Instacart

Independent Sources

Shown for context — not merged with USAComplaints' own numbers.

Contacts

• Official website: https://www.instacart.com/
• Support for orders placed on Instacart (Help Center): (888) 246-7822
• Help email (Terms, text messaging section): [email protected]
• Help Center: refunds and order problems: https://www.instacart.com/help/article/returns-policy
• Help Center: manage or cancel Instacart+: https://www.instacart.com/help/section/360007797952/4408784716820
• Terms of Service: https://www.instacart.com/terms
• Arbitration opt-out (Terms section 7.4): [email protected]

Locations

Refunds, fees and cancelling Instacart+: Instacart's routes and where else to report

Instacart's own pages (opened 2026-10-11) set out where to go for each kind of problem. The routes depend on whether the order was placed in the Instacart app or on a retailer's own site, and on what is being disputed: an order, a fee, or an Instacart+ membership.

Whose order is it. The Help Center says orders placed on Instacart.com or the Instacart app 'are fully managed by Instacart'. For orders placed on a retailer's own website or app it says: 'If you placed an order through a retailer's website, you can manage and update your orders there, not through Instacart.' Its list of retailers whose orders are managed by the retailer includes Aldi, Kroger-family stores, Wegmans, Walmart Canada and others.

Problem with an order (missing, damaged or wrong items). The Refunds article says: 'You can self-report any problems with your order within 3 days of your pickup or delivery, excluding restaurant orders, for a credit or refund.' For missing or damaged items it says Instacart 'can issue a refund or credit towards a future order up to the amount you paid for an item'; the Terms (section 1.4) add that 'we may issue a refund, replacement, or credit at our discretion'. The article says a refund requested within 24 hours of receiving the order 'may' be a same-day refund, shown as an adjustment to the original charge rather than a separate line. Credits appear under 'Credits, promos & gift cards' in the account and 'will automatically apply during checkout on your next order'. EBT SNAP and OTC Network/Medicare card refunds go through Instacart Customer Experience, per the same article.

Where to click. The Help Center article 'Report a problem with your order' says: in the app, tap the Account icon, tap Orders, then 'Tap Get help on the relevant order'; on the website, select Your orders and 'Click Report a problem on the relevant order'. In both cases you then select the issue, choose the affected items if it is an item issue, and 'Select your preferred resolution'. The article says each issue is reported separately and that a confirmation email follows for any credits or refunds applied.

Cancelling an order and cancellation fees. The Help Center article 'Cancel or reschedule your order' says: 'To cancel for free: Cancel before a shopper has accepted your order. Canceling after a shopper accepted may result in a $15 cancellation fee.' Among the reasons to contact support it lists: 'You think you were charged an incorrect cancellation fee.'

Support channels. The Help Center 'Get help' page lists: 'Select Connect with Instacart at the bottom of the Help Center homepage', 'Select Get help at the bottom of any article in the Help Center', and 'Call 1-888-246-7822.' The Terms also list [email protected].

Instacart+ membership. Cancel under Account, 'Your Instacart+ membership', 'Manage your membership', 'Cancel membership', then 'Continue to cancel' and 'Confirm cancellation'; the Help Center says a confirmation email follows. Refund terms differ by plan: Terms section 3 says 'Monthly membership fees are not refundable', and annual memberships cancelled 'within the first 5 calendar days of a paid term or renewal' may be refunded 'only if you have not used Instacart+ benefits during that period'. For trials, the Terms say 'At the end of a trial/promo, we automatically charge your payment method unless you cancel first.' The Help Center page on managing membership says charges at the end of a trial 'may be applied up to 6 hours prior to renewal to a paid plan but are refundable per the Instacart+ Terms'; read it together with the Terms wording above, because the two pages are not phrased identically. The Help Center also describes an optional reminder sent 7 days before renewal.

Fees. The Help Center fees article describes the service fee as supporting 'the Instacart platform' and covering 'a range of operating costs including shopper operations, insurance, background checks, and customer support', says it 'isn't a tip', and says pickup orders 'don't have service fees'. Instacart+ members get '$0 delivery fees on eligible orders $10 or more per retailer', and the article adds that 'Service fees apply.'

Formal dispute. Terms section 7.1 requires a written notice and at least 60 days of informal resolution before arbitration or court, sent to 'Instacart, ATTN: Legal Department, 50 Beale Street, Suite 600, San Francisco, CA 94105'. The Terms' summary says unresolved disputes are subject to 'binding, final arbitration' with 'no class actions or jury trials', and section 7.4 allows an opt-out 'within 30 days of first accepting these Terms'. These are the company's terms, quoted as written; whether a given clause applies to a given dispute depends on the facts and the law where you live.

Outside Instacart. The FTC's press release invites reports of bad business practices at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. BBB accepts complaints through its profile page (see the complaint record below). The New York Attorney General's complaint page (ag.ny.gov/file-complaint) offers consumer-issue and technology/data-privacy complaint routes and lists its Help Line as 1-800-771-7755; other states' attorneys general have their own consumer complaint pages.

