Grocery shopping, like restaurant dining, has become a casualty of the pandemic. With more and more people opting to offload this weekly chore, grocery delivery has seen exponential growth. To help you capitalize on these opportunities, we have put together a list of the best grocery delivery apps for you to choose from.

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Top 5 Grocery Delivery Apps

Some of these apps purely target grocery delivery. Others have expanded to grocery delivery after starting with other services like takeout.

Instacart

Instacart was one of the first companies to venture into grocery delivery. As a full-service shopper with Instacart, you will be expected to shop and deliver groceries. After you accept an order, you make your way to the store, shop, and drop items off at the customer’s address. You can also work as an in-store shopper. But, for this article, we are limiting the discussion to delivery roles.

Requirements

To become an Instacart full-service shopper, you must:

1. Be at least 18 years old
2. Be legally authorized to work in the US
3. Be physically able to lift up to 40 lbs
4. Have access to a reliable car
5. Have a smartphone to run the InstaCart Shopper App
6. Have the ability to clear a background check

Pay

The pay depends on many factors such as location and number of orders completed. The amount is determined by the number and type of items ordered, travel distance, and the shopping and delivery effort for each order. The average pay for full-service shoppers, as per Indeed.com, is $17.68 per hour. Plus, you keep all the tips that you earn. Promotions and bonuses are extra.

Pros

1. You set your own schedule in advance.
2. Instacart provides estimates about earnings and distance before you accept the order. So you know what to expect from the get-go.
3. For a nominal fee, you can instantly cash out wages.

Cons

1. Shifts have to be booked in advance. So you can’t just decide to work on short notice.
2. Delivery orders may require heavy lifting.

Shipt

Shipt is a grocery delivery service similar to Instacart. You accept orders, shop for items, and deliver them to the customer.

Requirements

To apply for Shipt, you need:

1. To be at least 18 years old.
2. A valid mailing address.
3. A reliable, 1997 or newer vehicle.
4. A valid driving license and auto insurance.
5. To understand produce selection.
6. The ability to lift up to 40 pounds.
7. An iPhone (with iOS 10 or newer) or Android (5.1 or newer) smartphone
8. Ability to clear a background check.

Pay

Shipt started off with a more transparent pay model of $5 plus 7.5% of the order value. In 2020, this changed to a number based on drive time, the number of items in the order, location, and peak shopping times. As per their site, experienced shoppers can earn up to $22/hr and more with their service. Shoppers are paid every Friday.

Pros

1. As a Shipt Shopper, you get free delivery from Shipt.
2. The app shows how much you will earn, excluding tips, for accepting an order beforehand.
3. You can set up your schedule for the same day or up to a week ahead.
4. You can shop for multiple orders at the same time.

Cons

1. You need to wear a Shipt shirt when working.
2. Presence is limited to a few cities.

Postmates

With Postmates, you could deliver anything. This could be groceries, takeout, or dry cleaning. For Postmates, grocery deliveries could be one of two options. You might have to shop for the order like with Instacart. Or you might just pick up and deliver a prepared order to the customer.

Requirements

To become a Postmate, you should:

1. Be at least 18 years old.
2. Have access to a reliable vehicle.
3. Have a valid driving license and auto insurance.
4. Have a smartphone capable of running the app.
5. Clear a background check.

Pay

The pay is based on completed pick-ups, drop-offs, wait times at pick-up locations, and the distance between pick-up and drop-off locations. These rates are published for each market they operate in. Tips and bonuses are extra. According to CEO Bastian Lehman, the median peak hour pay was $19 in 2015.

Pros

1. Plenty of bonuses and incentives for couriers.
2. You can withdraw your earnings at any time for a nominal fee.
3. Order wait times are factored into wages.
4. No need to schedule deliveries. You can go online to find jobs at any time you want.

Cons

1. If you have a lower acceptance rate, fewer orders may come your way.
2. Poor support for resolution of issues.
3. Expect low paying orders (delivery of a cup of coffee) on the platform.

DoorDash

While DoorDash started off with food delivery, it has since expanded to grocery delivery. The orders will be prepared beforehand. Dashers simply have to pick up orders from grocery stores and deliver them to customers.

Requirements

To start working as a dasher, you must:

1. Be 18 years or older with a valid driver’s license and a clean driving record.
2. Have a car, bike, scooter, or bicycle (in some cities) with up-to-date business-use or commercial coverage auto insurance.
3. Have a smartphone to install and run the DoorDash app.
4. Have a social security number (for US residents).

Pay

The payout for each delivery includes a base pay of $2-$10. This value is based on delivery distance and time, and order desirability. Promotions and tips are extra. According to DoorDash, the average driver earned $18.54 per hour in October 2019.

Pros

1. With orders ready to go, no stress of shopping with time constraints.
2. Incentives like Peak Pay and Challenges for couriers.
3. You can withdraw your earnings at any time for a fee.

Cons

1. For guaranteed gigs, scheduling a slot ahead of time is necessary.
2. The pay doesn’t take wait times into consideration.

Amazon Flex

Amazon Flex offers two ways to deliver groceries. The Amazon Fresh delivery requires a simple pick and drop from the Amazon delivery station to customers. The newer instant Shop and Deliver offer provides a similar role to shoppers on Instacart and Shipt.

Requirements

To become a delivery partner with Amazon Flex, you need to:

1. Be 21 years or older.
2. Have a valid driving license and social security number.
3. Have a large or mid-sized vehicle.
4. Have a smartphone with Android 6.0 or higher, or iPhone 6S or newer.

Pay

Among other things, the pay depends upon location, the time taken for delivery, and tips. Amazon Flex claims that most couriers earn $18-$25 an hour.

Pros

1. Each order shows the pick-up location, duration, and potential earnings to couriers.
2. Amazon processes payments twice a week.
3. For Fresh deliveries, you earn the amount even if you finish delivering before time.

Cons

1. Limited openings.
2. Packages are likely to be heavy.
3. You need to work in blocks of 3 to 6 hours.

Summary

With the grocery delivery business picking up, other big players like Uber Eats are entering the fray. But grocery delivery can be more stressful than other courier jobs. Most of the above options guarantee grocery delivery within the hour. This can make meeting deadlines difficult, especially when you have to bag the groceries yourself.