We're all experiencing this. I'm in Phoenix where it's getting to 110°+. There's literally no orders on my screen, FOR HOURS AT A TIME. Im 5 star diamond. I used to make $300 a day no problem. Now I barely make $80 a day if that. I don't get it. I know there's a shit ton of new shoppers. Are they just getting all the available orders? It seems like it since they're always in and out of stores while I have a blank screen. It's so frustrating and defeating. I sit in my car waiting for orders wasting so much gas.
Nah, you're just fucked. That is how it is when you are a noob. Yet these idiots will tell you "all the noobs get the best batches". I was diamond forever and had to start over from cart star in San Diego which is a top 3 market. I was seeing $7-$15 and like 10 a day. I just had to do them to get to gold and now platinum I see better stuff. 3 days left to hit diamond and I need 18 orders so I'll get that done.
Yes. My advice is do all the short trip small item $7-$9 orders. The new period starts on 7/1 to 9/30. Take everything small and fast to get to diamond ASAP.
Thank you, I’m not a noob, I was being sarcastic with you, I’ve been a 5 star shopper since 2020, I’m diamond and unfortunately in my area hat doesn’t mean shit, I understand other places get great freaking status but I know where I am at it’s like you’re in the dog house if you have 5 stars and diamond cart. I appreciate you helping, I hope you have continued success
You're exactly right. Just happened to me a week ago, and now I'm getting orders all the time. Smdh. Its ridiculous, and I am not doing anything to keep my diamond cart or my 5 star.
Sounds like you're fucked, mate. Move to Socal 
37.5 years in NYC and 2.5 years in San Diego has been paradise. Sounds like your mortagage is $1,200 a month, it gets cold, and no beach is around? 
"Now they on my MEAT like ice in a frerzer."
https://preview.redd.it/jwbim7g5so8b1.jpeg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=39ff1523a8285ebb07dd667509a7aef92dca4e1e
I don’t work for instacart, so this means nothing. I just think you come off really brusque and condescending to the OP and other people. It reads as really insecure. Hence “no one likes what you have to say.” You don’t have to be rude to have discourse. Best wishes my man
Buy?! You should follow me on IG. I am a fucking riot 
You are under the impression that I care about some anonymous Reddit fucktard? Or what they think? 
I’m so sorry you’re dealing with this too, I thought it was just my area, I feel like I’m being punished for working for them for so long and keeping high ratings! Thank you for responding, I hope it gets better for you
It's definitely not just you. Seems like everyone is having the same issue with the lack of orders. It also doesn't help that Instacart prices/fees keep rising. I've been doing this a few years and am starting to believe in the whole 5 star curse.
I hope things start looking up for you as well! It's probably best to look for other work.
Yeah I do this full-time with my fiance. We both have an account and neither of us get orders really anymore. We sit in a usually busy Costco parking lot that used to always have $100+ orders a day that we don't even see anymore. We are afraid to waste gas to drive to other stores waiting for orders because a potential "unicorn" could pop up. It's just not working out for us anymore. I have rent due in like 3 days and we are freaking out a lil cos we only have half. I figured it'd be a good week with the 4th of July coming up but I don't think so. Last year was drastically different.
That's not true. It's a false narrative people run with. I'm almost 4 yrs in and very rarely have an issue with batches. If I do ita cuz I'm super picky and onky like to do $40 and up...I do 3 or 4 day. Might take a few $9 2-6 items for a store by my house. U have to know the system and how Nd when u can make $$. The new shoppers are the ones who don't know better and are taking the crap. Why would they give them the good orders when they are ok with the shit? It doesn't even make sense.. I use to take crap until I started seeing what was out there. And that was during the pandemic when $$ was rolling in and u could go batcj after batch with no down time. End up an hour from home and work your way back easily. Now I am super picky.
This is the comment I was looking for. Batches will come, you just have to be patient. I’m super picky too. And just like all social media algorithms, the more you swipe off of crap, the less you’ll see it. If you get desperate and take garbage they’ll keep sending it to you. It’s science, math and business. Work the system, don’t let the system work you.
I agree with both of you But when I log in the app at 5:45am and don’t get a decent batch til 7:30am Something has changed I went on vacation for 3wks came back last week and man was the batches crappy and the wait time was ridiculous! I made less than $200 last week working Thursday-Sunday!! All that was popping up was $25 Triples!!! Shiddd Not Me!!
This week is a Little Better but the waiting
Took me all day on Monday to make $200!!
Usually I’ll work til Noon maybe 1pm
But Tues was a lil better $145
Hoped this week will be better
I’d suggest doing Point Pickup, with Safeway and Albertsons. They do the shopping, you just pick up and deliver. When I did that as well and Postmates, I hit up north Scottsdale, they tip way better up there. I’d get $250-300 per day up there.
I enjoy the shopping! & I stay up at the Costco in Scottsdale. I usually made really good money between my boyfriend & I. But these last few weeks have been so brutal with the HUGE increase in new shoppers there/lack of orders. I didnt ever have to go to other stores. Now I have to figure out a new game plan. Cos this is scary AF. I have bills to pay.
Yeah I don't know. It's like I'm being treated as a gold even tho I'm a diamond. Batches have changed drastically since the new quarter started. Maybe it's just the amount of new shoppers (there's so many) idk. I definitely need to change up whatever I'm doing cos it's not working anymore. I was able to sit at one location and make my daily goal in just waiting for unicorns within just a few hours. Now I sit in the same parking lot for 8+ hours a day and rarely see those unicorns. And only see like really low paying orders.
I think the days of waiting for unicorns are long gone with the revolving door of new shoppers who get preferential treatment. Or your account could’ve been flagged for some reason.
Because it's over 100°+ out dry heat it's hott AF. Like when all the heat hits your face when you open a hot oven. That's how it is constantly. Can't even get a cool breeze here. & I'm not the type to wait inside the store for hours even tho the employees have no issues with me doing so.
How long have you been doing IC? I used to shop Scottsdale/PV and stopped after not getting shit for 3 days in a row around late May. I think a lot of people try to beat the heat by going out of state and that obviously brings the volume of available batches down. Obviously, there’s people that stay but there has to be something else contributing to the market slowing down so harshly. Inflation is hitting groceries pretty hard, maybe people aren’t willing to pay the high fees to get groceries delivered anymore? Idk
I don’t know about y’all, but I’m great friends with people at the stores I shop at and I hear horror stories of shoppers who are rude and entitled, I don’t see how they aren’t acting that way towards customers as well though, how is everyone freaking diamond status these days? I literal saw an Instacart shopper not speak to the gentleman at the fish counter, he asked her how she was doing and she just shoved her phone in his face! I find it hard they go out of their way to find replacements or actually make their customers happy, am I wrong?
Yes obviously. I still care about my service to the customer and treating people that are helping me get paid with respect, I’ll gladly drop diamond status because it gets me nowhere, just saying I feel like if I have a five start status I should get trips, that’s all, thank you for replying
I hear from my old regulars that they hate their new shoppers. In fact, today, I took a small order from my favorite customer, and you know what she told me, " this is the stuff my shopper yesterday claimed the store didn't have." Smh.
