Instacart Support

For any order or site support, please contact Instacart Support at 1-888-246-7822 (EN) or 1-833-977-3139 (FR).

Senior and specialized support

There is a senior and specialized support line for customers who may need additional help setting up an account or placing an order. Speak to a live specialist at 1-844-981-3433, daily from 8 a.m.- 11 p.m. ET.

How are Same-Day Orders Facilitated

The Costco Same-Day site is hosted by Instacart and all Costco Same-Day orders are picked and delivered by Instacart Personal Shoppers.

Delivery Availability Details

Delivery Hours for Same-Day orders:

Monday to Friday 10:00am – 8:00pm
Sat. 10:00am – 6:00pm
Sun. 10:00am – 6:00pm

On holidays, delivery hours are subject to change per warehouse holiday hours.

How far in advance can I place my order for delivery? What is the delivery window?

Orders can be placed up to 6 days prior to delivery.
Orders are delivered within a one-hour timeframe.
Orders can be scheduled for delivery in as little as one hour or within the next 2 hours, depending on the availability of Instacart’s Personal Shoppers.

You can view available delivery times on the timestamp in the top right of your screen.

Delivery Availability

Available within qualified delivery areas of BC, AB, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NF and NB.

Methods of Payment

Debit, Credit, PayPal and Apple Pay on mobile are accepted methods of payment on Same-Day.

Which methods of payment are not accepted?

Costco Shop Cards, international credit cards, and prepaid debit cards are not currently accepted.

Instacart Gift Cards redemption on Costco Same-Day

Instacart Gift Cards can now be redeemed on Costco Same-Day.

Gift cards can be redeemed two ways:

At checkout by clicking Add promo code or Instacart gift card and then clicking Use Instacart credits under the payment option
Within a user’s account through Credits, promos and gift cards and loading the Instacart gift card details. Once checking out, all users should ensure they’re clicking apply credits when paying.

How to Place an Order

You can either search for a specific item you’re looking for, or browse by department. We also make recommendations based on what you bought before.
Add items to your cart by selecting the “+” or “+Add”. You can also adjust the item quantity by using the + or - buttons.
You can check what’s in your cart anytime while you’re shopping by selecting the shopping basket button. You can see the next available delivery time, as well as the amount needed to reach any order minimums. You can also view your item total, adjust quantities, or remove items from your cart.
When you’re ready to check out, visit your cart and select the Checkout button. You’ll be asked to add a delivery address and your payment information. Then, go ahead and place your order! Your groceries will be on their way in no time. Or you can place your delivery for up to 5 days from now.

Can’t Find an Item?

Not able to find an item you’re looking for in our inventory? Here are a couple things to try.

1. Use search

Use the search box on the website. Sometimes searching for one keyword (for example, searching for “watermelon” instead of “watermelon slices”) can help.

2. Add a special request

If search doesn’t help you find the item you want, you can select “Add a special request” at the bottom of the search results page.
Enter as many details as you can about the item. Adding a photo is optional, but can really help your personal shopper with locating your special request.
Enter the quantity.

Still can’t find certain items on the site?

Items only appear on the website when they are available at your local warehouse. This means that product selection will vary by store. Also, certain warehouse items are not available for delivery.

Items Not Available for Delivery

Please keep in mind that there are some items that aren’t available for same-day delivery from a Costco warehouse. In general, the catalog doesn’t include:

Alcohol
Pharmacy Prescription
Non-alcoholic age-restricted products like tobacco and over-the-counter items containing nicotine
Items containing pseudoephedrine, ephedrine, and phenylpropanolamine
Food court items
Special order products (i.e. custom cakes)
Postage Stamps
Select Furniture
Gift cards

There may also be size, weight, or price restrictions on certain items.

Item availability and terms are subject to change without notice. For alcohol items, special requests cannot be fulfilled.

Tracking your Order and Delivery

It’s easy to track your order, from the moment your personal shopper starts finding your items until the moment it arrives at your door.

Order status

To check your order status on the website:

Select “Account”
Select “Your orders”
Select “View order details” to view it’s status

Tracking your order in progress

If you have text message notifications enabled, you’ll receive a message when your personal shopper begins working on your order.

Select “Account” > “Your orders”
Select current order to see Shopped Items and to view items already found and changes like replacements and refunds.
You can Approve changes or choose Other options for each item.

Want to chat with your shopper?

Select “Chat” to let them know if you want to add items to your order or make other changes.

Tracking your delivery in progress

When it’s time for delivery, you’ll receive a text message that includes an estimated time of arrival.

Need to give your driver last-minute delivery instructions?

Select “Chat” to message the shopper. (For safety reasons, drivers might not reply while they’re en route.)

