We make it easy to find items from your favorite retailers and have them delivered right to your door.   

Placing an order

To place an order—

  1. Find your item. Search for specific items or browse by department. We also make recommendations based on what you’ve bought before or what’s popular in your area.
  2. Add items to your cart. Spotted something you like? Add it to your cart by selecting +Add or Add to Cart. Adjust the item quantity by using the + or - buttons. You can add items to your cart without signing up for an Instacart account. You’ll need an account to check out. Please note, you can't place delivery orders with beverages that exceed 400 pounds. 
  3. Review your cart. You can check what’s already in your cart by selecting the green Cart icon. Look for the next available delivery time and how much you may need to add to reach any order minimums. You can also view your item total, adjust quantities, or remove items from your cart.
  4. Confirm your order details. When you’re ready to check out, go to your cart and select the green Go to Checkout button. You may need to enter your email address and select Create Account if you don’t have an Instacart account yet. If you have items in your cart from more than one store, you must choose a separate delivery window for each store. You can schedule delivery for as fast as an hour or for later in the day or week to fit your schedule. Select between—
    • A specific delivery window.
    • Our Fast & Flexible delivery option, which puts you on standby for the next available shopper within the estimated delivery window.
    • Priority delivery, which typically arrives in 60 minutes or less from when you place the order depending on what area you live in.
  5. Place your order. Add a delivery address and payment information, then place your order. Your groceries will be on their way in no time.

Check out this step-by-step guide to create your account and place your first order.

Can’t find an item?

If you can’t find what you’re looking for, try—

Searching

Use the search box in the app or on the website. Try searching for 1 keyword (for example, searching for watermelon instead of watermelon slices).

Adding a special request

If you still can’t find the item you want—

  1. Select Add a special request at the bottom of the search results page.
  2. Give us as many details as you can about the item, including the quantity. Adding a photo is optional but can help your shopper find the item.
  3. Check to make sure the item isn’t included in the Items not available for delivery section below.

Items not available for delivery

Please keep in mind that there are some items that aren’t available at all retailers and markets. In general, our catalog doesn’t include—

  • Pet animals
  • Tobacco products, including e-cigarettes and vapes
  • Donations
  • Drugs containing controlled substances such as pseudoephedrine, opioids, and methamphetamine
  • Postage stamps
  • Rug doctor
  • Microsoft Office software
  • Lottery Tickets, scratch cards, and scratch-off tickets
  • Weapons and weapon supplies
  • Fireworks and sparklers
  • Dry ice
  • Hazmat chemicals
  • Helium tanks
  • Retailers may also have size, weight, or price restrictions on certain items.
  • Beverage orders exceeding 400 pounds 

Item availability and terms are subject to change without notice. Alcohol is not available at all retailers and markets, and we cannot fulfill special requests for alcohol items if alcohol was not requested as part of the original order. Repeated attempts to order prohibited items could result in account deactivation.