FTC refunds. The FTC says consumers 'who were charged for Instacart+ without their express informed consent will receive refunds as a result of the settlement'. The FTC press release and the court order opened on 2026-10-11 do not describe a claim form, deadline or payment method, and none was identified in the sources checked that day. The press release also states: 'The FTC will never demand money, make threats, tell you to transfer money, or promise you a prize.' The FTC's consumer alert on the case (December 2025) advises: 'If you're charged without your consent and the company won't refund your money, dispute the charge with your credit or debit card company right away. Then tell the FTC: ReportFraud.ftc.gov.' The FTC's Refund Programs page (ftc.gov/enforcement/refunds), as rendered on 2026-10-11, did not list an Instacart program among those shown.

FTC order (January 2026) and New York Attorney General pricing request

Federal Trade Commission, FTC v. Maplebear Inc. d/b/a Instacart (N.D. Cal.). On December 18, 2025 the FTC announced that 'Instacart will pay $60 million in refunds to consumers to settle allegations that the company engaged in numerous unlawful tactics'. The complaint and a joint motion for entry of a stipulated order were filed the same day. The FTC alleged that Instacart:

• advertised 'free delivery' on a first order while consumers still had to pay a mandatory service fee that 'add as much as 15% to the order cost' and was not clearly disclosed;
• advertised a '100% satisfaction guarantee' implying full refunds, while consumers with late deliveries or unprofessional service 'typically are not offered full refunds' and were given a small credit, with the refund option hidden from the self-service menu;
• did not adequately disclose, in the Instacart+ free-trial enrollment, that consumers would be charged at the end of the trial or its restrictive refund policy, so that many consumers were charged 'without their express informed consent'.

The Commission vote approving the stipulated order was 2-0. These are the FTC's allegations as stated in its press release.

The order. Judge Jon S. Tigar entered the Stipulated Order for Permanent Injunction, Monetary Judgment, and Other Relief on January 13, 2026 (docket entry 15). Its terms, from the order itself:

• Section VI: judgment of $60,000,000, payable to the FTC within 14 days of entry. Instacart's 10-Q states the amount 'was included in accrued and other current liabilities ... as of December 31, 2025, and subsequently paid in January 2026'.
• Section I bars misrepresenting the amount a consumer will pay, or that a consumer will receive free or discounted delivery, and requires a clear and conspicuous disclosure that other fees apply when delivery is offered free or at a discount.
• Section II: for a 'satisfaction guarantee', 'money-back guarantee' or similar claim, Instacart must disclose material restrictions and, 'prior to providing a refund, credit, or similar remedy', information about each type of remedy available and how to obtain it.
• Sections III to V: no misrepresentation of negative-option (auto-renewing) terms; clear disclosure of charges, deadlines and amounts before billing information is taken; and 'express informed consent' before charging.
• Section XIII: the order remains in effect for 10 years after entry.

Admission language. The order states: 'Defendant neither admits nor denies any of the allegations in the Complaint, except as specifically stated in this Order. Only for purposes of this action, Defendant admits the facts necessary to establish jurisdiction.' Instacart's 10-Q says the consent order 'does not include any admission of liability'.

Case label. The FTC's case page showed the status 'Pending' and a last update of January 14, 2026 when opened on 2026-10-11, and the docket (CourtListener) shows the case terminated on January 13, 2026. The ECF header reads Case 4:25-cv-10783-JST, while the order's footer and BBB write 3:25-cv-10783.

New York Attorney General information request (January 8, 2026). The New York Attorney General's Consumer Frauds & Protection Bureau sent a letter to Instacart's CEO and General Counsel to 'request information' about 'recent reports of substantial price variations among shoppers' and Instacart's compliance with New York's Algorithmic Pricing Disclosure Act (General Business Law section 349-A). The letter cites a December 9, 2025 report by Groundwork Collaborative and Consumer Reports, quoting its observation that Instacart 'offered as many as five different sales prices for the exact same grocery item, in the exact same store, at the exact same time', with a 13% average price difference between highest and lowest prices for a single good. It also quotes Instacart's December 22, 2025 announcement that 'effective immediately, Instacart is ending all item price tests on our platform' and that 'Retail partners will continue to set their own prices on Instacart'. The letter says the attorney general has 'some concerns about Instacart's attempts to comply with the Act', and asked for documents by January 29, 2026. It is a request for information; it makes no finding, and no public outcome of the request was identified in the sources checked on 2026-10-11.

Who operates Instacart and how orders and fees work

Who operates Instacart. The Terms of Service (last updated May 7, 2026) define Instacart as 'Maplebear Inc. (d/b/a Instacart), a Delaware corporation'. Maplebear Inc. is an SEC registrant (Nasdaq Global Select Market: CART); its Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2026 says it 'was incorporated in Delaware on August 3, 2012 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California' at 50 Beale Street, Suite 600. BBB's raw profile data gives a business start of 2012-07-01 and an incorporation date of 2012-12-06 for its Instacart listing; the SEC filing is the source for the company's incorporation date.

