Instacart Canada is known specifically as a grocery delivery service, but it actually partners with a wide range of retailers to deliver all sorts of products, such as pet supplies, alcohol, high-end makeup, office supplies, and more. If you need it, odds are that Instacart Canada can deliver it.
It's not a perfect service, and clients sometimes complain about the quality of certain grocery items, like produce and meat. Still, this seems like a relatively small price to pay for this kind of convenient service.
Instacart Canada features
Let’s take a closer look at what Instacart Canada does and doesn’t offer:
Why You Want It
Get items same day or order in advance + Lots of stores to choose from.
Special Features
- Have items delivered in as little as 1 hour
- $10 referral offer
- Earn loyalty points with your favourite stores
Provinces
AB, BC, MB, NB, NL, NS, ON, PE, QC, SA, SK
Features
Minimum Order Amount
$10
Mobile App
Minimum Fee
$3.99
Maximum Fee
N/A
Minimum Wait Window (Hours)
1
Maximum Wait Window (Days)
14
Promo
N/A
Promo End Date
N/A
Instacart Canada rating: 5.0 stars
Instacart Canada has earned an impressive 5.0 Genius Rating thanks to several different factors. It serves a huge area, has a wide window delivery window (within-the-hour and far-in-advance ordering abilities), and has better features than most of their competitors – including the ability to order from Costco.
That said, there are some areas where Instacart Canada can improve – most notably, its presence in the Canadian territories. But since coming to Canada in 2017, Instacart Canada has shown remarkable improvement and growth, so here’s hoping it will expand and develop even further.
Rating methodology
To evaluate grocery delivery services, we analyze over 10 data points to generate a trustworthy Genius Rating. We consider all aspects of a grocery delivery service, including fees, wait windows, variety of stores, customer satisfaction, and promotions, to assess its overall value. Then, the grocery delivery service’s features are rated based on how they stack up against other available options.
Learn more about our rating methodology.
The pros of Instacart Canada
So what are the good things about Instacart Canada? Let's take a look:
Pros
Wide availability
Instacart Canada is available in more provinces than any of its Canadian competitors that we've looked into so far. While it's not currently available in any of the three territories, we wouldn't be surprised if this changes shortly. Instacart Canada is currently available in most of Canada's big and medium-sized cities. It also partners with a huge variety of retailers, from grocery stores and pet stores to pharmacies and liquor stores.
Same day or advance delivery options available
The delivery window for Instacart Canada is very flexible – you can get your order in just 1 hour or order 14 days ahead, whichever suits your needs best. This makes it well-suited for detailed planners and last-minute shoppers alike.
Premium membership option
For $99 per year, users can become Instacart+ members and get some cool perks. These include unlimited free delivery on orders over $10 (per retailer) and exclusive offers from partners. There's even a free subscription to New York Times Cooking included.
Low $10 minimum order
You only need to order $10 worth of products to qualify for an Instacart Canada delivery order. "Convenience orders," though, which involve delivery within 30 minutes and/or late at night, charge a priority fee for orders under $35. So while the threshold is still just a $10 order, you'll pay a bit more for the extra convenience.
Earn loyalty points with your favourite stores
If you have a loyalty card for the store you're shopping from, you can add that card to your Instacart Canada account and earn rewards as usual. So you can still earn Scene+ for your Sobeys order or PC Optimum points for your Loblaws order, bulking up your points total simply by ordering online.
Referral bonus and impressive promos for your first order
Referring a friend to Instacart Canada will result in a $40 credit for their first two orders and a $10 credit for you. There are promo offers for new clients, too, even without a promo code. At the time of writing, new subscribers get free delivery for the first three orders, and/or $0 delivery fees for two weeks with Instacart+.
The cons of Instacart Canada
While this is an excellent service, it does have a couple of drawbacks:
Cons
Still not available everywhere
While we're very impressed with Instacart Canada's presence across Canada, we can't ignore the fact that the territories are still left out. We're hopeful that Nunavut, Yukon, and Northwest Territories will have access to these services in the future, but there's no actual word from Instacart Canada about it yet.
You don’t get to select your own meat or produce
If you’re a stickler about selecting your own meat and produce at the grocery store, services like Instacart Canada take this away from you. You'll have to trust that whoever is doing your shopping cares as much about the quality of your food as you do.
Instacart Canada prices are higher than in-store
This concept is the same for most delivery services, whether it's for grocery shopping, restaurant delivery orders, or something else entirely, but it's still a pain. You'll likely pay more to order through a service than if you drove to the store or restaurant and bought it yourself. And this isn't just because of delivery fees.
Instacart Canada alternatives
There are several alternatives to using Instacart Canada for ordering groceries and other items – check out how they compare:
 |  |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Account | Instacart Canada | PC Express | Buggy Delivery App | Voilà |
| Genius Rating | ||||
| Why You Want It | Get items same day or order in advance + Lots of stores to choose from. | $1 - $13.99 + Save time + Collect PC Optimum points | Delivery inventory of more than 2,500 items + Earn Buggy Bucks rewards. | Up to $80 off your first 4 orders* + Unlimited grocery deliveries with 3-month Delivery Pass Trial**. |
| Minimum Order Amount | $10 | $0 | $0 | $35 |
| Mobile App | | | | |
| Minimum Fee | $3.99 | $1 | $5.99 | $0 |
| Maximum Fee | N/A | $13.99 | $9.99 | $9.99 |
| Minimum Wait Window (Hours) | 1 | 2 | 0.25 | 4 |
Show More | ||||
| Apply Now See more Instacart products Compare | Learn More See more PC Express products Compare | Learn More See more Buggy products Compare | Apply Now See more Voilà products Compare |
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FAQ
How does Instacart Canada work?
Users log into their account, select the retailer(s) they want to purchase from, create an online order, and choose how fast they want their items delivered. Once submitted, the order is fulfilled and delivered to the user's doorstep.
What are the cons of Instacart Canada?
Using Instacart Canada means you'll likely pay more for each item, and you don't have control over the freshness or quality of your produce and/or meat. It's also unfortunate that this service isn't available in the Canadian territories.
Is Instacart Canada available everywhere in Canada?
Instacart Canada is available in most areas of Canada, from Newfoundland to British Columbia. However, it's currently not available in the Canadian territories. While expansion may still happen, there’s no official word on when – or if – that might occur.
How much does Instacart Canada charge for a delivery?
Instacart Canada charges a minimum of $3.99 for same-day delivery. Convenience orders (delivery under 30 minutes) over $35 will be charged a priority fee. Instacart+ members get free delivery on all orders over $10.
Do Costco and Instacart Canada have a partnership?
Yes, Costco Canada is one of Instacart Canada's retail partners. You can order fresh food, household supplies, and many other items from Costco and receive it all within the hour, if you like – but prices may be marked up.
Editorial Disclaimer: The content here reflects the author's opinion alone, and is not endorsed or sponsored by a bank, credit card issuer, rewards program or other entity. For complete and updated product information please visit the product issuer's website.
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