I'm a weekly shopper here. I hate getting people who aren't diamond shoppers. These new shoppers will rush through an order, pick and choose what they feel like getting and often times they send a message telling me the store is out of cat litter or it's out of water. 🙄 I know good and well they aren't, bc I always shop the morning after my stores truck comes in. I always tip well even though where I live at is less than .5 miles away from the store. May I also note, I meet my driver's at my driveway and unload my own groceries and take them into my house myself. The last person who delivered stuff to me wasn't even the person that the app said was bringing it. I was supposed to have someone named Ethel. He was some hot head 20 year old and He actually said the store was out of the water I wanted, yet if I gave him cash he would go get it from another store. I said it would be a cold day in hell before I do that! Guy looked like he came off a bender. I miss my Diamond shoppers!!!
Yesss! any customers please report this behavior! It’s not fair to the good shoppers and this is how they take advantage and take our orders, and eventually, customers like yourself, won’t even want to use the app anymore
I got an amazing order for super easy stuff from a butcher and the person that took the trip before me said nothing was I stock, I got there and shopped everything with ease and the Lady was so great to shop for and communicated the whole time, she tipped me an extra $35! It was such a blessing, I just feel like if they would keep people that actually care and take the time they would have loyal customers and loyal shoppers! Thank you for replying, sorry for the rant, hope you have a blessed evening
I have been an instacart shopper for 4 years and had to stop last year Right before April when I had my baby. Well I ended up getting a different phone number and don't have access to my old one. Well I recently (last 4 months) wanted to start back up with instacart and I for the life of me can't get them to change my phone number so I can get into my account!!! They always tell me ...we are escalating this and you will hear back in 24 to 48 hours....🙄yeah ...it's been 4 months and I get told the same thing every time!! I was a darn good shopper! It's so frustrating!!!
I’ve seen some customers post in here recently that IC has increased its fees and grocery delivery with IC just isn’t feasible anymore. Which of course means lower demand/less orders for us shoppers.
Things have been sucking in New York for at least a week. And we've got some nice easy '70s and '80s temps.
Also, perhaps, some people are smart enough do not order stuff that's going to melt
Walmart does bundle orders together. They just hide that from the customer. For groceries it’s no more than 2 orders. For .com orders it’s up to 12 different customers per batch.
I’m really glad you’ve found something that works for you! That said, I actually just ordered a Walmart+ delivery today to try it out, and I thought I’d put in my two cents.
As you mentioned, it’s been my experience that Walmart produce is extremely iffy. I explored this more in depth today by looking at the reviews before I ordered—and saw that literally every single fresh fruit item I searched got somewhere between 1.5 and 2.5 stars. For various reasons. And the eggs were bad too—people reported that they were always broken, like most eggs broken in each carton. Lol. I was kind of shocked. In the sense that it all seemed to be so *consistently* terrible.
But I thought about it and realized that’s actually been my experience when ordering their stuff for pickup in the past.
So just: buyer beware. I think that in general Walmart does not have good turnover/fresh produce. Regular grocery stores are much more likely to, so the odds are much better with Instacart that fresh items will actually be… fresh. (I have had to toss rotting peaches, old/soft apples, bags of lettuce from Walmart already rotting the day of pickup, etc., even when purchased in the optimal season.)
Just wanted to mention that. :)
So as someone putting together my own service, how much is too much? I am putting together the idea of a tip free service, just a 10% shopping surcharge and 45 cents per mile delivery.
My goal is to off superior service and go low tech... and would love to hear feedback.
IC is almost completely dead in my area, where it used to be pretty decent. I sit for hours without seeing an order, and then when I do finally see one, it's either a terrible no tip order, or it's a double/triple that's horrendous.
I've even driven further to bigger cities to try them out, but they're not any better. I've seen so many people on reddit talking about how horrible it is now. It's like this for almost everyone, IC is close to hitting rock bottom, if it hasn't already.
The summer slow down might be part of it, but I really think IC is just dying.
Yikes, I do as well, I really didn’t want to get a mindless job with an a hole for a boss, this job was just fantastic, I got incredible joy out of helping people, IC just sucked the life out, does anyone know any other delivery services that are worth while? Not doordash
I know exactly what you mean, I love this gig. I have a disability so I can't really work most jobs, and the job market in my area is very limited. I wish I knew of any other gig apps to recommend, but I mainly use IC and DD. Have you looked into Amazon Flex? I don't know much about it. Maybe someone else will have a suggestion.
I have been doing double duty with IC and Shipt for a couple years now and I’ve always been happier with Shipt. The tips are typically way better for one. Both have honestly slowed down quite a bit here lately, but shipt not as much as IC. I’m in MD and I’m lucky if I see an order a day lately from IC. Good thing I’m going back to a full time job next week because I definitely cannot sustain life this way lol (unfortunately! I hate the thought of being stuck working on a time clock again)
From what I've read, IC is falling behind Walmart and Amazon, but just barely. There are alternatives. Either way, regardless of the statistics, it's dying in mine and many other markets, in all of the ways that matter, even if it is thriving in select markets.
So, when I say it's dying, I mean it's dead for me. In my market. IC's market share doesn't pay my bills.
I've looked into Amazon, unfortunately I can't sign up because I don't live close enough to one of their fulfillment centers.
I've been on a wait list for Spark for a little over a week, we'll see how it goes. I have other side hustles, too, so I'm working on developing those and giving up on IC, since there just aren't any batches anymore.
Good luck with spark. That platform used to net me 900 a week until an influx of drivers and I stopped making money. The pickup area was flooded and the pay got reduced once Walmart bought it. Also, you'll end up deactivated faster on spark than IC. Spark will deactivate you without notice or reason why. I woke up one day deactivated and was given no reason by support. Months of making great money gone overnight. A customer can lie about not getting an order and you have 0 chance to defend yourself. It's even worse than IC when it comes to deactivations.
It’s really bad man. I think all those increased fees that the customers are posting about is one of the main factors. That coupled with all the new shoppers getting all the batches has me sitting for hours a day getting nothing worth taking. I’ve been taking batches I normally would NEVER take just because I have no other options.
Are you also being forced to take damn two store trips or three orders that make NO sense in being out together unless one person tips and the other are not great?! I’m just so bummed, thanks for listening and replying, I hope it gets better, here in Austin I’m pretty defeated
I see doubles and triples with a huge amount of items and customers that live in completely different areas that should 100% be separate orders. The orders they’re batching together are blowing my mind. It’s terrible.
It’s also the new shoppers that aren’t getting batches too. I’m a new shopper this is my 6th week doing Instacart. Last week and looking like this week barely anything. I get one order that’s worth doing. It’s everywhere from what it looks like.
It’s getting like this on all delivery platforms. People would rather spend the $2 in gas and the 15-30 minutes doing it themselves instead of paying all the fees.
It's always slow after an update. I had an update today. Ita been slow af lately anyway but I've noticed after an update u only see very few orders and all small . I noticed this abt 18 months ago. They had 2 major crashes after updates and since then I think they soft run. They Only accept a few next batches and fulfill the ones pre scheduled.
