Instacart upgrades shopper rewards program
A year after introducing incentives for its delivery personnel, Instacart is expanding the offering.
In July 2022, Instacart rolled out Cart Star, a rewards program for its shoppers (Instacart’s term for workers who fulfill online customer orders at partner brick-and-mortar stores). Cart Star offers incentives via three tiers: Gold, Platinum, or Diamond Cart.
After collecting shopper feedback, Instacart is updating the rewards for its three existing Cart Star tiers and introducing a new feature for its most experienced delivery personnel. A brief overview of the three expanded tiers and new Platinum Protection offering follow:
Gold Cart
Through a partnership with cash back app Upside, shoppers will now earn an increased savings of up to 30 cents per gallon cash back at thousands of participating gas stations nationwide. Gold Cart shoppers will also continue to have access to an extra 25% off on oil changes through CarAdvise, along with discounts on other automobile maintenance.
Platinum Cart
Platinum Cart shoppers will now earn an increased savings of up to 35 cents per gallon cash back through Upside. In additionally, they will now have access to up to four days of in-home care for children, seniors, and pets for $1 per hour ($1.27 per hour in Canada) and $10 per day for in-center care ($12.70 per day in Canada) through Care.com. Platinum Cart members will also continue to have access to an extra 50% off on oil changes through CarAdvise, as well as have their Cart Star status visible to customers in-app.
Diamond Cart
Diamond Cart shoppers will now earn an increased savings of 75% off on oil changes through CarAdvise, and up to 35 cents per gallon cash back through Upside. They will also continue to receive priority access to batches before stores open or when they are closer to the store; access to up to four days of in-home care for children, seniors, and pets through Care.com at the same rates as Platinum Cart members; and have their Cart Star status visible to customers in-app.
Platinum Protection
To reward shoppers who have completed at least 4,000 orders, Instacart is introducing a feature called Platinum Protection. With Platinum Protection, shoppers will not drop below Platinum Cart status as long as they have completed a minimum of 4,000 lifetime orders and have taken at least one order in the last three months, as well as maintained a 4.7 rating.
These new features will be available starting Saturday, July 1, at the beginning of the new rewards period.
“We've seen firsthand the positive impact the Cart Star program has had on shoppers’ experience with Instacart – from increased recognition to cost savings on important expenses like gas, car maintenance, child and senior care, and more,” said John Adams, VP of shopper & fulfillment product at Instacart. “We’re excited to introduce updates that build upon our existing rewards and make them even more valuable to shoppers, as well as launch a new feature that celebrates some of the most experienced shoppers for their continued commitment to Instacart.”
Instacart partners with more than 800 national, regional, and local retail brands to facilitate online shopping, delivery and pickup services from more than 70,000 stores across more than 5,500 cities in North America.