person for companies like DoorDash, Postmates, or Instacart.
Because Instacart actively encourages people who are working with other gig economy companies to be an Instacart shopper to fill in the quiet times in their schedules, Instacart is a very popular second side hustle for Uber drivers and Postmates delivery people.
If you’re intrigued and would like to learn more about Instacart and the Instacart shopper app, keep reading.
This article will walk you through what service is, how to set up the Instacart Shopper app, how to apply to be an Instacart shopper, and the job duties and requirements of both Full-Service Shoppers and In-Store Shoppers.
Instacart customers use the app to select the grocery items for Instacart shoppers to pick up and deliver to their homes.
Instacart saves customers from having to drive to the grocery store and spend time shopping for all of their items on a weekly basis.
Instacart customers can do all of their shopping from the comfort of their homes and have someone else do the shopping for them in exchange for a small service fee.
As an Instacart shopper, you’ll be expected to select and deliver the exact items in the customer’s orders.
This means you’ll need to pay careful attention to customer requests, like substituting products if their initial selection is out of stock or making sure to choose the ripest fruits if the customer asks for them.
Being a good Instacart shopper means being quick on your feet and always keeping the customer’s needs in mind.
Be sure to follow this exact process for downloading and setting up the app as the Instacart app in the Apple Store and Google Play store is for customers, not shoppers.
How to Apply to Be an Instacart Shopper
The first step in the Instacart shopper application process is to visit their website and fill out the form with your first name, last name, email, cell phone number, zip code, and a referral code if you have one.
You’ll be taken to a page where you’ll fill out a questionnaire to confirm that you meet all the requirements to be either a Full-Service Shopper or an In-Store Shopper.
Once you’ve completed the questionnaire, you’ll be asked to download the Instacart shopper app and finish the application process.
At this point, you’ll need to pass a background check.
After passing the background check, you’ll complete the onboarding process.
Full-Service Shoppers can complete the onboarding process online but In-Store Shoppers are required to complete the onboarding process in person.
Once you’re onboarded, you’ll be able to schedule your shifts and start making some extra money
In-Store Shoppers are part-time employees and can only work a maximum of 29 hours per week, which is not a guarantee of 29 hours.
The number of hours an In-Store Shopper works will depend on the customer demand during the week.
In-Store Shoppers are assigned a local grocery store for each shift and shop only at that store.
Instacart Shopper Requirements
To work with Instacart as a personal shopper, you must meet certain shopper requirements.
It’s harder to qualify to be a Full-Service Shopper than an In-Store Shopper, as Full-Service Shoppers also act as a delivery driver.
Full-Service Shopper
To be an Instacart Full-Service Shopper, you must meet certain basic requirements and have consistent access to a vehicle to deliver orders.
To be an Instacart Full-Service Shopper you must:
Be 18 years of age or older
Be eligible to work in the United States
Have access to a vehicle with appropriate car insurance
Have a smartphone which is compatible with the Instacart shopper mobile app (iPhone 5 or newer or Android 4.4 or newer)
Be able to lift 30–40 pounds with or without accommodation
Be able to pass the Instacart background check
In-Store Shopper
If you aren’t eligible to be an Instacart Full-Service Shopper, you might still meet the less-stringent requirements to be an Instacart In-Store Shopper.
To be an Instacart In-Store Shopper, you must:
Be 17 years of age or older
Be eligible to work in the United States
Have a smartphone which is compatible with the Instacart shopper mobile app (iPhone 5 or newer or Android 4.4 or newer)
Be able to lift an average of 30–40 pounds several times per day
Be able to pass the Instacart background check
A Great Day to Get Started
If you’ve been thinking about signing up to be an Instacart shopper but couldn’t figure out how to sign up on Instcart.com or on the normal Instacart app, don’t worry.
You aren’t the only one.
Instacart has its own unique process for signing up as a personal shopper and a completely different app for personal shoppers, which isn’t available in any app store.
Now that you know what being a Full-Service Shopper vs an In-Store Shopper entails as well as the requirements, you can decide whether you’d like to work for Instacart and in which role.
And regardless of whether you have an iOS or Android phone, you now know how to apply to be an Instacart shopper and how to download and set up the correct Instacart app.
The gig economy is booming, and thanks to COVID-19, more people than ever are getting involved. But what is this new sharing economy and how does it work?
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