Order Changes

If your personal shopper hasn’t begun your order, you can update your order under “Account” > “Your orders”. If your shopper has already started working on your order, you can chat with them for assistance.

Add a new item

To add an item to your order:

Go to “Account” > “Your orders”
Select current order > add to order
Search each item you want to add
Select “+” or “+Add” to add to cart
Follow prompts for confirmation

Change quantity or remove an item

To make changes to your current order:

Go to “Account” > “Your orders”
Select current order
In the item list, select the item you want to adjust the quantity on

Approving order changes

You can select other options for replacements, or choose a refund for the item instead.

To see items your shopper has already located:

Select “Account” > “Your orders”
Select your current order
If you approve the change, select “Approve”
If you prefer another option, select “Other options”…
Don’t see the option you prefer? Select “Chat” to talk to your shopper.
When shopping is complete, you can view all the completed changes and items in your order.

Adding Instructions for Specific Items, Replacements, or Delivery

Add instructions for how you want your order shopped and/or delivered. Through instructions, you can let your shopper know that you prefer greener bananas or help them find the apartment to drop off your order.

Item instructions

You can add item instructions from your cart, on the checkout page, or even after you place your order (but only before it’s been shopped).

From your cart: Select “Add Note” on the item for which you’d like to leave a note
From the checkout page: Proceed through the order process to edit or add instructions
After you ordered: Visit the Order page to review your items and add any instructions

Item instructions carry over to future orders. If your item preferences change, make sure to review your notes when ordering the same items in the future.

During checkout, you can request the order be left at your door if you're not around. This option will notify the shopper it’s an unattended delivery and prompt them to take a picture of the order at your door before they leave.

Please note: If you choose for your order to be left unattended, you accept full responsibility for the order after it has been delivered, including any loss due to theft or temperature sensitivity damage.

Replacement instructions

Items may be out of stock. When this happens, you have 3 options:

Find Best Match: Your shopper selects the best possible replacement. This is the default option for when items aren’t available.
Pick Specific Replacement: To select your own replacement, select the item, then select “Other options”. You can search the catalog or choose a replacement from a list of suggestions.
Don’t Replace: If you prefer not to replace an item, choose “Don’t Replace” under “Other options” or “Edit” to get a refund instead.

Keep in mind you’ll be refunded or charged for the difference in price for replacement items.

If you have order notifications turned on, look for alerts when an item is replaced or refunded.

Delivery instructions

Adding delivery instructions can help shoppers deliver your order. Your delivery driver sees these instructions when they start heading your way.

Useful info to include:

Parking locations
Building security or gate information
Specific directions for hard-to-locate front doors
Any markers on your home that might help the shopper find the best entrance

You can add delivery instructions:

While placing the order
After placing the order (but before your order is shopped)
When adding an address to your account

If your shopper is working on your order, you can contact your shopper directly.

Please note that shoppers who can’t reach you via chat or phone may not be able to deliver your order.

Problem With Your Order

Receive a delivery you’re not completely satisfied with? In most cases, we can make things right quickly.

On the website, you can let Instacart know about:

Missing items
Incorrect items
Damaged items
Poor replacements
Late orders

Follow these steps:

When your order has been completed, you will receive a text with a link asking you to review your order.
Select the link, then hit “Next” and rate your experience.
Select “Report an Issue” below the comment box and the reason for the refund (Wrong item, Missing item, Damaged item, etc.).
Then, select the item and hit “Submit issues.”

You’ll get an email confirmation right away for any credits or refunds, and Instacart will let you know as soon as any other issues are resolved. Refund and credit amounts vary.

Receiving your Delivery

After the items in your order have been picked and packed, a personal shopper starts the delivery process. In some cases, the person who shops your order may not be the one who delivers it.

To make sure you get your delivery as scheduled, we recommend:

Keeping an eye out for text messages and phone calls from the delivery driver
Leaving helpful instructions for parking, gate codes, or other clues to find your home.

Driver can’t find your location

If the delivery driver can’t find your location, they’ll try to get in touch with you via text message or phone call before taking further action. Unless you specifically request for them to do so, drivers are unable to leave an order unattended.

When a member can’t be found or contacted for an extended period of time, the order may be cancelled.

Unavailable to receive delivery

In the case that you can’t be there to receive your delivery in person, we recommend first reaching out to a friend or neighbour to get it for you. Just let the driver know of the change by adding a note in the delivery instructions or sending them a message through the website.

Alternatively, you can check the box for Leave at My Door Delivery at checkout. You can leave additional instructions for your shopper and receive a photo confirmation once your groceries have been delivered.

