Instacart full-service shopper

The batch & the store

• Excuse me, where can I find the almond milk? — Your fastest tool in a big store. Instead of wandering, ask a staff member and name the item clearly. A ten-second question saves ten minutes of searching — and your time is your pay.
• It's on aisle 7, on the left. — A staff member directing you. The key words are the aisle number and left/right. If you're unsure, repeat it back: 'Aisle 7, thanks.'
• Is there any more of this in the back? — Ask this when a shelf is empty but the item might be in storage. Worth checking before you mark it out of stock — staff can often grab more from the back.
• Please pick ripe but firm avocados. — Customers leave item instructions in the app — read and follow each one. Picking exactly what they asked for (ripe, a certain brand, a size) is what earns good ratings.
• I'll weigh these and enter the amount. — For by-weight items (produce, deli meat), weigh them in the store and enter or scan the amount as the app directs. Match the quantity the customer ordered.
• Yes, I'm shopping for Instacart. — Staff or a customer may ask if you're an Instacart shopper. A simple yes is enough; some stores have a special lane or pickup area for you.
• Could you point me to the frozen section? — A broader version when you're not sure where a whole category is. Naming the section ('frozen,' 'dairy,' 'produce') gets you moving in the right direction fast.

Replacements & customer chat

• Best match / Specific item / Refund — When an item is out of stock, your app shows what the customer chose. 'Best match' = you pick a good substitute; 'Specific item' = they already chose the replacement; 'Refund' = don't replace, just refund. Follow the one they set.
• They're out of the 2% milk — is whole milk okay, or should I refund it? — When there's no clear replacement, message the customer with a substitute and a refund option. This one quick chat prevents most bad ratings on a batch.
• I'll scan a couple of options for you to pick. — You can scan up to three candidate replacements in the app; the customer gets a notification and approves one with a tap — so you often don't need to chat at all.
• No substitutions, just refund it. — The customer replying in the chat. Do exactly what they say — refund the item, don't substitute. Following their word here builds trust.
• Here's a photo — is this size okay? — You can send a photo in the chat to check a size, a brand, or how ripe the produce is. A picture answers a question faster than words.
• They only had the larger size — let me know if that works. — Be upfront about a size or price difference instead of guessing. Telling the customer so it's not a surprise reads far better than a silent swap.
• Only alcohol can replace alcohol. — If a specific beer or wine is out of stock, you can only substitute another alcohol item — never a non-alcohol product for an alcohol one. This is a firm rule.

Checkout & payment

• I'm checking out an Instacart order — I'll pay with the Instacart card. — At the register you pay with the Instacart payment card, which is pre-loaded with the order amount. You never pay out of your own pocket.
• Is this all one order? — A cashier asking how to ring it up. 'Yes, it's all one order' keeps it simple and quick.
• It's an Instacart card — it should go through. — If a cashier is unsure about the card, this reassures them; it runs like a normal card, or through Instacart Mobile Checkout (Apple/Google Pay) where the store allows it.
• The card was declined. — If the Instacart card is declined, do NOT pay with your own money. Contact Instacart support through the app — the card is funded for this order, so a decline usually means a step to redo or a quick support fix.
• Here's the membership for this order. — Warehouse stores like Costco may need a membership scanned at checkout — the app provides one. Follow the app's Costco steps, and note you can't use Apple/Google Pay there, only the Instacart card.
• You're all set. — The cashier saying the order is paid and done. Move on to bagging and heading to your car for delivery.
• Could I get a few extra bags, please? — A small, normal request so you can carry the order safely to the car and to the customer's door without bags tearing.

Delivery & alcohol ID

• Leave at My Door / Hand to Me — Your app shows how the customer wants delivery. 'Leave at My Door' = set the bags down and take a photo; 'Hand to Me' = give them to the customer in person. Follow the one they chose.
• I'll leave your groceries at the door and send a photo. — For a Leave at My Door order, place the bags neatly, then take a photo — it shares the photo, your location, and the time with the customer as proof of delivery.
• Hi, I'm here with your Instacart order. — For a Hand to Me order, let the customer know you've arrived. If they don't answer within the app's wait time (about 10 minutes), it may let you leave it at the door instead of returning it.
• What's your gate code? I can't get in. — Text or call the customer when a gated complex has no code in the delivery notes. Read the notes first — customers often leave a gate code, a floor, or a drop spot there before you even arrive.
• This order has alcohol, so I'll need to scan your ID. — 🔴 For alcohol you verify the customer's ID at the door — usually by scanning it in the app. In California, and at Costco and Walmart, you MUST scan (manual entry isn't allowed). The customer must be 21 or older.
• I'm sorry, I can't hand over the alcohol without a valid ID. — If the person is under 21, has no valid ID, or seems intoxicated, you refuse the alcohol, refund it, and return it to the store. Alcohol can never be left at the door.
• A driver's license or state ID works — a passport too, except at Costco or Walmart. — Accepted IDs are US photo IDs. A green card or passport is NOT accepted at Costco or Walmart. If you're unsure, the app tells you what's valid for that order.
• No one's here with an ID for the alcohol, so it goes back to the store. — When an alcohol delivery can't be verified, you don't leave it — you refund it and return it to the store, and the app guides you through it. You can still complete the rest of the order.

