23 Best Jobs Like Instacart Shopper (Make $25 an Hour!)

The service is quite popular for people who don’t have time to work, physically can’t leave their house, or are homebound for other reasons.

As a shopper for the app, you are the person who handles getting the food for the buyer and then delivering it. This means you obviously need a reliable form of transportation and a GPS to help you navigate your town efficiently.

Shoppers, according to the app, are expected to make $15 to $20 an hour. However, this can depend on how many clients you shop for and how big their orders are.

If you are interested in becoming an Instacart shopper, click here.

Instacart Alternatives

Now that you know what Instacart is and how it works, here are other apps like Instacart that offer delivery jobs. Most of these are available around the country but some of them are only for specific states. Make sure they work in your area!

1. Postmates

If you are looking for delivery jobs like Instacart then Postmates is definitely something you want to look into.

Instead of just delivering groceries — which you can still do for Postmates — you deliver things like:

• Meals from restaurants
• Alcohol
• Clothing

How much you can get paid varies depending on what city you are located in. Check here to see what rates are like in your area. Postmates are paid weekly, usually Wednesdays or Thursdays. As an example, here’s what the rates are like in Chicago, Illinois:

• Rate per pickup – $1.45
• Rate per dropoff – $0.70
• Rate per minute – $0.07
• Rate per mile – $1.01

If you are interested in joining, read my review and how much you can make working for Postmates.

2. DoorDash

This one isn’t about groceries but it still follows the same pattern. Customers order meals from restaurants in town and DoorDash drivers will pick it up and deliver it.

What’s nice about working for DoorDash is they are pretty flexible about what mode of transportation you use. You can deliver with either a car, scooter, or bike.

They also show you what the delivery is worth and if you’ll receive any tips. For every delivery you do, you’ll get at a minimum of $6. Any tips are yours to keep. DoorDash will never try to claim your tips!

In order to work for DoorDash, you must:

• Be at least 18 or older
• Have a valid’s driver’s license
• Have valid car insurance if you are delivering while using a car
• Have a smartphone that works well
• Pass a background check

3. Uber Eats

You can deliver food by working at Uber. All you have to do is choose which deliveries you want to fulfill and then accept the job.

Uber shows you the orders upfront, including what kind of payment you will make. You’ll get paid the money you earn from deliveries plus any tips you were given. All payments are made on Mondays.

In order to be a driver for Uber Eats, you must:

• Be 19 years old or order
• Have a valid ID
• Have a car that is newer than a 1999 model or a scooter/motorcycle with a minimum 50cc motor
• Have a vehicle with at least two doors (unless you are delivering via scooter, motorbike, or bicycle)
• Have valid insurance and registration for your vehicle

4. Shipt Shopper

Do you have a Target, Petco, or Walmart in your area? If so, you should look into delivering for Shipt. These companies, along with a few other mainstream ones, use Shipt to deliver orders. You can make $22 an hour or more, depending on the jobs you take.

5. Grubhub

This is another great meal delivery job you can take on. Grubhub offers delivery jobs like DoorDash and Uber Eats, however, some of the qualifications are different.

You must:

• Be 19 years or older
• Have two years of driving experience or more
• Have a smartphone
• Have a driver’s license and vehicle insurance
• Pass a background check
• Have a checking account

6. Favor

This one works for people who live in Texas. Customers can order food from both chain restaurants and local cuisine, plus you can deliver groceries too. There’s even an option that allows workers to do small tasks that a personal assistant would do.

The pay ranges from $10 to $18, depending on the work you take. You also get to keep all of your tips and you get to set your own schedule.

7. Local Grocery Stores

If you want to specifically work at a grocery store as a delivery driver, then obviously the best place to look is your local grocery stores. Ask the manager if they are hiring and see what perks they offer. You might be able to score a discount on your shopping trips if you work there!

The major downside to this is that you don’t get to set your own schedule in most places. However, your taxes will be easier to fill out and you are likely to get benefits that you won’t get from being self-employed.

8. Burpy

The way this site works is simple.

• Step 1: Burpy customers place an order on the web.
• Step 2: The order details are sent to your smartphone.
• Step 3: You shop for the items and bring them to the customer.

Best of all, you can make up to $25 per hour and you get to choose your own hours.

The downside? It’s only in the state of Texas.