Payment Issues

The only transaction needed to pay for your order and adjust the shopper's tip takes place on Same-Day. External payments such as cash, cheques, or third-party apps are not necessary.

If you or your shopper experience issues paying for your order, please reach out to the Instacart Support at 1-888-246-7822 (EN) or 1-833-977-3139 (FR). All payments take place within the app, and you're not required to reimburse your shopper for any reason.

Rescheduling a Delivery

You can change your delivery date and time up until a shopper begins working on your order. Here’s how to reschedule:

Select “Account” > “Your orders”
Locate the order you’re rescheduling and select “Reschedule”
Choose a new delivery time and/or date and save
The new delivery date/time will update in the order information. You’re all set!

Refunds, Credits, Returns, and Cancellation Policy

Refunds and cancellations are subject to certain conditions. Please read carefully to understand our policies.

Refunds

To request a refund for any reason, you must make your request within 7 days of delivery.

Please let us know as soon as possible if your order:

Is missing items that you were charged for on the final receipt
Contains damaged, spoiled, or otherwise unusable items.

Refunds are processed immediately, but it may take 5-10 business days to see the funds in your bank or credit card account, depending on your bank.

How to use Credits

Credits will automatically apply during checkout on your next order.

Returns

With few exceptions, Costco has a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Simply bring the product to any Costco warehouse and our Member Services Team will be happy to assist you*. It helps if you have the receipt or original product packaging, but it may not be necessary to process your return.

*Limitations apply. See the membership counter or Costco.ca for details.

Cancelling an order

You can cancel an order for a full refund without any additional fees at any time before a shopper begins shopping.

The process is simple on a desktop web page or in the app:

Select “Account” > “Your orders”
Select the order you’d like to cancel
On the Order page, select “Manage Order” > “Cancel”

When you cancel an order during the shopping or delivery processes, you may be charged a cancellation fee of up to $15. To cancel after shopping has begun, reach out to Instacart Care by contacting Instacart Support at 1-888-246-7822 (EN) or 1-833-977-3139 (FR).

Unknown Charges, Recurring Payments, and Other Authorizations

See a charge from Instacart you don’t recognize? Before you reach out to us for help, you might want to double-check it’s not:

An Instacart+ subscription fee
A temporary authorization hold for an order in process
An adjusted total for changes in your order (e.g., items unavailable or replaced items at a different price).

Temporary authorization hold amounts

For orders in process, Instacart places a temporary authorization hold for a slightly higher amount than your estimated order total. This small difference accounts for potential changes in the final total due to special requests, added items, items replaced at a different price, and actual weight of items.

We release the authorization hold after your order is delivered or cancelled. It can take 3-5 business days for the pending charge to drop, depending on your bank.

Instacart will only charge you for the total of the items delivered to you.

Final total different from total at checkout

When you place an order, Instacart shows you the anticipated total, including estimated taxes and fees. The final total charged to your card may be different if any changes occur during the shopping process, such as:

Added items: After you place an order, you can add items to it, either by modifying the order before it is shopped or by communicating with the Personal Shopper while it’s being shopped.
Substituted items: You can choose to have items substituted or not if something is unavailable. If an item is replaced, your receipt will be updated to reflect the replacement item price. If the replacement is more expensive than the item you ordered, you will be charged more. If the replacement is less expensive, you will be charged less.
Unavailable/refunded items: If an item is unavailable, your shopper will mark the item as refunded, and we’ll remove it from your item total. This will reduce the final amount of your order.
Weight adjustments: Personal Shoppers will try to get the exact weight of the items you requested, but it is likely the weight could be more or less than what you requested. At the store, your shopper will input the correct item’s weights before checking out, which will update your item total. You will be charged for the weight you receive.
Special request: Your personal shopper fulfils a special request for an item not the current assortment of items available on Same-Day

Recurring charges

For security reasons, Instacart’s payment processor cannot store a card's CVC on file. Instacart’s payment processor flags the initial charge as \"recurring\" so that you don’t have to re-enter your card information every time you place an order.

Why did the taxes change on my final order?

When first placing your order, an estimate of the sales tax and any other applicable fees and taxes, such as bottle deposits and bag fees is applied to your total. These are the same types of fees that you would pay in the physical store. Estimated taxes and fees applicable to your order are visible on the right-hand side of the checkout page.

Final taxes and fees will be included in your receipt after your order is picked and delivered. Any changes to your order when it’s shopped could result in adjustments to the taxes and/or fees.

Fraudulent charges

If the scenarios outlined in this article do not apply, and you still feel the charge you see is fraudulent, please contact Instacart Support at 1-888-246-7822 (EN) or 1-833-977-3139 (FR).

