Committed to the Health and Safety of Our Shopper Community
Communities across North America are facing challenges brought by this uncertain time, and we’re immensely grateful for all that you do to support families and people in need by delivering their groceries and everyday goods. Shoppers across the U.S. and Canada are continuing to step up as household heroes for customers. You’re providing your neighbors and communities with an essential service, and we are incredibly proud of the Instacart shopper community. We wanted to provide you with an update on the latest health and safety measures we’re taking to continue to support you during this time.
Update to Extended Pay
As we previously shared, we’re offering up to 14 days of pay for any hourly employee or full-service shopper who is diagnosed with COVID-19 or placed in individual mandatory isolation or quarantine, as directed by a local, state, or public health authority. We are extending this assistance for another 30 days — through May 8, 2020 — to ensure our community continues to be supported during this rapidly evolving situation.
Additional Bonus for In-Store Shoppers
In addition to sick pay for our part-time employees and extended pay for full-service and in-store shoppers affected by COVID-19, we’re introducing a bonus payment for in-store shoppers, shift leads, and site managers working during this busy time. Bonuses will be determined based on the number of hours worked from March 15 through April 15 and will range from $25 to $200, to further support this community during this time. We will continue to communicate directly with in-store shoppers about ongoing support.
Batch Promotions
Shoppers in many zones can earn additional boosts on batches during certain times. Shoppers may be offered individual promotions based on their region, customer demand, and other factors. As customer demand has increased, these promotions are being offered more frequently to full-service shoppers nationwide. Shopper earnings have been increasing considerably as customer demand has surged over the past few weeks. We’re paying very close attention to this evolving situation and will continue to work to make sure we’re offering safe and flexible earnings opportunities for shoppers during this time.
Contactless Alcohol Delivery
We’re introducing a new way for shoppers to deliver alcohol without customers needing to come into contact with their phone. During this time, shoppers will no longer see in-app prompts to collect a signature from the customer, unless it is required by your state or the retailer. While we work on updating the Shopper app, you may enter the date in the signature box in lieu of a customer’s signature. Shoppers are still required to scan a customer’s ID to verify that they are of legal age — simply ask the customer to hold their ID out and you can scan it from a distance.
In-App Incident Reporting
The safety and security of the shopper community is our first priority. In the event that you have an incident while shopping or delivering, we want to make it as easy as possible for you to get the immediate support you need. To report an incident, visit the Help screen in the Shopper app and choose “Your safety.” From there, select “Safety incidents” and begin your incident report. The Instacart Trust & Safety team will promptly review and address your report.
Review Customer Order Issues
If a customer reports an order issue, such as a missing or damaged item, you can review these issues and respond with your own input. On the “How Am I Doing?” page in the Shopper app, you will see customer feedback broken down by category. Click on any feedback tile to see specific order issues associated with that category. From there, you can report any order issue that is incorrect, such as if a customer marked their item missing, but was delivered. You may also attach a photo, if necessary.
Ongoing Work with Retail Partners
We’re continuing to work with our retail partners to help streamline the in-store shopping experience for all shoppers. Certain retailers are now permitting shoppers to enter through dedicated entrances to avoid long lines. Additionally, other retailers may be closing their doors to the general public and allowing only Instacart shoppers to shop in their stores. Shoppers can view any retailer-specific information in the Shopper app when they have accepted a batch from one of these retailers.