Instacart · Instacart Terms of Service · View original document ↗

Service Fee and Pricing Disclosure

Low severity High confidence Explicitdocumentlanguage Unique · 0 of 325 platforms
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Recent governance activity Instacart recorded 2 documented changes in the last 30 days.
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Document Record

What it is

Instacart charges delivery fees, service fees, and other fees that are shown at checkout before you confirm your order, and these fees may change over time.

This analysis describes what Instacart's agreement states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability and practical outcomes may vary by jurisdiction, enforcement context, and individual circumstances. Read our methodology

ConductAtlas Analysis

Why it matters (compliance & governance perspective)

This clause operationalizes Instacart's fee collection structure and establishes the procedural requirement for fee transparency. By requiring display of the complete total before confirmation, the provision creates a mechanism for users to review charges prior to transaction finalization.

Recent Activity

This document changed recently

Medium May 9, 2026

Instacart rewrote its entire Terms of Service, adding 367 new sentences including sections on AI-powered services, updated arbitration procedures, and revised data handling practices. The restructuring makes it harder to compare what changed because the entire document was reorganized.

View change record →

Consumer impact (what this means for users)

Users will see the full fee breakdown including delivery fees, service fees, and taxes before confirming each order. However, the terms state fees are subject to change, so fees may vary between orders.

What you can do

⚠️ These actions may provide transparency or partial mitigation but may not fully address the underlying issue. Effectiveness varies by jurisdiction and individual circumstances.
  • Dispute a Fee
    Navigate to Instacart Help at instacart.com/help, select your order, and use the help options to report an incorrect or unexpected fee charge for review.

How other platforms handle this

Coinbase Medium

When you convert one cryptocurrency to another, Coinbase charges a spread of approximately 0.5% (higher or lower depending on market fluctuations) and a Coinbase Fee based on the size of the transaction and your region.

OpenAI Medium

We may update these Terms from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by posting a notice on our website or sending you an email at least 30 days before the changes take effect. Your continued use of the Services after the changes take effect constitutes your acceptance of the new Term...

Airbnb Medium

Airbnb Payments will collect the Total Fees at the time of booking confirmation (i.e. when the booking request is accepted by a Host for instant bookings). In the event of a cancellation, Airbnb Payments will refund the Guest in accordance with the Host's cancellation policy, and any refund will be ...

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▸ View Original Clause Language DOCUMENT RECORD
"
Instacart charges fees for use of certain Services, including delivery fees, service fees, and other fees as disclosed at checkout. Fees are subject to change. Your final order total, including all applicable fees and taxes, will be displayed before you confirm your order.

— Excerpt from Instacart's Instacart Terms of Service

ConductAtlas Analysis

Institutional analysis (Compliance & governance intelligence)

1. REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: Fee disclosure requirements for online commerce are governed by the FTC Act's prohibition on deceptive pricing practices, and by state-level drip pricing and junk fee regulations. California has enacted legislation addressing hidden fees and requires all-in pricing disclosure in certain consumer transactions. The FTC has proposed rules on junk fee transparency that may apply to delivery service fees. 2. GOVERNANCE EXPOSURE: Medium. The reference to fees 'as disclosed at checkout' is the primary disclosure mechanism; legal should confirm that this mechanism meets applicable disclosure timing and conspicuousness standards, particularly for service fees that are added after initial price display. 3. JURISDICTION FLAGS: California's consumer pricing transparency laws and any states that have enacted similar drip pricing or junk fee statutes create the highest compliance exposure. The Canadian Competition Bureau has also issued guidance on drip pricing practices. 4. CONTRACT AND VENDOR IMPLICATIONS: Retail partners whose products are listed on the platform should be aware that Instacart's service fees are disclosed separately at checkout and that any pricing discrepancies between in-store and app pricing are addressed in their retailer agreements. 5. COMPLIANCE CONSIDERATIONS: Legal should audit the checkout display flow to confirm that all fees, including service fees, are displayed with adequate prominence before order confirmation, consistent with FTC guidance and applicable state pricing transparency requirements.

Full compliance analysis

Regulatory citations, enforcement risk, and due diligence action items.

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Applicable agencies

  • FTC
    The FTC regulates deceptive pricing practices including undisclosed fees and drip pricing in consumer transactions.
    File a complaint →

Provision details

Document information
Document
Instacart Terms of Service
Entity
Instacart
Document last updated
May 5, 2026
Tracking information
First tracked
May 10, 2026
Last verified
May 12, 2026
Record ID
CA-P-011086
Document ID
CA-D-00135
Evidence Provenance
Source URL
Wayback Machine
Content hash (SHA-256)
d08566866b6a1f744a3e2d1b4fc55f342a5a515684d435b1b477e68768b86a06
Analysis generated
May 10, 2026 00:03 UTC
Methodology
Evidence
✓ Snapshot stored   ✓ Hash verified
Citation Record
Entity: Instacart
Document: Instacart Terms of Service
Record ID: CA-P-011086
Captured: 2026-05-10 00:03:25 UTC
SHA-256: d08566866b6a1f74…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/instacart/instacart-terms-of-service/service-fee-and-pricing-disclosure/
Accessed: May 20, 2026
Permanent archival reference. Stable identifier suitable for legal filings, compliance documentation, and research citation.
Classification
Severity
Low
Categories

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does Instacart's Service Fee and Pricing Disclosure clause do?

This clause operationalizes Instacart's fee collection structure and establishes the procedural requirement for fee transparency. By requiring display of the complete total before confirmation, the provision creates a mechanism for users to review charges prior to transaction finalization.

How does this clause affect you?

Users will see the full fee breakdown including delivery fees, service fees, and taxes before confirming each order. However, the terms state fees are subject to change, so fees may vary between orders.

Is ConductAtlas affiliated with Instacart?

No. ConductAtlas is an independent monitoring service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Instacart.