Instacart announces rewards program

Instacart keeps getting better and batter. The leading grocery technology company in North America, today announced the introduction of Cart Star, a new shopper rewards program that will invite shoppers to get recognized for their hard work on the platform.

The Cart Star program will offer impactful incentives via three tiers: Gold, Platinum, or Diamond Cart. Every qualifying shopper in the Cart Star program will receive tailored rewards and offerings through third-party partners as well as directly within the Instacart platform.

"Shoppers are an important part of the Instacart community, helping us invite the world to share love through food," said Tom Maguire, Vice President of Operations & Care at Instacart. "They balance empathy and efficiency with communication and problem-solving, and we're thrilled to unveil our Cart Star program to recognize top shoppers with impactful incentives that help them stand out to their customers, improve their access to earnings, and reach their personal goals."

To qualify for Cart Star, shoppers will accumulate points based on the number of orders they fulfill, earning 10 points per customer order they shop or deliver. Gold Cart shoppers will have earned 200 points, Platinum Cart will have earned 1,000 points, and Diamond Cart will have earned 2,000 points within the same three-month qualifying period. Shoppers must also maintain a 4.7 average customer rating to have access to the program.

"Our new Cart Star program was developed to celebrate and recognize top shoppers, delivering unique offerings and in-app functionality to enhance their shopper experience," said John Adams, Vice President of Shopper & Fulfillment Product at Instacart. "These new updates will reward top shoppers by increasing their access to batches and giving them more opportunities to earn. We look forward to continuing to build on each of our commitments to deliver an even better app experience for shoppers in the future."

To support shoppers on the platform, Instacart is partnering with additional rewards providers, including Care.com to help shoppers with Backup Care for their loved ones when it's needed. Diamond Cart shoppers will have access to two days of Backup Care per quarter, for the cost of $1 per hour or $10 per day. If a shopper has unexpected caregiving needs for a child, senior, or pet, they can use Care.com for Backup Care.

"Instacart shoppers go above and beyond to serve their customers and communities with empathy, kindness, and dependability," said Ralph Bershefsky, Vice President, Client Services at Care for Business. "We know that in addition to the support they give to customers in their local communities, shoppers often have caregiving responsibilities at home, and we are excited to partner with Instacart to lend an extra helping hand when they may need it."

Shoppers at all levels of the Cart Star program will have access to cash back on gas and car maintenance discounts via partnerships with Upside and CarAdvise, respectively. With Upside, Gold Cart shoppers can receive up to 29 cents per gallon cash back at thousands of participating gas stations nationwide, while Platinum and Diamond Cart shoppers can receive up to 33 cents per gallon cash back. In addition to already discounted prices, Instacart's partnership with CarAdvise gives Gold Cart shoppers an extra 25% off an oil change, and Platinum and Diamond Cart shoppers an extra 50% off an oil change.

Instacart is also delivering enhanced in-app functionality for shoppers at various levels of the Cart Star program to help them increase their access to earnings and batches on the platform. Platinum and Diamond Cart shoppers will receive recognition in the Instacart app, indicating to customers when their shopper has achieved this status along with helpful information like number of orders shopped and how long the shopper has been on the platform. In testing, customers who saw a top shopper badge on their shopper's profile were more likely to leave a higher rating and higher tip for their shopper.

In addition, Diamond Cart shoppers who are within close range of a store's location, as shown by a highlighted area in the Shopper app, will get priority access to batches. They will also get exclusive early access to batches with the ability to accept batches before stores open.

The Cart Star program was developed as a result of shopper feedback, and is focused on Instacart's commitment of recognition and rewards for the best of the bunch. This announcement is the fourth and final in Instacart's multi-month rollout of new commitments to the shopper community, following support while you shop and beyond in March, ingredients to earn on your terms in April, and a community built on best intent in May.