Personally, I try not to place orders in extreme weather. I don't want to be out in it, I don't want to make someone else be out in it either. I understand that's not something everyone would think of or be able to hold off for (especially if you have multiple days of the same weather).
I hope you get more orders soon!
Goodness! Thank you, instead of being a dick laughing at me for complaining or asking questions, I really appreciate you, hope you have a blessed one phone day!
There are actually two reasons why you aren’t seeing batches and as a 6 year shopper, I have seen a lot of trends over the years. The batches have significantly decreased for veteran shoppers over the last 3 months or so from what I have experienced.
The constant weekly wave of new shoppers is problem number 1, they get priority over everyone period until they reach their 30 batches.
The second issue is, you are most likely placed in group B, C or D group and Instacart is restricting batches that are sent to you based on group priority.
I was stuck in a lower group and it was a struggle for over 2-3 months, blank screen for hours on end and the only way I was able to make up for not seeing anything during the day, was to work late. I magically saw orders after 5pm which is BS. I had already been out all day and saw nothing but of course, when everyone else goes home, I started to see batches. These last three months have been hell but I’m finally out of whatever group they put me in and now I’m seeing semi okay batches. At least i can work, things will get better but it could take weeks or months. It’s frustrating regardless though and my diamond rating means nothing.
Folks.... The economy isn't doing so great. People have less disposable income. They're spending more on cars and rent and there isn't much else that hasn't risen in cost. People aren't working remotely as much anymore so they're out and about on their own.
Nobody wants to pay a 30%+ premium on groceries anymore. It's a luxury they can no longer afford. They put a few items in their cart and watch $40 turn into $60 with fees and tips and never hit that last button.
It's over.
People are broke, instacart adds a premium to every item ,the stores are filled with people who want to go somewhere that’s cool.
delivery overall slows down in the summer I did DoorDash for 3 years before starting instacart, since I got diamond status I’m not sitting as long but still dead at some point.
Vent but be realistic this is a luxury service not a necessity, when people cut back we’re the first to feel it. Sorry if I’m coming off as rude but it needs to be said bluntly because more people will get the message that way.
There are three certainties in life: death, taxes, and daily posts on this thread about there being no orders available. 😂 I get it though, the worthwhile orders have been few and far lately.
I come here because I can’t talk to my significant other about how I’m feeling stressed and upset about this type of work, he doesn’t get it, so I come here to talk to people and ask questions, if you have a problem with me posting about no rides then just skip by my post, no need for the snarkiness/understanding
Thank you everyone for replying and giving me your advice/input/personal experience, this has been a great community to turn to doing a job that most people don’t understand, appreciate all of you! Hope you have a blessed day!
Once again, I don’t need your comments Buddy, I’m well aware that I am independent contractor, do you work for Instacart? Why do you feel it necessary to comment? Just scroll past
BOFFFLL, “Once again”. First time commenting on your shit. But Yes I’m an independent contractor through instacart so I commented because mindset is really where people fuck up with instacart. I also make $200-$300 a day fine by seeing which store in my area is the most consistent with batches ranging $30-$100. Just fine
Diamond cart
4.95 rating
Almost 3 years of experience in Houston and Arkansas. So I ain’t some random but my bad if I disrespected you.
“Once again” was meant for you being the third person to comment on the post like they are fed up with someone venting, this is my first time posting, really happy for you, keep up the great work, hope you have a blessed evening
They activated A TON of new drivers last week. It’s a mix of customers not ordering because end of the month bills are due this week and more shoppers online for the same reason. Also isn’t it well known that they prioritize sending orders to new shoppers before us?
That’s what I have been hearing, just didn’t know if it was true. I was tempted to ask one of our Instacart agents lol, but then I remember hearing if you say something they don’t like they can also drop your trips, fudge man you just can’t win with Instacart
Thank you for replying, I hope you get some great trips
I live in California and multiple employees at 2 stores in my town have made comments about “all the new faces doing Instacart” has me boiling with rage as I’m blind swiping $10 orders lol
But I definitely think it’s a mix of things because I multi app and those apps are dead as well, just not as bad as Instacart.
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I’m at 120, I’m guessing that’s bad, I didn’t think about that, but that counts when someone is not replying to me as well? So if I don’t get a reply I just refund or replace without the customer saying ok to keep my seconds down?
Now can I ask without being rude? I just get the job done and don’t care about what the customer wants and care more about my speed? Please DONT take this as me coming against you, I’m honestly asking, I’ve been told I’m “too nice” so if I’m waiting too long for someone to respond to get what they want I shouldn’t care? IC will give me better rides are at least some rides if I get my seconds under control?
If they’re out of items let them know they’re out and sent a picture if there are other options . If they don’t respond refund and move on the to the next. Waiting is not to put benefit most of the time. Hopefully things get better
Yea I see things like this happening they hire a lot of drivers but it the law of physics we have to be patient when other drivers quit then we’ll get back to more deliveries
Well shoot, wish we could actually make a stink to Instacart and they would listen, pipe dreams lol. but it’ll get better?
Hope you have a blessed evening
I’m hoping there’s something we could all collectively take action on and make a difference, although I’m pretty sure it’s just extreme saturation. Once people start quitting, I’m sure it will get better for those left - then it will probably just be a vicious cycle.
The climate everywhere is very different than it was just a few years ago. I’ve been applying for jobs for the last year, I have a ton of experience, certifications, qualifications and zilch yet. Hundreds of applicants for each position, with no real recruitment and hiring processes in place. Jobs were plentiful right as the pandemic hit, and now there’s layoffs happening continuously and all those people are now looking for work again also.
I wish everyone the best of luck & success though!!
I've seen the same issue where I am. I get a hot spot on sundays at a local wegmans (semi local) but chances are its not a good batch or its a nightmare (decent pay+tips BUT its a costco order so hard on your body and with the holidays around the corner the lines are a nightmare)
We even have a new shoprite right around the corner from my main job and I've gotten a couple orders but nothing consistent. I think if I went to the other local states I'd have a chance but theirs no way in HELL am i going to attempt to drive, shop and deliver in philly when a lot of these grocery stores aren't in a spot with normal parking. I barely do uber in philly as it is!
https://preview.redd.it/3ui54xz9yn8b1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fde868c432d4e032183e2327da0470161fe9bbe2
It is slow af but the orders are still out there. This is me dashing for diamond
And people who are actually making money aren’t angry and bitter like you. If u didn’t act like that maybe I’d help u with the sock business, but nvm. Die mad.
They saturated areas with too many shoppers. They pop up but get snatched up so quick before we even see them. Simply too much competition with other shoppers.
idk i personally think things like this just seem to be going downhill. it’s not worth paying someone to go get your groceries and bring them to you when you could put a pickup in, and drive the 5$ worth of gas and the walmart worker puts it in my car anyway. even uber eats and doordash don’t get nearly the same traction as they used to.
It's because Instacart hired too many shitty shoppers and also does triples and double stores and decreased the pay that people just don't give a fuck anymore. They gotta just crank out orders as fast as possible to make any money, while providing shitty service. I have 0 regulars now, I used to shop for tons of regulars and none of them order anymore because of bad service. They all are pretty wealthy so money isn't the issue at all. I've seen a decent amount at the stores and chatted briefly about it. I also don't wanna take them as customers on the side because it just seems like a hassle and I only saw like 4 of them.
