Imagine signing up for Instacart but not making as much money as you expected.
You may want to consider shopping when you’re eligible for Instacart Peak Boost pay.
Then, you’ll be able to earn more per batch.
If you choose the right batches for your area, you could end up making significantly more.
Read on to learn what Peak Boost means and how it can benefit you as a shopper.
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What Is Instacart Peak Boost?
Instacart’s Peak Boost pay occurs when Instacart has a higher demand for shoppers.
To encourage drivers to accept batches, Instacart will increase the pay per batch.
That way, customers won’t have to wait as long for their groceries to arrive.
How Does Instacart Peak Boost Work?
When Instacart is short on drivers or has a lot of customer orders, it will increase the pay for shoppers.
That can help Instacart fill the demand since they can’t require shoppers to work when they’re contractors.
What Is Instacart Peak Boost For?
Peak Boosts help get more shoppers to accept orders during busier times.
Also, the Peak Boosts tend to coincide with when grocery stores are busier and have longer waits in line.
Both of those factors help get shoppers to work, and it can keep their pay higher.
That will help get shoppers to keep using Instacart to make money.
How Much Can You Earn With Peak Boosts?
During peak times, you could earn up to $12 per batch or more.
The specific amount depends on the size of the batch and how busy it is where you live.
Some smaller cities might only see Peak Boosts of around $8.
As long as you’re efficient with your shopping, you might be able to increase your hourly rate.
When Is Peak Time on Instacart?
Peak times on Instacart can vary from city to city.
However, they usually follow patterns based on when more people order groceries for delivery.
Peak Weekday Times
During the week, the peak times for Instacart range from 4 pm to 9 pm.
People are getting home from work and might need a quick meal to cook.
Or perhaps they need more groceries but don’t want to go back out.
So they’ll order through Instacart to get what they want.
However, with more people working remotely, peak times might increase.
People could start to order groceries around the lunch hour or before work.
Peak Weekend Times
On weekends, the peak times can last all day.
A lot of people order in bulk for the week ahead, so Instacart might compensate for that.
Weekends before holidays might also see more peak times.
For example, people may want to order food for a cookout on Labor Day.
The week before Thanksgiving can also be a busy time for ordering turkeys.
Some people have said that more batches are usually available in the morning on weekends.
How Often Does Instacart Boost?
Instacart doesn’t clearly state how often it will boost pay.
The frequency may vary between cities based on the available number of shoppers and the number of customer orders.
If you live in a city with many orders but not many shoppers, you might see Peak Boosts more often.
Fortunately, Instacart will show you if a Peak Boost is available when scheduling your shifts and when selecting orders.
That way, you can make sure to work during the busiest times to increase your earnings.
How Do You Get Instacart Peak Boost?
Shoppers don’t need to do anything specific to be eligible for Instacart Peak Boosts.
The best thing you can do is to pay attention to when you’re scheduling yourself to work.
If you stick to evenings during the week and any time on the weekends, you’ll have a good chance of qualifying for Peak Boosts.
On the other hand, driving on weekday mornings isn’t the best option for increasing your pay.
To claim the bonus, make sure you accept as many batches as you can during peak times.
That way, you can enjoy as many higher-paying orders as possible.
When Instacart released Peak Boosts, it also started offering Quality Bonuses.
So if you maintain a good quality of service, you could earn even more.
Is Peak Boost Worth It on Instacart?
Peak Boost may or may not be worth it, and that depends on a few factors.
First, you want to think about how long it might take to complete the order.
While a peak order pays more, it could take much longer to checkout and deliver the groceries.
Sometimes, the time isn’t much longer, so you could earn more per hour.
However, you might have to wait a lot more at the store or in traffic, and your hourly rate could go down.
You should also consider how many items you’ll have to pick up.
If you don’t know a grocery store very well, that could slow you down as well.
Add on the longer wait to pay for the items and get to the customer, and it might not always work out in your favor.
Once you get to know your local area, you might be more efficient.
You won’t have to search as long for items, and you could get in and out faster to keep your hourly rate up.
Pros of Instacart Peak Boost
- Earn more per batch
- Potential to earn more per hour
- Good for shoppers with day jobs
Cons of Instacart Peak Boost
- Occurs during rush hour
- Chance to earn less per hour
- No guarantee of getting good orders
Conclusion: Is Instacart Peak Boost Worth It?
Instacart Peak Boosts can be worth it in some cases but not in others.
You should estimate how long an order might take you.
Then, you can decide if it will increase your hourly rate or if you should focus on other batches.
Wrapping Up
Instacart Peak Boost is an excellent incentive for shoppers.
You can use it to earn more per batch than you’d earn earlier in the day or week.
However, you will need to shop when stores and traffic are the busiest.
If the boost in pay isn’t significant, you might not earn that much more.
Be sure to test it out in your area to see if Instacart Peak Boosts are worth it for you.
And if you have any questions, comment below.
