The time-saving convenience Instacart offers makes it one of the most successful food delivery services available. However, not every business is perfect, and there may be times when there are problems with an order.

Are you an Instacart customer who has paid for a less than satisfactory delivery? If so, you are probably wondering how to get a refund.
Instacart has a refund policy if you have difficulties with your order. This article will show you the steps to take to get a reimbursement.
How to Get a Refund for an Order
There could be any number of legitimate reasons you want your money returned. Fortunately, Instacart is willing to get your funds back to you right away if you are unhappy with your order. Once you make a request, the process to issue your refund will begin immediately, but it’s subject to certain conditions such as:
- Your order contained spoiled or damaged items that are unusable.
- There are missing items that you were charged for on your final receipt.
- The shopper made poor replacements that you did not request.
- Your order was late or much earlier than expected.
One requirement is that your refund request must be made within seven days of your delivery or pick up. If you fall within these conditions, you can use the Instacart app or the Instacart website to do so. The app can be found in the App Store (iOS) or Google Play (Android).
Follow these steps to apply for a refund through the Instacart app:
- Download the app if you haven’t already done so and launch it.
- Tap “Your Orders” at the top left of the screen.
- Choose “Get Help” for the order you want to be refunded.
- Select the issue(s) you had with your order.
- Check whether you were charged for the item(s) with the issue.
- Indicate the item(s) affected.
- Tap “Refund.”
To ask for a refund on your order from the Instacart website:
- Sign in to your account.
- Go to “Your Orders” (3 horizontal lines at the top left).
- Click “Report a Problem” on the order that was affected.
- Choose whether you want to adjust your tip and rating.
- Select “Report an Issue” and state the issue with your order.
- Specify if you were charged for the items you want to be refunded.
- Pick the affected items.
- Click “Refund” and then “All Done.”
Instacart will send a confirmation email about your refund inquiry. Although Instacart processes your request immediately, the refund is not credited to your Instacart account. Instead, the funds are sent to your bank or credit card.
It may take 5-10 business days for your financial institution to deposit the money to your account. If you haven’t received your refund after 10 business days, contact Instacart Customer Service.
Same Day Refund for an Order
Depending on the issue, you may qualify for a refund on the same day. A refund must also be requested within 24 hours of the delivery of your order.
Instacart generates a digital receipt for every transaction, and you can quickly check to see if you received a same-day refund from this receipt. You can check this transaction from your mobile app or the website.
To open the digital receipt from the app:
- Select “Orders” (in the right bottom corner).
- Tap the order you want to see from the list of orders.
- Choose “Receipt.”
To open the digital receipt from the website:
- Go to “Your Orders” (in the top left corner).
- Select “View Order Detail” on the entry you want to view.
- Tap “View Receipt” at the top of the page.
The bottom of the receipt will show your charges for the order. If you received the refund, you’d see it at the bottom, along with a deduction from the total bill.
You can confirm the refund by checking your listed payment method. Look for the previous charge to be changed to the new Instacart total reflecting your refund.
You may need to contact Instacart Customer Care directly rather than use the app or website in certain situations. This includes:
- If you have received someone else’s order.
- Your refund is missing (and 10 business days have passed).
- There was a problem with the delivery driver.
- You want to delete your Instacart account completely.
To contact the company directly, call their Customer Care number. Or you can do a live chat by selecting “Get help” at the bottom of any Help Center article.
How to Cancel an Instacart Subscription and Get a Refund for the Remaining Time
Perhaps you’ve tried Instacart Express Membership and decided it’s not for you. You can cancel your Instacart subscription in a few easy steps. The conditions for getting a refund for the remaining time will follow the cancellation instructions below.
Once you cancel Instacart Express, your membership ends immediately. This is how to cancel the subscription from the Instacart app:
- Log in to your account.
- Select “Express Membership” from the menu at the top left of the screen.
- Tap “Cancel Membership” at the bottom of the page.
- Choose “Continue” and specify your reason for canceling.
- Confirm by clicking “Cancel.”
You can still keep your free account with Instacart if you choose to do so. However, you have to call Instacart customer service to close your account permanently. Once the account is closed, you can delete the app from your device.
Here’s how to cancel your subscription from the Instacart website:
- Sign in to your Instacart account.
- Tap “Account” or your name in the top right corner.
- Select “Change my Plan.”
- Choose “End Membership.”
- Click the “Continue to Cancel” option.
The website will display the date your membership ends on the “Express” page. However, you have the option to have a reminder sent to you three days before your membership is set to renew. If you change your mind about canceling, you can continue your plan instead.
How to Get a Refund for the Remaining Time
You can get a refund of your Instacart Express membership if it is canceled within the first 15 days after you pay for the subscription. The service will refund the entire fee (monthly or yearly) if you have not placed any orders.
Unfortunately, no membership refunds are given after 15 days of signing up. In this case, you will get free deliveries through the end of the billing period and have to decline membership renewal at that time.
Be sure to cancel your subscription ahead of time if you are nearing the end of your Instacart Express membership and have decided not to renew. If the membership automatically renews by mistake, you’ll have to request a refund within the 15-days-period or wait until the billing cycle ends.
Shopping the Old-Fashioned Way
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Instacart and other food delivery companies became the new normal way to shop for groceries in countless households. Their “no-contact” delivery option provided people with a measure of health safety.
As the world begins to “open” back up, shoppers are starting to flock into stores to shop the old-fashioned way again. However, since Instacart prioritizes providing good customer service, it remains a convenient shopping option with loyal customers.
Have you ordered groceries from Instacart or other food delivery services? Have you had any issues? How were they resolved? Let us know in the comments section below.
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