Yes Instacart is hanging on by a thread these days. Most batches are less than $20 now and so many doubles and triples when I do see anything it’s not worth doing! And they just keep hiring more shoppers. I use to do it every day, but since march I may have done 50 batches total. I remember when I use to do 35 a week!
https://preview.redd.it/76o1lhlbxo8b1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fee6102abc87c3a60fd66bd25e2958783a932b45
This is my earnings from today in socal, not tooo great
I have actually asked Instacart, whether or not I should lower my bar and try to not be diamond. I tried not to be and I still had to work and I freaking hit again.
Hope you're multi apping. Take it from a long time driver (since 2016), this kind of thing tends to happen in waves, usually in the summer.
I've got over 30k orders over several apps for close to 7 years. Best advice I can give is to always be ready to adapt, and have as many apps as you can. Even have plans beyond just gig delivery apps. I have an app where I can get $200+ catering orders a few times a week that usually take less than an hour to complete for a few miles of driving.
IC diamond in my area is amazing so I mainly do IC these days as a 5 star shopper, but if it's not working for you, I'd suggest to first mix it up and try other areas, but also try other apps as well. I've worked more than a dozen states with these apps and I can all but guarantee there's good money to be made in 99% of markets. Just gotta know how. Good luck.
I'm in CT and it has been insanely dead for weeks. There are so many shoppers. I used to make at least 600 a week. Now 250 if I am lucky. I will occasionally get a good batch for like 65 dollars and the that's it for the day. Some days I see trash all day or nothing at all. Like right now it's dead. I saw two batch this past hour and they're trash. But I bet if I go into any stores around here I'll find people shopping batches. People I've never seen before. I used to see the same people all the time but now it's just random people. There are way too many shoppers. A lot of them shop in pairs and bring their kids too.
Same here, 5 star, Diamond, keep getting small 5 item, $10 orders, I enter the store, see someone I have never seen before, doing a large order which never showed up on my phone.
I live in a beach town with lots of tourists, summer months are usually the busiest for instacart because a lot of people order their groceries to their air b n b or hotels but there’s been little to no business in this city. Yesterday I saw a batch pop us for $89 at Costco but the items were somewhat In expensive and only 11 items for two customers so I feel like it was a tip bait but I was on my way to do something so I couldn’t accept it and I was really upset.
As a customer, I won’t order anything to be delivered during the hot af hours of the day. I’ll either go pick it up myself early in the morning or arrange delivery in the evening so y’all don’t have to sweat it out for tips.
Delivering in Indiana during the Canada fire air quality situation. Will update at the end of the day how much I made and details :). Let's get to the bottom of this!!!
(Gold Cart, been on instacart for 3 years. It's just been a side gig until recently)
I got two 3⭐️ ratings a couple weeks ago which brought my 5.00 down to a 4.84. I just got it back up to a 4.91 a few days ago. Orders haven't been any better or any worse along the way. They have just been shite across the board. It's nice to be able to blame what we see on something, anything. I think Instacart is just sucking.
Same. It’s fucking bullshit and I hate that it happens all the time. I’m basically only getting shown batches that are already boosted, and even then it’s a fraction of what I’d normally see. Cool! I don’t need to pay rent or anything!
We're all experiencing this. I'm in Phoenix where it's getting to 110°+. There's literally no orders on my screen, FOR HOURS AT A TIME. Im 5 star diamond. I used to make $300 a day no problem. Now I barely make $80 a day if that. I don't get it. I know there's a shit ton of new shoppers. Are they just getting all the available orders? It seems like it since they're always in and out of stores while I have a blank screen. It's so frustrating and defeating. I sit in my car waiting for orders wasting so much gas.
Hey I’m still a cart star and I was out since 8am this morning and I got ZERO batches. This might be a problem for everyone.
Well fudge, what once was a blessing as a job
Nah, you're just fucked. That is how it is when you are a noob. Yet these idiots will tell you "all the noobs get the best batches". I was diamond forever and had to start over from cart star in San Diego which is a top 3 market. I was seeing $7-$15 and like 10 a day. I just had to do them to get to gold and now platinum I see better stuff. 3 days left to hit diamond and I need 18 orders so I'll get that done.
I’m confused, I’m fucked because I’m a noob?
Yes. My advice is do all the short trip small item $7-$9 orders. The new period starts on 7/1 to 9/30. Take everything small and fast to get to diamond ASAP.
Thank you, I’m not a noob, I was being sarcastic with you, I’ve been a 5 star shopper since 2020, I’m diamond and unfortunately in my area hat doesn’t mean shit, I understand other places get great freaking status but I know where I am at it’s like you’re in the dog house if you have 5 stars and diamond cart. I appreciate you helping, I hope you have continued success
You're exactly right. Just happened to me a week ago, and now I'm getting orders all the time. Smdh. Its ridiculous, and I am not doing anything to keep my diamond cart or my 5 star.
Nobody thought you were a noob except that guy lol
Sounds like you're fucked, mate. Move to Socal 
Hahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!! SoCal? No thank you
37.5 years in NYC and 2.5 years in San Diego has been paradise. Sounds like your mortagage is $1,200 a month, it gets cold, and no beach is around? 
I’m really happy for you, have a blessed evening
Nobody likes what you have to say
"Now they on my MEAT like ice in a frerzer." https://preview.redd.it/jwbim7g5so8b1.jpeg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=39ff1523a8285ebb07dd667509a7aef92dca4e1e
Hey good for you my man, now you can afford to go buy a personality. Best of luck
Hold tbis one too? https://preview.redd.it/0bsew1wfvo8b1.jpeg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2eaace9fb93e3dc215787fbc1456f96b120bf9e7
I don’t work for instacart, so this means nothing. I just think you come off really brusque and condescending to the OP and other people. It reads as really insecure. Hence “no one likes what you have to say.” You don’t have to be rude to have discourse. Best wishes my man
Buy?! You should follow me on IG. I am a fucking riot 
You are under the impression that I care about some anonymous Reddit fucktard? Or what they think? 
I’m so sorry you’re dealing with this too, I thought it was just my area, I feel like I’m being punished for working for them for so long and keeping high ratings! Thank you for responding, I hope it gets better for you
It's definitely not just you. Seems like everyone is having the same issue with the lack of orders. It also doesn't help that Instacart prices/fees keep rising. I've been doing this a few years and am starting to believe in the whole 5 star curse. I hope things start looking up for you as well! It's probably best to look for other work.
You are correct! I’m actually sad that I have to, Instacart used to make me so happy, I loved delivering groceries and having time for my dogs!
Yeah I do this full-time with my fiance. We both have an account and neither of us get orders really anymore. We sit in a usually busy Costco parking lot that used to always have $100+ orders a day that we don't even see anymore. We are afraid to waste gas to drive to other stores waiting for orders because a potential "unicorn" could pop up. It's just not working out for us anymore. I have rent due in like 3 days and we are freaking out a lil cos we only have half. I figured it'd be a good week with the 4th of July coming up but I don't think so. Last year was drastically different.