What it does. According to its 10-K for fiscal 2025, Instacart Marketplace lets customers shop from retailers 'through our app or website' for delivery or pickup, and retailers can also run their own storefronts on the Instacart Enterprise platform. The company says it enables 'more than 2,200 retail banners as of December 31, 2025' and has 'powered more than 1.6 billion orders'; these are company statements. Its enterprise offerings listed in the 10-K include Caper Carts and Eversight, the pricing and promotions tool referred to in the New York letter.

Who fulfils orders. The Terms say picking, packing and delivery 'may include Retailer personnel, independent contractors, and third-party logistics providers', depending on the retailer, and that these third parties are 'not Instacart's employees, partners, or agents'. The 10-Q refers to Instacart's 'Shoppers' as independent contractors and says the company 'believes that it has properly classified its workers' and describes pending litigation and audits over worker classification, none of which has resulted in class certification, according to the company. That subject concerns shoppers rather than customers and is outside the scope of this page.

Recent company news. On July 16, 2026 Instacart announced, in a press release on its investor site, its acquisition of Arpalus, which the release describes as 'a computer vision company that has developed shelf intelligence technology purpose-built for grocery retail'. The release is the company's own statement.

Pricing and fees. Instacart's Help Center says delivery fees vary by retailer, delivery window and order total, and that service fees 'vary and are subject to change based on factors like location and the number and types of items' in the cart. Its December 2025 announcement, as quoted in the New York letter, ended 'item price tests' by retailers using Eversight, while saying retail partners continue to set their own prices and that Instacart will continue offering promotions and discounts.

Complaint and review record as displayed on 2026-10-11

The figures below are as displayed on 2026-10-11. They are kept separate and are not combined with each other or with this site's own archive.

BBB. The profile for Instacart Headquarters, San Francisco, shows a rating of A+ and 'This business is NOT BBB Accredited'. The complaints tab shows '8,083 total complaints in the last 3 years' and '2,216 complaints filed in the last 12 months'. The reviews tab shows an average of 1.08 out of 5 from 803 customer reviews; BBB's page notes the FTC case as a resolved government action and says its review of complaints 'was completed in April 2026' and that complaints on file 'state issues with their order(s)'. Other Instacart listings exist on BBB; this page uses the headquarters profile.

Trustpilot. Trustpilot shows 1.2 from 12,324 reviews, 1,288 of them in the last 12 months. The profile is claimed (December 2024). Trustpilot displays 'This company hasn't invited customers recently, so reviews may not be representative' and 'Hasn't replied to negative reviews', and states it does not fact-check reviews.

CFPB. Instacart is not a bank or lender. A company-name lookup in the CFPB consumer complaint database on 2026-10-11 for 'Instacart' and for 'Maplebear' returned no matching company.

This site. A search on 2026-10-11 of titles, offender fields and text of approved complaints on usacomplaints.com returned no posts naming Instacart or Maplebear; no complaint on this page is linked from the archive.

Count caveat. Complaint and review counts show how many entries each platform displays. They are not findings about any individual order, and each platform's own methodology applies.

Court record for consumers

The consumer-facing court matter identified in the sources checked on 2026-10-11 is the FTC action described under regulator actions: FTC v. Maplebear Inc. d/b/a Instacart, filed December 18, 2025 and resolved by a stipulated order entered January 13, 2026.

Instacart's 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2026 describes, besides worker-classification matters, that the company and its subsidiaries are 'regularly subject to' claims, lawsuits and proceedings involving, among other subjects, 'consumer protection claims, including auto-renewal practices, pricing, and fees'. The filing says the company does not believe these matters 'will have a material adverse effect'. It does not name individual consumer cases, and none are listed on this page.

The Terms of Service contain an arbitration agreement and class-action waiver for U.S. users, with a 30-day opt-out (see 'What to do' above).

Is Instacart Legitimate?

Maplebear Inc., doing business as Instacart, is a Delaware corporation headquartered at 50 Beale Street, Suite 600, San Francisco, and a public company whose common stock trades on Nasdaq under CART; it files annual and quarterly reports with the SEC. Its Terms of Service name it as the operator of the Instacart services for U.S. users, and the FTC order names it as the defendant.

The documented record includes an FTC order entered January 13, 2026 under which Instacart paid $60 million without admitting or denying the allegations, and a January 8, 2026 New York Attorney General request for information about pricing practices. BBB displays an A+ rating, no BBB accreditation, 8,083 complaints in three years and an average review score of 1.08 out of 5 from 803 reviews; Trustpilot displays 1.2 from 12,324 reviews. These sources measure different things and are not combined here.

Complaints and allegations described on this page are allegations unless a court, regulator or the company says otherwise.

Court & Public Records

Frequently Asked Questions