If you’re grinding and hustling through the Instacart app, doing multiple batches is an excellent way to grind even harder. Make even more dough through the gig economy.
This article will cover accepting multiple batches (called “double orders” in Instacart lingo).
Instacart is the shopping app behemoth which connects shoppers to consumers.
Busy consumers who don’t have time to grocery shop select the goods they need through the app, and shoppers head to the store, select the groceries, and deliver them to the customer’s door.
The customer gets groceries, the shopper gets a nice payday, and everyone wins.
Consider accepting multiple orders if you’re an Instacart shopper and want to double your money. You’ll shop for two different orders simultaneously (we’ve got some tips for how to do this successfully), then deliver each order to different customers.
We’ll also discuss the importance of your star rating and give you some hacks to make yours as high as possible.
There are also some ways to increase your earnings through special badges and insider tricks, which we will also discuss.
If your side hustle is Instacart, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve listed all the tips and tricks you need to know to maximize your earning potential and bring home the big bucks.
How To Do Multiple Batches on Instacart
Okay, you’ve got the hang of Instacart, completed multiple orders, and are ready for more. Perfect. You’re about to double your earnings.
Shopping for two customers presents unique challenges (more on that later) but is doable.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to accepting double orders:
- Open the Instacart app. Tap the “accept double batch order.”
- Go to the selected store. A pop-up with the words “got it” will display – tap it.
- Shop for your orders as you usually would.
- Go through the groceries you’ve selected, and check that you’ve gotten the correct items.
- Check out your orders. Do the two orders separately, one at a time.
To keep the two orders separate, use two carts if possible.
Otherwise, divide the two orders into distinct areas in your cart. This way, items from the two orders won’t get misplaced.
Once the groceries are scanned and paid for, it’s time to bring them to your vehicle and load them. When loading the goods in your car, keep the two orders separate.
Deliver the Items
Once the groceries are safely loaded into your car, you can drive them to the customers.
Deliver the first order following these steps:
- Drive to the first customer’s address.
- Drop the groceries off to the first customer.
- Then, in the Instacart app, swipe to complete delivery.
- Once the first order is complete, Instacart will send you a new delivery page. Swipe on this page to start the timer for the second delivery.
- Drive to the second customer’s residence.
- Unload the groceries where specified.
- In the app, swipe to complete delivery.
That’s it. Your first multiple-batch delivery is in the books. Not too tricky, huh? The critical thing to remember is not to get the two orders mixed up or confused, as this will earn you negative feedback.
And avoiding negative feedback is critical – let’s talk about why.
How To Get More Batches in Instacart
To get more batches in Instacart, you need to have good reviews. The 5-star review system is the lifeblood of a successful Instacart shopper.
However, you might have difficulty connecting with customers if your reviews dip too low.
If your star rating gets too low, you could get dismissed as a shopper on Instacart. This will end your days as a gig worker for the company.
How the Star System Works on Instacart
Instacart reviews work on a five-star scale, with five stars being the best and zero stars being the worst possible rating.
Customers rate how you performed via the app, and they weigh factors such as timeliness, quality of groceries selected, and others. Your star average is weighted over the previous 100 orders you completed.
Maintaining a high star rating is critical, as higher-rated shoppers score more batches.
There are a few things that are beyond your control as a shopper. These factors will not impact your star rating:
- Items that are out of stock.
- Inclement weather delays an order.
- Power outages.
In addition to this, Instacart always forgives your lowest score.
Tips to Getting More Batches
Having a high star rating and shopping for double batches are great ways to maximize your Instacart experience. Some other tricks and hacks will drive even more customers to you.
1. Find Busy Stores
This is basic supply and demand. Go to the stores that people are ordering from, as there’s likely a need for more shoppers.
This is easy to do in the Instacart app. Open the app up and look at the map view. There will be colored circles around the grocery stores with the highest demand for shoppers.
Drive within a mile of the busy stores, and you’re ready for business. Accept some orders and watch the money roll in.
2. Shop on Sundays
Sundays are both the busiest day of the week for customers and the slowest day of the week for shoppers. So who wants to work on Sundays? You do because you’re a hustler.
Once again, this is supply and demand in effect. So take advantage of the increased demand and reduced supply; you’ll be rolling in the dough.
3. Use a Larger Vehicle
If you have access to a van, truck, or another large vehicle, take advantage of that access and use it. Put your larger vehicle to work for you. A bigger car will allow you to deliver more goods and accept large batches.
4. Get Your Safe Handling Badge
While this sounds tricky, getting your safe handling badge through Instacart couldn’t be easier. You’re ready to buy insulated cooler bags through Instacart’s preferred vendor.
This will tell customers that when they buy their cold groceries, you’ll store them in an insulated bag, and the goods will be as cold when delivered as they were at the store.
5. Take an Alcohol Certification Class
Not every state offers these, so check and see if it’s available where you’re located. Once you complete the alcohol certification class, you can purchase and deliver liquor, expanding your services and broadening your customer base.
Get Your Hustle On With Instacart
There you have it. You now know how to accept multiple orders on Instacart, which is a fantastic way of earning even more money in the gig economy.
And remember, you need to keep your star rating high to ensure success within the app – too low of a score might result in fewer customers or, worse, dismissal from the app.
Some other great options to make more money through Instacart include finding busy stores, shopping on Sundays, attaining your alcohol certification, using a larger vehicle, and getting the safe handling badge.
Boom. You’re ready. Get out there and start grinding.