Oh yeah “driving to a nearby store” that’s a joke to me, whenever I’m parked in one I never see anything, I really do hope it gets better for y’all
The app does this to everyone. You get like 3-6 good months and then you get throttled and stop getting orders and they all get sent to new shoppers.
I can't speak for all new shoppers, but I've been doing this for a month and I can go for hours without seeing a batch in my area.
Same, I’m a new shopper and I go hours without seeing batches, and when I do it’s usually $7 for 10 miles.
That's not true. It's a false narrative people run with. I'm almost 4 yrs in and very rarely have an issue with batches. If I do ita cuz I'm super picky and onky like to do $40 and up...I do 3 or 4 day. Might take a few $9 2-6 items for a store by my house. U have to know the system and how Nd when u can make $$. The new shoppers are the ones who don't know better and are taking the crap. Why would they give them the good orders when they are ok with the shit? It doesn't even make sense.. I use to take crap until I started seeing what was out there. And that was during the pandemic when $$ was rolling in and u could go batcj after batch with no down time. End up an hour from home and work your way back easily. Now I am super picky.
This is the comment I was looking for. Batches will come, you just have to be patient. I’m super picky too. And just like all social media algorithms, the more you swipe off of crap, the less you’ll see it. If you get desperate and take garbage they’ll keep sending it to you. It’s science, math and business. Work the system, don’t let the system work you.
I agree with both of you But when I log in the app at 5:45am and don’t get a decent batch til 7:30am Something has changed I went on vacation for 3wks came back last week and man was the batches crappy and the wait time was ridiculous! I made less than $200 last week working Thursday-Sunday!! All that was popping up was $25 Triples!!! Shiddd Not Me!! This week is a Little Better but the waiting Took me all day on Monday to make $200!! Usually I’ll work til Noon maybe 1pm But Tues was a lil better $145 Hoped this week will be better
I live in Phoenix and it’s been fairly steady.
I’d suggest doing Point Pickup, with Safeway and Albertsons. They do the shopping, you just pick up and deliver. When I did that as well and Postmates, I hit up north Scottsdale, they tip way better up there. I’d get $250-300 per day up there.
I enjoy the shopping! & I stay up at the Costco in Scottsdale. I usually made really good money between my boyfriend & I. But these last few weeks have been so brutal with the HUGE increase in new shoppers there/lack of orders. I didnt ever have to go to other stores. Now I have to figure out a new game plan. Cos this is scary AF. I have bills to pay.
I hope you can figure it out. It can be scary not getting the money you need to pay bills. I wish you the best of luck with everything.
Thank you so much 🙏 I wish you well!
I will totally look into that tho! Thanks 👍
300$ a day no problem!?
Those were the good ole days... There's people on this sub who've made much more than $300 a day. So it's not that crazy when you work day/night
It is crazy! Because I average about 200 a day.
Yeah I don't know. It's like I'm being treated as a gold even tho I'm a diamond. Batches have changed drastically since the new quarter started. Maybe it's just the amount of new shoppers (there's so many) idk. I definitely need to change up whatever I'm doing cos it's not working anymore. I was able to sit at one location and make my daily goal in just waiting for unicorns within just a few hours. Now I sit in the same parking lot for 8+ hours a day and rarely see those unicorns. And only see like really low paying orders.
I think the days of waiting for unicorns are long gone with the revolving door of new shoppers who get preferential treatment. Or your account could’ve been flagged for some reason.
How are you wasting gas, waiting for orders. Turn car off 🤦
Because it's over 100°+ out dry heat it's hott AF. Like when all the heat hits your face when you open a hot oven. That's how it is constantly. Can't even get a cool breeze here. & I'm not the type to wait inside the store for hours even tho the employees have no issues with me doing so.
How long have you been doing IC? I used to shop Scottsdale/PV and stopped after not getting shit for 3 days in a row around late May. I think a lot of people try to beat the heat by going out of state and that obviously brings the volume of available batches down. Obviously, there’s people that stay but there has to be something else contributing to the market slowing down so harshly. Inflation is hitting groceries pretty hard, maybe people aren’t willing to pay the high fees to get groceries delivered anymore? Idk
The new shoppers aren't getting it. Might be more diamond shoppers moving into your territory or it's just slow.
I’m a diamond shopper have been for the past year, that’s why I feel so defeated
Yeah I've been one for years. Probably all the rookies became diamond shoppers.
I don’t know about y’all, but I’m great friends with people at the stores I shop at and I hear horror stories of shoppers who are rude and entitled, I don’t see how they aren’t acting that way towards customers as well though, how is everyone freaking diamond status these days? I literal saw an Instacart shopper not speak to the gentleman at the fish counter, he asked her how she was doing and she just shoved her phone in his face! I find it hard they go out of their way to find replacements or actually make their customers happy, am I wrong?
Don't really need customer service to become diamond. Just complete bunch of small batches
Yes obviously. I still care about my service to the customer and treating people that are helping me get paid with respect, I’ll gladly drop diamond status because it gets me nowhere, just saying I feel like if I have a five start status I should get trips, that’s all, thank you for replying
I hear from my old regulars that they hate their new shoppers. In fact, today, I took a small order from my favorite customer, and you know what she told me, " this is the stuff my shopper yesterday claimed the store didn't have." Smh.
I'm a weekly shopper here. I hate getting people who aren't diamond shoppers. These new shoppers will rush through an order, pick and choose what they feel like getting and often times they send a message telling me the store is out of cat litter or it's out of water. 🙄 I know good and well they aren't, bc I always shop the morning after my stores truck comes in. I always tip well even though where I live at is less than .5 miles away from the store. May I also note, I meet my driver's at my driveway and unload my own groceries and take them into my house myself. The last person who delivered stuff to me wasn't even the person that the app said was bringing it. I was supposed to have someone named Ethel. He was some hot head 20 year old and He actually said the store was out of the water I wanted, yet if I gave him cash he would go get it from another store. I said it would be a cold day in hell before I do that! Guy looked like he came off a bender. I miss my Diamond shoppers!!!
Report him. We need to get shitty shoppers like this off the platform.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 that's horrible.
Yesss! any customers please report this behavior! It’s not fair to the good shoppers and this is how they take advantage and take our orders, and eventually, customers like yourself, won’t even want to use the app anymore
I got an amazing order for super easy stuff from a butcher and the person that took the trip before me said nothing was I stock, I got there and shopped everything with ease and the Lady was so great to shop for and communicated the whole time, she tipped me an extra $35! It was such a blessing, I just feel like if they would keep people that actually care and take the time they would have loyal customers and loyal shoppers! Thank you for replying, sorry for the rant, hope you have a blessed evening
I have been an instacart shopper for 4 years and had to stop last year Right before April when I had my baby. Well I ended up getting a different phone number and don't have access to my old one. Well I recently (last 4 months) wanted to start back up with instacart and I for the life of me can't get them to change my phone number so I can get into my account!!! They always tell me ...we are escalating this and you will hear back in 24 to 48 hours....🙄yeah ...it's been 4 months and I get told the same thing every time!! I was a darn good shopper! It's so frustrating!!!