9. Fresh Direct

If you live in the New York City area, check out this job opportunity. You can work for Fresh Direct, the company that offers next-day delivery of groceries in NYC and the surrounding areas.

The fantastic thing about Fresh Direct is that they hire employees instead of independent contracts. So you get the benefits of working for a company and have more job security than someone trying to be self-employed.

10. DeliverThat

This company takes a new approach with food delivery that most do not. Many customers worry that their food will be messed with or, more likely, that they will receive something they didn’t order.

To stop this from happening, DeliverThat makes drivers take pictures of the food boxes and send them to the customer. This helps you from getting in trouble if the order is wrong because the customer will have to verify that it’s right.

11. SkipTheDishes

This is a Canadian food delivery app that lets customers order food from all kinds of restaurants in Canada. If you live in that country, you may want to try signing up to work for this app!

12. Bite Squad

Update: No longer in business!

The requirements to work for this service are actually quite small.

All you need is:

• A clean driving record
• Valid license
• Car insurance
• A smartphone
• A vehicle you own

If you fit these criteria, check them out!

13. Caviar

Update: DoorDash bought Caviar so although the site is still up, if you try to sign up as a driver, it will automatically direct you to the DoorDash driver application.

Here are some quick features of working for Caviar.

• You can earn up to $25 an hour.
• You keep 100% of your tips.
• You can choose to get paid instantly.
• See your earnings, pick up, and drop off before you accept a job.
• Talk with a courier support team whenever you need too.

Jobs Beyond Food Delivery

You can deliver more than just groceries or food from restaurants. Here are some extra jobs to consider.

14. Rover

Don’t have a car? Like animals? Then Rover might be good for you. You get to earn money by walking dogs and pet sitting.

15. Stuart

If you’re in the UK or in Europe, this is for you. You can deliver parcels and food to people in your city. Pick your own hours and work when you want. Best of all, you can do your job even if you don’t have a car. They accept applicants that use mopeds or bikes.

16. Lyft

Probably everyone knows what Lyft is at this point. If you own a car, you can earn money by driving people around your city. All you need is to have a driver’s license, some driving experience, and car insurance.

17. TaskRabbit

More known for its side gigs, TaskRabbit remains one of the most popular side hustle apps out there. However, you can do more than just pick up extra shifts or do spare jobs for people.

TaskRabbit also lets you do food deliveries, pick up groceries, and more. If you don’t mind having something new and unique to do all the time, you might be interested in TaskRabbit. Just remember that this app requires people to be flexible and quick to learn.

More Apps Like InstaCart for Drivers

Here are a few more apps you can use to make money delivering food and other essentials.

18. GoPuff
19. Amazon Fresh
20. BaggednBrought
21. SparkDriver (Walmart delivery driver)
22. FoodFetched
23. Curri.com

Increasing Your Earnings as a Delivery Driver

Just because a site claims you can earn something like $25 an hour doesn’t make it true. It usually depends on how many jobs you get, which assignments you accept, or where you live.

Typically, you get higher pay in cities because there’s more opportunity in highly populated areas.

You’re also more likely to get higher rates on nights and weekends, depending on the company you’re working for.

Tips are also extremely important. Provide good customer service and be as helpful as you can to your customers to earn more.

To make more money, you can also try accepting multiple deliveries at once if the company you work for allows it. Just remember not to take too long because some customers will get annoyed if their food is cold by the time they get it.

How to Deliver without a Car

Don’t own a car?

That’s okay. There are still many apps out there that don’t require you to have a vehicle to work for them. Even just owning a bike can let you do some jobs.

You can also look into renting a car while you work. If you find a rental deal that’s cheap enough, you can use the income you earn to save up for a down payment on a car. Check out the site Getaround to see if you can get a cheap rental near you.

If you have friends or family that are willing to help, see if you can use their cars to do deliveries while you save up for your own car.

Summary

There are a lot of side hustle apps out there that let you earn money in your spare time. You might not be able to replace your current job for them but you can certainly earn a lot of extra cash on the side to help you pay bills.

Make sure you read the requirements of each app before signing up. Try to pick a company that is going to best fit your skills. Have trouble socializing with strangers? Skip Uber and Lyft and do delivery jobs instead. Get bored of doing the same stuff over and over again? Try Taskrabbit instead to get some variety.

If you’ve used any of these apps or any other apps like Instacart, let us know your tips and experiences.