Ratings, support & appeals

• I delivered everything on the order and have the receipt and a delivery photo — this missing-item claim isn't correct. Please review. — A customer sometimes falsely reports a missing item. Keep your receipt and your delivery photo; state calmly that you delivered the full order and have proof, and ask for a review.
• My rating dropped from a batch that wasn't my fault — can it be reviewed? — If a low rating feels unfair, you can contact support about it. Instacart says some low ratings are excluded automatically — for example in bad weather or store stock issues — so one bad rating isn't the end.
• My account was deactivated. I did not break the rules — here is my evidence. Please review and reinstate me. — Appeal by replying to the Trust & Safety deactivation email, or through in-app Help (tap the '?' then the headset icon). Attach evidence, like photos of completed batches.
• I need to reach Instacart support. — Reach support in the app — tap the headset icon (or '?' / Help) and choose live chat or a phone callback. The Care and Trust & Safety teams are available 24/7.
• We've noted this on your account. — Support confirming they recorded your report. Ask them to confirm it in writing in the chat so you keep your own record of what was said.
• I did the shop as ordered and kept the receipt. — Sometimes a big tip shown up front is lowered after delivery ('tip baiting'). You can't control it, but a clean shop and your saved records are your best response — don't let it change how you treat the next customer.
• I have the receipt and the delivery photo saved. — Naming your evidence early frames any dispute. Keep your receipts and delivery photos for every batch — they're what turn a false claim around.
• You forgot my eggs! — A customer message claiming a missing item. Check your records; if you delivered it, reply calmly with your proof and let support handle a genuine mistake — don't argue in the chat.

Staying safe: on the road & at the door

• 911, what's your emergency? — The first thing the 911 dispatcher says when you call. Don't wait for a perfect sentence — answer in a few plain words: 'There's been a car accident.' If you freeze or hang up, help isn't sent. Speaking slowly and clearly matters more than grammar.
• There's been an accident. No one's hurt. — Use this when you've crashed but everyone is okay. Say the situation first, then the injury status — the dispatcher needs both. If you skip 'No one's hurt,' they may send an ambulance you don't need. Keep it short and factual; don't apologize or explain who caused it.
• Someone's hurt — we need an ambulance. — Use this the moment anyone is injured — you, another driver, or a pedestrian. As a shopper you drive to the store and to the door, so a crash is a real risk. This is the most important line: if someone is hurt, calling 911 comes before photos, before the app, before everything. Don't move an injured person.
• What's your location? — The dispatcher asks so responders can find you. Read a street address, a store name, or two cross streets. If you don't know, say what you see — a store sign, a highway exit number. Don't just name the neighborhood.
• I need emergency help — I'm using the emergency call in the app. — 🔴 Instacart has an in-app emergency call in the Safety Hub: when you use it, it shares your location with emergency services and a 24/7 safety team to speed up help. For any life-threatening emergency, calling 911 directly from your phone always works too.
• This address doesn't feel safe — I'm leaving and reporting it. — Trust your gut. If a delivery or an area feels unsafe, you can leave, and you can report it to Instacart's Trust & Safety team through the app. No order is worth your safety, and ratings affected by a safety situation can be removed.
• Safety alert: avoid the area near there. — Instacart's Shopper Safety Alerts warn you in near-real-time about a major incident nearby so you can avoid it; if you're on an order, the app may pause it to keep you out of the area. Take these alerts seriously and steer clear.
• Can I get your insurance and license, please? — Say this to the other driver after a crash to swap details — you both need each other's insurance to file a claim. It's a normal step, not an accusation. If they refuse or try to leave, note the license plate and let the police handle it.
• Are you okay? — The other driver or a bystander asking if you're hurt — not an admission of fault, not a trick. Answer honestly: 'I'm okay' or 'I think I'm hurt.' If you're shaken, 'Give me a second' is fine. Don't answer 'It was your fault.'
• I'm going to take some photos for the record. — Say this before photographing so others know you're documenting, not being aggressive. Photograph the vehicles, the damage, the plates, and the whole scene. Do this only after everyone is safe and 911 has been called if anyone's hurt.
• License and registration, please. — A police officer says this at a stop. Safest response: keep your hands where the officer can see them, say where the documents are before reaching ('It's in the glove box'), then hand them over. Stay calm, don't argue, don't reach suddenly. You can mention you shop for Instacart — but comply first, explain second.
• It's not safe to drive in this — I'm pausing until it clears. — In ice, snow, flooding, or extreme heat, you can stop shopping and pause for your own safety — no batch is worth a crash. State it plainly and don't push through hoping it improves; ratings hurt by bad weather can be removed.
• Sorry, could you say that again? — Your single most important line under stress. When a 911 dispatcher, a police officer, or a tow dispatcher speaks fast and your mind goes blank, this buys a repeat without panic — native speakers use it too. You can also say 'Slower, please.' Never pretend you understood and guess; in an emergency a wrong answer sends help to the wrong place. Ask again, every time you need to.