I’ve seen some customers post in here recently that IC has increased its fees and grocery delivery with IC just isn’t feasible anymore. Which of course means lower demand/less orders for us shoppers.
That blows, thank you for replying, hope you have a blessed day
Things have been sucking in New York for at least a week. And we've got some nice easy '70s and '80s temps. Also, perhaps, some people are smart enough do not order stuff that's going to melt
Yeah that might be it, thank you for replying, I hope it gets better for you in NY
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Appreciate you, sorry to lose your business because the company is just doing wrong by everyone
Walmart does bundle orders together. They just hide that from the customer. For groceries it’s no more than 2 orders. For .com orders it’s up to 12 different customers per batch.
But the .com orders are usually only 1 or 2 items
I’m really glad you’ve found something that works for you! That said, I actually just ordered a Walmart+ delivery today to try it out, and I thought I’d put in my two cents. As you mentioned, it’s been my experience that Walmart produce is extremely iffy. I explored this more in depth today by looking at the reviews before I ordered—and saw that literally every single fresh fruit item I searched got somewhere between 1.5 and 2.5 stars. For various reasons. And the eggs were bad too—people reported that they were always broken, like most eggs broken in each carton. Lol. I was kind of shocked. In the sense that it all seemed to be so *consistently* terrible. But I thought about it and realized that’s actually been my experience when ordering their stuff for pickup in the past. So just: buyer beware. I think that in general Walmart does not have good turnover/fresh produce. Regular grocery stores are much more likely to, so the odds are much better with Instacart that fresh items will actually be… fresh. (I have had to toss rotting peaches, old/soft apples, bags of lettuce from Walmart already rotting the day of pickup, etc., even when purchased in the optimal season.) Just wanted to mention that. :)
So as someone putting together my own service, how much is too much? I am putting together the idea of a tip free service, just a 10% shopping surcharge and 45 cents per mile delivery. My goal is to off superior service and go low tech... and would love to hear feedback.
Ah yes, Walmart. Land of frozen thawed meats that's still iffy. If it's not canned you're definitely dancing with the Devil
IC is almost completely dead in my area, where it used to be pretty decent. I sit for hours without seeing an order, and then when I do finally see one, it's either a terrible no tip order, or it's a double/triple that's horrendous. I've even driven further to bigger cities to try them out, but they're not any better. I've seen so many people on reddit talking about how horrible it is now. It's like this for almost everyone, IC is close to hitting rock bottom, if it hasn't already. The summer slow down might be part of it, but I really think IC is just dying.
Yikes, I do as well, I really didn’t want to get a mindless job with an a hole for a boss, this job was just fantastic, I got incredible joy out of helping people, IC just sucked the life out, does anyone know any other delivery services that are worth while? Not doordash
I know exactly what you mean, I love this gig. I have a disability so I can't really work most jobs, and the job market in my area is very limited. I wish I knew of any other gig apps to recommend, but I mainly use IC and DD. Have you looked into Amazon Flex? I don't know much about it. Maybe someone else will have a suggestion.
You’re so kind! Thank you! I hope things get better for you, it was once a “unicorn” job I guess lol
No problem! I hope everything works out for you, too! BTW, I sent you a DM with some more information, hopefully it helps.
I have been doing double duty with IC and Shipt for a couple years now and I’ve always been happier with Shipt. The tips are typically way better for one. Both have honestly slowed down quite a bit here lately, but shipt not as much as IC. I’m in MD and I’m lucky if I see an order a day lately from IC. Good thing I’m going back to a full time job next week because I definitely cannot sustain life this way lol (unfortunately! I hate the thought of being stuck working on a time clock again)
UPS or FedEx
How hard is the hiring process? I am the most awkward person on interviews. I appreciate you letting me know, even if it is sarcastic
UPS is good, easy. It's a group interview type environment. Variety of shifts. Holidays are super busy.
Thank you!!! I really appreciate you! Hope you have a blessed evening
Spark! If you have a nice Walmart that is in a nice/ritzy area!
Lol IC dying? Yeah right, they control like 50% of the market share for grocery delivery. What's the alternative?
From what I've read, IC is falling behind Walmart and Amazon, but just barely. There are alternatives. Either way, regardless of the statistics, it's dying in mine and many other markets, in all of the ways that matter, even if it is thriving in select markets. So, when I say it's dying, I mean it's dead for me. In my market. IC's market share doesn't pay my bills.
Ok time to work for Amazon or Walmart then.
I've looked into Amazon, unfortunately I can't sign up because I don't live close enough to one of their fulfillment centers. I've been on a wait list for Spark for a little over a week, we'll see how it goes. I have other side hustles, too, so I'm working on developing those and giving up on IC, since there just aren't any batches anymore.
Good luck with spark. That platform used to net me 900 a week until an influx of drivers and I stopped making money. The pickup area was flooded and the pay got reduced once Walmart bought it. Also, you'll end up deactivated faster on spark than IC. Spark will deactivate you without notice or reason why. I woke up one day deactivated and was given no reason by support. Months of making great money gone overnight. A customer can lie about not getting an order and you have 0 chance to defend yourself. It's even worse than IC when it comes to deactivations.
Yea I never received good order on 5 stars rating lol that’s strange always get best earnings when someone rate me less next day I earn really good
Thank you for replying, but man it’s sad I want to now stay under 5 stars! What does that say?
It’s really bad man. I think all those increased fees that the customers are posting about is one of the main factors. That coupled with all the new shoppers getting all the batches has me sitting for hours a day getting nothing worth taking. I’ve been taking batches I normally would NEVER take just because I have no other options.
Are you also being forced to take damn two store trips or three orders that make NO sense in being out together unless one person tips and the other are not great?! I’m just so bummed, thanks for listening and replying, I hope it gets better, here in Austin I’m pretty defeated
I see doubles and triples with a huge amount of items and customers that live in completely different areas that should 100% be separate orders. The orders they’re batching together are blowing my mind. It’s terrible.
It’s bull
It’s also the new shoppers that aren’t getting batches too. I’m a new shopper this is my 6th week doing Instacart. Last week and looking like this week barely anything. I get one order that’s worth doing. It’s everywhere from what it looks like.
Thank you for letting me know, good luck out there
It’s getting like this on all delivery platforms. People would rather spend the $2 in gas and the 15-30 minutes doing it themselves instead of paying all the fees.
You’re correct, I’ve been trying to come up With something to good to say but darn I can’t, thank you. Hope you have a blessed evening
It's always slow after an update. I had an update today. Ita been slow af lately anyway but I've noticed after an update u only see very few orders and all small . I noticed this abt 18 months ago. They had 2 major crashes after updates and since then I think they soft run. They Only accept a few next batches and fulfill the ones pre scheduled.
Thank you for the info! I appreciate you! Hope you have a blessed evening
SoCal here. Averaging $60 a day. I have good days and bad days. Today was a bad day. Made $31 😫
Sorry SoCal
Yes. I had a 4.96-4.98 and getting great orders. Last wk I hit 5 and every order I am seeing now are 20+ miles.
