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Can You Get Paid Instantly with Instacart?

By: Author Jeff Campbell

Posted on  - Last updated:

Categories Grocery Delivery & Pickup

Getting paid immediately after you’ve completed your work is awesome, right? In the so-called GIG economy, a lot of people get paid almost immediately. So, a lot of Instacart Shoppers ask, can you get paid instantly with Instacart?

Instacart Shoppers can use a feature in the app called Instant Cashout to withdraw their earnings immediately upon their account being funded. Their account is funded about 30 minutes after they have marked an order delivered.

Therefore, they can access their earnings instantly, as it were. But, prior to the implementation of the feature, they were paid on a weekly basis.

With Instant Cashout, shoppers can get paid on the same day. In effect, you could use both options: weekly payments or instant cashouts.

In this article, I’ll share some vital facts about how Instacart pays its shoppers (and we’ll even check out if one of its competitors pays quicker).

Ready to get started as a Shopper with Instacart?

Just CLICK HERE to sign up now right on their website.

Can You Get Paid Instantly with Instacart LG

How long does it take for Instacart earnings to show up?

On average, it takes about 30-45 minutes (or less) for earnings to show up after an Instacart Shopper has completed delivering an order. 

But if you’re reluctant about waiting for that long, you can check your pending payments on your Instacart app.

I’ll show you how in a bit. 

To check your tip: After you’ve marked the order delivered, you can wait a while and check the app. From Earnings go to Current Week, then to Date. You may have to scroll all the way down, and you’ll see “PENDING.” 

Tap on it to see the tip you’ve earned.

About 15 minutes later, tap on it again, and you’ll see it’s been paid. If you don’t have a direct deposit set up, you’ll be mailed a check. Note that you can’t withdraw tips using instant cashouts. It’s paid weekly. 

So, your earnings show up about 30-45 minutes on average after a batch’s been marked delivered. But don’t fret if it takes longer. It’ll show up.

How do I cash out instantly on Instacart?

On the Instacart app for Shoppers, there is a prominent, green Instant Cashout button to tap. Simply tap it to withdraw earned income as long as the minimum threshold of $5.00 has been met.

How much you’ve earned is on your “Earnings” page. You choose the full amount you’ve earned and withdraw it in full. It’s also displayed above the button.

Just follow the below guideline for more details about how Instacart instant pay works:

  1. Open the app. It looks like a green Instacart bag on a white background.
  2. Open the menu bar. You can access it via the hamburger menu in the top-left corner. Tap “Earnings,” tap “Earnings” again. It’s the first option in the drop-down list.
  3. Check out the “Earnings” screen/page. You’ll see “current balance” at the top, then a “cashout” button (it could be green or grey), and the “summary” section. It’s followed by transaction history.
  4. When the cashout button is green, it’s an indication that you’re eligible for payment. But when it’s grey, it shows you are ineligible. 
  5. The summary section shows a couple of things, such as the tips you earned and your payments (which includes bonuses, if you’ve earned them). But, note that you can’t withdraw your tips via Instant Cashout. It’s paid weekly.
  6. As you’d expect, transaction history shows a detailed listing of every transaction on your account, right from when you got started delivering for Instacart. If you tap the date of service, you can drill down to details about your earnings up to the most recent orders you delivered.
  7. You’ll also see the associated fee if you’ve been using instant cashouts. It’s $0.50 per transaction. There’s no limit to how often you can use it. Your Instacart payments are reported separately from your tips. (You own 100% of the tips, which are set, as of the time of writing at 5%). 
  8. There are also other highly informative summaries. Spend some time familiarizing yourself with them so that you’ll be able to access any info when you need them someday.

Ready to make more money than with Instacart? Consider DoorDash!

DoorDash is a great alternative to working for Instacart, and generally speaking, they pay better!

See how much you could be earning. Available in over 4,000 cities in the U.S., Canada, and Australia. All you need is a mode of transportation and a smartphone to start making money.

CLICK HERE to learn more about working for DoorDash!

How quickly do online tips get paid on Instacart?

Instacart tips are credited to a Shopper’s account within a few minutes of marking the batch as delivered. You can confirm the actual payment a few minutes later. But, note that, unlike regular payments, you can’t withdraw tips immediately via Instant Cashouts.

You’ll have to wait for a week before you can withdraw your tips. This is the situation as of the time of writing. Perhaps it could change in the future.

Tips are set at a base of 5%. So, a customer can decide to offer you more. The good thing is that you get to keep everything.

To know more about Instacart payments, check out a recent article of mine.

I explained how much Instacart pays, its pay structure when you’re paid, and whether you could make a good full-time income from it.

Just click the link to read it on my site.

Can I keep cash tips from Instacart?

Instacart Shoppers are allowed to keep all cash tips, as there is no tip pooling at Instacart, as is common in other aspects of the service industry.

And, there’s no need to report it.

Because it’s paid in cash, you also don’t have to wait for a week before you can access the fund. But, the decision to tip in cash or via the Instacart app rests with the customer.

Since you’re an independent contractor, is there some kind of “safety net” where you get paid some amount when you don’t get orders? 

This is the theme of a recent article of mine.

In it, I explained the categories of shoppers that work for Instacart and how a certain category of shoppers might be able to get a certain minimum earning if they meet some criteria. 

Just click the link to read it on my site.

Does DoorDash pay quicker than Instacart?

DoorDash does not pay quicker than Instacart. DoorDash does have an option, Fast Pay, that allows Dashers (its Shoppers) to get paid within a few minutes but the time frame is similar to Instacart’s.

That’s fast if you ask me. But Instacart’s Instant Cashout is also as quick.

You’ll have to have made 25 deliveries and to have been on their platform for 14 days after your account’s been activated before you qualify to use Fast Pay.

And, you’ll need a debit card (not a prepaid card) before you can use the service. There’s a $1.99 charge when you use Fast Pay.

With Instacart’s Instant Cashout, DoorDash has no significant advantage in terms of how quickly you can access your earnings.

You’re probably curious if Instacart is a way of earning a good full-time income.

Then, you’re in luck because that’s what I explored in a recent article. In it, I showed among other facts that you could earn about $28,000 per year. But, there are some who make a lot more.

Just click the link to read it on my site.

Ready to make more money than with Instacart? Consider DoorDash!

DoorDash is a great alternative to working for Instacart, and generally speaking, they pay better!

See how much you could be earning. Available in over 4,000 cities in the U.S., Canada, and Australia. All you need is a mode of transportation and a smartphone to start making money.

CLICK HERE to learn more about working for DoorDash!

Final Thoughts

Working as an independent contractor can be rewarding. 

Even if you’re not making a ton, you can earn something substantial. And, you’re in control of your schedule.

In the article, we looked at a feature that allows Instacart shoppers to get paid immediately. And, we checked out how DoorDash’s Fast Pay compares.

We also looked at what happens to online and cash tips and how long it takes to get paid. And, we explored the steps you need to use Instant cashouts and how earnings work in the app. 

Ready to get started as a Shopper with Instacart?

Just CLICK HERE to sign up now right on their website.

Photo which requires attribution:

Instacart_PwG_anim_02 by 姿穎 呂 is licensed under Public Domain and was cropped, edited, and placed on top of another image with a text overlay added.

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Jeff Campbell
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