About Instacart
Instacart is a leading North American technology company that operates a grocery delivery and pickup service. Founded in 2012, it partners with thousands of national, regional, and local retail banners, giving customers the ability to shop online from over 80,000 stores across the U.S. and Canada. The orders are fulfilled by personal shoppers who pick, pack, and deliver the items within the customer’s chosen timeframe.
Instacart Affiliate Program Overview
The Instacart Affiliate Program (also sometimes referred to as the Instacart Tastemakers program or managed through affiliate networks) allows affiliates to earn commissions by promoting Instacart’s grocery delivery service to their audience. This program is a way for publishers and content creators to monetize their content by encouraging audience members to use Instacart, often by making recipes or shopping lists “shoppable.”
| Feature | Details |
| Industry | E-commerce, Grocery Delivery, Food & Drink, Logistics |
| Product Type | Service (Online Grocery Shopping, Delivery, and Pickup) |
| Affiliate Program Type | Cost Per Action (CPA) / Commission on Sales |
Instacart Affiliate Program Offers
Affiliates are provided with the necessary tools and guidelines to effectively promote the service. The program typically offers a variety of creatives to integrate into different content types.
| Promotional Factor | Details |
| Promotional Materials | Text links, eye-catching banners, social media content, and Shoppable Recipe widgets/plugins for food bloggers. |
| Affiliate Cookie Duration | Typically 7 days, though some sources may cite 30 days depending on the affiliate network or campaign. |
| Accepted Traffic Source | Blogs, niche websites (e.g., food/recipe sites), SEO (organic search), email campaigns, and social media platforms (e.g., Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube). |
| Accepted Countries | United States (U.S.) and Canada. |
| Explicit Content | Generally not accepted (affiliates must adhere to program terms which typically prohibit offensive content). |
| Religious or Political Content | Generally not accepted for promotional placement (affiliate terms often prohibit content that is derogatory, discriminatory, or political in nature). |
Instacart Affiliate Commissions & Payments
The Instacart affiliate program often uses a percentage commission model for qualifying purchases or a flat rate per new customer action.
| Payment Factor | Details |
| MLM (Multi-Level Marketing) | No; this is a single-tier affiliate program, meaning you earn commissions only from sales/leads you directly refer. |
| Commission Rate | Varies, commonly cited as 3% on qualifying grocery purchases. Some campaigns may offer a fixed CPA (e.g., $2–$10 per referred lead/new customer). |
| Commission Structure | Single-Tier, Percentage of Sale (RevShare) or Fixed CPA/CPL (Cost Per Lead). |
| Payout Frequency | Usually monthly. |
| Payout Methods | Typically through the managing affiliate network (e.g., PayPal or Bank Transfer). |
| Minimum Payout | Varies by network, but commonly cited as low as $20. |
Suitable Affiliates for Instacart Affiliate
The Instacart affiliate program is particularly suitable for content creators and publishers who have an audience interested in food, cooking, recipes, home & lifestyle, or convenience services.
| Affiliate Type | Suitability | Rationale |
| Bloggers | High | Especially food/recipe bloggers who can integrate “Shoppable Recipes” to allow readers to easily purchase ingredients. |
| TikTokers | High | Can create short, engaging content about meal prep, easy cooking, and the convenience of grocery delivery. |
| KOC/KOL/Influencers | High | Lifestyle, food, parenting, and wellness influencers who promote convenience and time-saving solutions. |
| YouTubers | High | Can produce review videos, recipe tutorials, or “What I Eat in a Week” videos with integrated Instacart links. |
| Video Editors | Medium | If they are the ones creating the content for an affiliate channel, yes. As a standalone skill, no. |
| Livestreamers | Medium | Those who do cooking streams or lifestyle chats can easily integrate promotional links. |
Instacart Affiliate Software
Instacart uses established third-party affiliate marketing platforms to manage its program. It does not rely solely on in-house software.
- Instacart’s affiliate program has been managed through major affiliate networks such as Impact, CJ Affiliate (Commission Junction), and FlexOffers.
3 Alternatives for Instacart Affiliate Program
Instacart competes with several other major online grocery and food delivery services that also offer affiliate programs. Three common alternatives are Walmart Grocery Delivery, Shipt, and Amazon Fresh.
| Comparison Factor | Instacart Affiliate Program | Walmart Grocery Delivery Affiliate | Shipt Affiliate Program | Amazon Fresh Affiliate |
| Average Bill (Estimate) | $110 (based on overall transaction data) | Similar to Instacart, potentially $100+ | Similar to Instacart, potentially $100+ | Similar, potentially $80–$120+ |
| Entry Fees | $0 (Free to join) | $0 (Free to join) | $0 (Free to join) | $0 (Free to join) |
| Withdrawal Threshold | Varies by Network, e.g., $20 | Varies by Network, often $10–$50 | Varies by Network, often $10–$50 | Varies by Network, often $10–$50 |
| Payment Frequency | Monthly | Monthly | Monthly | Monthly |
| Commission | 3% RevShare or $2–$10 CPA | Varies, typically Percentage RevShare | Varies, often a Fixed CPA/CPL | Varies, often Percentage RevShare |
| Conversion | Focus on new customer orders or recipe ingredient sales. | Focus on new customer sign-ups and online grocery sales. | Focus on membership sign-ups and first orders. | Focus on new customer orders and Prime sign-ups. |
| Marketing Materials | Banners, Text Links, Shoppable Recipes | Banners, Text Links, Deal Links | Banners, Text Links | Banners, Text Links, Amazon Associate Tools |