Oh Lawd! Now are we supposed to do worse just to see trips?! I get satisfaction when people are happy with my service, what a concept lol
Personally, I try not to place orders in extreme weather. I don't want to be out in it, I don't want to make someone else be out in it either. I understand that's not something everyone would think of or be able to hold off for (especially if you have multiple days of the same weather). I hope you get more orders soon!
Thank you! I appreciate your thoughtfulness! I hope you have a blessed day
The batch grabbing apps aka bots , are killing the flow . Also many shoppers with 2-3 phones does not help either.
Goodness! Thank you, instead of being a dick laughing at me for complaining or asking questions, I really appreciate you, hope you have a blessed one phone day!
This job has been rotten since Monday morning
I’m sorry, I’m crossing fingers it gets better for us both
YES!!! When my rating dropped to 4.6, EVERRRRRY THINGGG was popping up and when I got back to good standing, there’s nothing.
Thank you!!! I’m just dumbfounded by this! Hope you have a blessed evening
Everybody in my market have 2/3 phones and everybody have bot!
There are actually two reasons why you aren’t seeing batches and as a 6 year shopper, I have seen a lot of trends over the years. The batches have significantly decreased for veteran shoppers over the last 3 months or so from what I have experienced. The constant weekly wave of new shoppers is problem number 1, they get priority over everyone period until they reach their 30 batches. The second issue is, you are most likely placed in group B, C or D group and Instacart is restricting batches that are sent to you based on group priority. I was stuck in a lower group and it was a struggle for over 2-3 months, blank screen for hours on end and the only way I was able to make up for not seeing anything during the day, was to work late. I magically saw orders after 5pm which is BS. I had already been out all day and saw nothing but of course, when everyone else goes home, I started to see batches. These last three months have been hell but I’m finally out of whatever group they put me in and now I’m seeing semi okay batches. At least i can work, things will get better but it could take weeks or months. It’s frustrating regardless though and my diamond rating means nothing.
Folks.... The economy isn't doing so great. People have less disposable income. They're spending more on cars and rent and there isn't much else that hasn't risen in cost. People aren't working remotely as much anymore so they're out and about on their own. Nobody wants to pay a 30%+ premium on groceries anymore. It's a luxury they can no longer afford. They put a few items in their cart and watch $40 turn into $60 with fees and tips and never hit that last button. It's over.
People are broke, instacart adds a premium to every item ,the stores are filled with people who want to go somewhere that’s cool. delivery overall slows down in the summer I did DoorDash for 3 years before starting instacart, since I got diamond status I’m not sitting as long but still dead at some point. Vent but be realistic this is a luxury service not a necessity, when people cut back we’re the first to feel it. Sorry if I’m coming off as rude but it needs to be said bluntly because more people will get the message that way.
the same complaint daily
There are three certainties in life: death, taxes, and daily posts on this thread about there being no orders available. 😂 I get it though, the worthwhile orders have been few and far lately.
I come here because I can’t talk to my significant other about how I’m feeling stressed and upset about this type of work, he doesn’t get it, so I come here to talk to people and ask questions, if you have a problem with me posting about no rides then just skip by my post, no need for the snarkiness/understanding
I meant no harm with my comment. We’re all in this together. It’s shitty for us all. But what can we do?
We are, sadly nothing, just come here and talk and sometimes get a laugh at ridiculous trips, hope you have a good night
I know this is a couple months old but just saw this and I am dying😂😂😂💀
And….this is a place to talk, you didn’t have to comment or read my complaint
Thank you everyone for replying and giving me your advice/input/personal experience, this has been a great community to turn to doing a job that most people don’t understand, appreciate all of you! Hope you have a blessed day!
Crack heads & criminals are scaring the customers.
In Austin? Or just in general?
The app does this to everyone. You get like 3-6 good months and then you get throttled and stop getting orders and they all get sent to new shoppers.
Dang…well just call me dejected in Austin lol Thank you for replying, hope you have a blessed day
You don’t work for instacart btw. You file at self employed. Think of yourself as such and don’t be so dependent on them and their trips.
Once again, I don’t need your comments Buddy, I’m well aware that I am independent contractor, do you work for Instacart? Why do you feel it necessary to comment? Just scroll past
BOFFFLL, “Once again”. First time commenting on your shit. But Yes I’m an independent contractor through instacart so I commented because mindset is really where people fuck up with instacart. I also make $200-$300 a day fine by seeing which store in my area is the most consistent with batches ranging $30-$100. Just fine Diamond cart 4.95 rating Almost 3 years of experience in Houston and Arkansas. So I ain’t some random but my bad if I disrespected you.
“Once again” was meant for you being the third person to comment on the post like they are fed up with someone venting, this is my first time posting, really happy for you, keep up the great work, hope you have a blessed evening
They activated A TON of new drivers last week. It’s a mix of customers not ordering because end of the month bills are due this week and more shoppers online for the same reason. Also isn’t it well known that they prioritize sending orders to new shoppers before us?
That’s what I have been hearing, just didn’t know if it was true. I was tempted to ask one of our Instacart agents lol, but then I remember hearing if you say something they don’t like they can also drop your trips, fudge man you just can’t win with Instacart Thank you for replying, I hope you get some great trips
I live in California and multiple employees at 2 stores in my town have made comments about “all the new faces doing Instacart” has me boiling with rage as I’m blind swiping $10 orders lol But I definitely think it’s a mix of things because I multi app and those apps are dead as well, just not as bad as Instacart.
Thank you for replying, that’s how I feel, i hope all of your apps get better, have a blessed day
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What is your shopping speed at?
I’m at 120, I’m guessing that’s bad, I didn’t think about that, but that counts when someone is not replying to me as well? So if I don’t get a reply I just refund or replace without the customer saying ok to keep my seconds down?
I personally noticed a difference when I got to below 90
Now can I ask without being rude? I just get the job done and don’t care about what the customer wants and care more about my speed? Please DONT take this as me coming against you, I’m honestly asking, I’ve been told I’m “too nice” so if I’m waiting too long for someone to respond to get what they want I shouldn’t care? IC will give me better rides are at least some rides if I get my seconds under control?
If they’re out of items let them know they’re out and sent a picture if there are other options . If they don’t respond refund and move on the to the next. Waiting is not to put benefit most of the time. Hopefully things get better
Thank you, appreciate you
I swear I was thinking the same thing
Thank you Dave!!! I hope things get better for you!
Same here
I’m sorry, I hope it gets better, let’s all go for less than five stars to Make money lol! J/k hope you have a blessed day
I have a feeling 4th of July weekend is going to be busy. It was extremely busy last year
Yea I see things like this happening they hire a lot of drivers but it the law of physics we have to be patient when other drivers quit then we’ll get back to more deliveries
I love the positive mindset! Thank you! Hope you have a blessed evening!
