Instacart can change what it charges you for delivery and other services at any time, and some fees vary based on demand — similar to surge pricing — meaning the same order can cost different amounts at different times.
You may pay significantly different fees for the same order depending on time, demand, and factors Instacart does not fully disclose, and the company reserves the right to add new fee categories or change existing ones without prior notice.
Cross-platform context
See how other platforms handle Dynamic and Variable Fee Structure and similar clauses.
Compare across platforms →The breadth of fee types and the explicit right to apply demand-based pricing means consumers have limited ability to predict the true cost of their order until checkout, and fees can increase without advance notice.
(1) REGULATORY FRAMEWORK: Implicates FTC Act Section 5 (15 U.S.C. §45) regarding adequate disclosure of dynamic pricing practices; California UCL (Business & Professions Code §17200) and CLRA (Civil Code §1770) regarding unfair or deceptive pricing practices; and state consumer protection laws in jurisdictions with specific price transparency or surge pricing disclosure requirements. The 'regulatory-related fees' category may also implicate truth-in-billing obligations under applicable state utility or telecommunications analogues. (2)
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