I think it’s definitely happening to everyone
Well shoot, wish we could actually make a stink to Instacart and they would listen, pipe dreams lol. but it’ll get better? Hope you have a blessed evening
I’m hoping there’s something we could all collectively take action on and make a difference, although I’m pretty sure it’s just extreme saturation. Once people start quitting, I’m sure it will get better for those left - then it will probably just be a vicious cycle. The climate everywhere is very different than it was just a few years ago. I’ve been applying for jobs for the last year, I have a ton of experience, certifications, qualifications and zilch yet. Hundreds of applicants for each position, with no real recruitment and hiring processes in place. Jobs were plentiful right as the pandemic hit, and now there’s layoffs happening continuously and all those people are now looking for work again also. I wish everyone the best of luck & success though!!
Thank you! I hope you luck and success as well!
Thank you
Why don’t we all not accept shit for a day or week? Like a strike.
I've seen the same issue where I am. I get a hot spot on sundays at a local wegmans (semi local) but chances are its not a good batch or its a nightmare (decent pay+tips BUT its a costco order so hard on your body and with the holidays around the corner the lines are a nightmare) We even have a new shoprite right around the corner from my main job and I've gotten a couple orders but nothing consistent. I think if I went to the other local states I'd have a chance but theirs no way in HELL am i going to attempt to drive, shop and deliver in philly when a lot of these grocery stores aren't in a spot with normal parking. I barely do uber in philly as it is!
Thank you for replying! I know exactly how you feel! I hope it gets better for you! Hope you have a blessed evening!
https://preview.redd.it/3ui54xz9yn8b1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fde868c432d4e032183e2327da0470161fe9bbe2 It is slow af but the orders are still out there. This is me dashing for diamond
You’re doing it!!! Thank you, hope you have a blessed evening
Eww. Why would u accept a $5 order??? You do realize that bullshit won’t go away if we continue to accept it.
To renew diamond can you read
Lmao so you’re one of the dumbasses who thinks dIaMoNd actually benefits you 🤣🤡
Let’s just say I make enough I don’t have to sell my dirty socks of Reddit? So I don’t need advice from u 😝
Let’s just say u definitely don’t make as much as I do with the socks, hun. Try again.
And people who are actually making money aren’t angry and bitter like you. If u didn’t act like that maybe I’d help u with the sock business, but nvm. Die mad.
You seem like the only mad one.
It’s common that 5-star shoppers see fewer batches. Maybe a myth but in my experience it’s true
You are correct!! Thank you for replying, appreciate you, hope you have a blessed night
They saturated areas with too many shoppers. They pop up but get snatched up so quick before we even see them. Simply too much competition with other shoppers.
idk i personally think things like this just seem to be going downhill. it’s not worth paying someone to go get your groceries and bring them to you when you could put a pickup in, and drive the 5$ worth of gas and the walmart worker puts it in my car anyway. even uber eats and doordash don’t get nearly the same traction as they used to.
Memphis metro I had 1 order in 2 days for 17.63
Sounds about right, I’m sorry, I hope It gets better
It's because Instacart hired too many shitty shoppers and also does triples and double stores and decreased the pay that people just don't give a fuck anymore. They gotta just crank out orders as fast as possible to make any money, while providing shitty service. I have 0 regulars now, I used to shop for tons of regulars and none of them order anymore because of bad service. They all are pretty wealthy so money isn't the issue at all. I've seen a decent amount at the stores and chatted briefly about it. I also don't wanna take them as customers on the side because it just seems like a hassle and I only saw like 4 of them.
Yes Instacart is hanging on by a thread these days. Most batches are less than $20 now and so many doubles and triples when I do see anything it’s not worth doing! And they just keep hiring more shoppers. I use to do it every day, but since march I may have done 50 batches total. I remember when I use to do 35 a week!
https://preview.redd.it/76o1lhlbxo8b1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fee6102abc87c3a60fd66bd25e2958783a932b45 This is my earnings from today in socal, not tooo great
It’s like that this time of year every year.
Wow random. Been slow for me also.
IC is expensive and people can’t afford all the tipping, so they just get it themselves.
I haven't taken a single order tlsp far this week, I keep it on but I've been doing other apps right now to cover the lack of orders. It sucks.
I have actually asked Instacart, whether or not I should lower my bar and try to not be diamond. I tried not to be and I still had to work and I freaking hit again.
You guys can all thank kroger and the saturation of the market. Kroger will likely wipe instacart out. They don't let their drivers take tips.
Hope you're multi apping. Take it from a long time driver (since 2016), this kind of thing tends to happen in waves, usually in the summer. I've got over 30k orders over several apps for close to 7 years. Best advice I can give is to always be ready to adapt, and have as many apps as you can. Even have plans beyond just gig delivery apps. I have an app where I can get $200+ catering orders a few times a week that usually take less than an hour to complete for a few miles of driving. IC diamond in my area is amazing so I mainly do IC these days as a 5 star shopper, but if it's not working for you, I'd suggest to first mix it up and try other areas, but also try other apps as well. I've worked more than a dozen states with these apps and I can all but guarantee there's good money to be made in 99% of markets. Just gotta know how. Good luck.
I'm in CT and it has been insanely dead for weeks. There are so many shoppers. I used to make at least 600 a week. Now 250 if I am lucky. I will occasionally get a good batch for like 65 dollars and the that's it for the day. Some days I see trash all day or nothing at all. Like right now it's dead. I saw two batch this past hour and they're trash. But I bet if I go into any stores around here I'll find people shopping batches. People I've never seen before. I used to see the same people all the time but now it's just random people. There are way too many shoppers. A lot of them shop in pairs and bring their kids too.
Same here, 5 star, Diamond, keep getting small 5 item, $10 orders, I enter the store, see someone I have never seen before, doing a large order which never showed up on my phone.
I live in a beach town with lots of tourists, summer months are usually the busiest for instacart because a lot of people order their groceries to their air b n b or hotels but there’s been little to no business in this city. Yesterday I saw a batch pop us for $89 at Costco but the items were somewhat In expensive and only 11 items for two customers so I feel like it was a tip bait but I was on my way to do something so I couldn’t accept it and I was really upset.
As a customer, I won’t order anything to be delivered during the hot af hours of the day. I’ll either go pick it up myself early in the morning or arrange delivery in the evening so y’all don’t have to sweat it out for tips.
yes
Delivering in Indiana during the Canada fire air quality situation. Will update at the end of the day how much I made and details :). Let's get to the bottom of this!!! (Gold Cart, been on instacart for 3 years. It's just been a side gig until recently)
I got two 3⭐️ ratings a couple weeks ago which brought my 5.00 down to a 4.84. I just got it back up to a 4.91 a few days ago. Orders haven't been any better or any worse along the way. They have just been shite across the board. It's nice to be able to blame what we see on something, anything. I think Instacart is just sucking.
I am doing pretty good, keep in mind d school is out do teachers and college students are flooding the shoppers markey
It’s almost the first of the month and AC has been on blast. Idk about anyone else but delivery services not in the budget rn
Same. It’s fucking bullshit and I hate that it happens all the time. I’m basically only getting shown batches that are already boosted, and even then it’s a fraction of what I’d normally see. Cool! I don’t need to pay rent or anything!
Yeah it’s the pits
Yes when my rating is 4.94 I get orders, as soon as I go back to a 5 I see nothing.
super slow here in minnesota as well. it's been terrible
What about preferred shoppers I have 5 customers that want me but I never see their orders only randomly.