Talk to Instacart before disputing unknown charges directly with your bank. When a dispute is filed, the associated Instacart account is placed on hold during the investigation, which can take up to 90 days.

Tipping

Instacart encourages tipping as a way to show your shoppers appreciation and recognition for excellent service. 100% of your tip goes directly to the shopper delivering your order.

The default tip is 5% or the percentage you chose for your most recent order, whichever is higher. There is a minimum suggested tip of $2 per individual warehouse delivery. Tips are optional and may be adjusted up to 2 hours after your delivery is complete.

You can modify the tip both while placing an order and after delivery is complete.

Instacart+ and Costco Partnership

Costco members can receive a reduced annual Instacart+ membership for $79. View Terms.

Costco members who are new to Instacart+ can also receive 2 free months of Instacart+ membership.

Instacart+ benefits through Costco include:

$79 pricing on annual Instacart+ membership plan
Save up to 3.5% off every order from sameday.costco.ca.
2 month free Instacart+ trial membership for new Instacart+ members

Note: By linking your Costco Same-Day account with an active Instacart+ membership to your Instacart account, you can also receive certain Instacart+ benefits on Instacart.ca and the Instacart app. If you redeem this offer and your Costco membership is invalid after your trial or current Instacart+ membership term expires, you’ll be charged full price for annual Instacart+.

Qualifying for the offers

To qualify for the reduced annual Instacart+ price you:

Must have a valid Costco membership on Same-Day

To qualify for the 2 free months of Instacart+ membership you:

Must have a valid Costco membership on Same-Day; and
Must see the free trial offer on the subscription page when you sign up.

Note: Members who had an Instacart+ membership plan on or after December 1, 2021 (either on Same-Day or on your linked Instacart account) are not eligible for the free trial. Limit one offer per Costco membership.

Redeeming the offers

To redeem the reduced annual Instacart+ price or the 2 free months of Instacart+ membership:

Select “Account”
Select “Instacart+”
Select “Claim 2 months free”
Enter your credit card details
Select “Start Free 2 Months Trial”

Note: Members who had an existing Instacart+ membership (either on Same-Day or on your linked Instacart account) on or after December 1, 2021, are not eligible for the 2 month free Instacart+ membership trial. However, you can still redeem the $79 discounted Instacart+ price as long as you meet the requirement of having a valid Costco membership at the time of redemption and renewal (limit one redemption per Costco membership).

Existing Instacart+ member

If you’re currently enrolled in a free Instacart+ membership trial or an annual Instacart+ plan and have a valid Costco membership, you can redeem the offer and receive the discounted rate on an annual plan starting on your next Instacart+ membership renewal date.

If your Costco membership is invalid at the time of renewal, you’ll be charged full price for your annual Instacart+ membership.

Linking your Instacart+ membership to your Costco account

Linking your Instacart+ membership to your Costco account allows you to use your Instacart+ benefits while ordering with Instacart through Costco’s website. To link—

Go to Sameday.Costco.ca.
You may be asked to enter your zip code / delivery address.
If you're asked to log in, use your Costco.com login credentials.
From the Costco Same-Day homepage, hover your mouse over the black and white profile icon at the top right corner of the screen next to the pricing policy.
Select the Instacart+ option.
Here, you should see the option to link your Instacart+ account to your Costco Same-Day account.
Enter your email address and the 6 digit security code that is sent to your email.
An authorization box will pop up asking you to authorize Costco to use your Instacart account. Select Allow.
Your Instacart+ membership is now linked to your Costco account!

For assistance with account login or membership validation issues, please contact the Costco Membership Help Desk:

Phone: 1-888-426-7826 (Canada)
Submit a Request: customerservice.costco.ca

How do I get a copy of my receipt?

Receipts can be viewed under “Account” > “Your orders”.Nutritional and Other Product Information on Sameday.costco.com

Products on Sameday.costco.ca may display nutritional, ingredient, allergen, and other information, including in the product or label images, or in the product description. We include this information to help members, but it isn’t a substitute for checking product labels to verify they are suitable for your dietary preferences.

Sameday.costco.ca obtains this information from third parties, and the information may vary from time to time. Actual product packaging in-warehouse, or on the products that you may receive in your order, may contain more and/or different information than shown on Sameday.costco.ca . Please carefully read all labels, warnings, and directions on the product package you receive prior to the use or consumption of any product.

Food Safety

Food safety and quality is a top priority at Instacart. All shoppers are well-equipped with knowledge to make sure your food is properly picked and maintained at all stages of the shopping process.

Educating shoppers on food safety

Instacart helps prepare shoppers to safely handle and transport food with an interactive Food Safety Walkthrough and a Shopper Food Safety Requirements and Best Practices guide. Shoppers learn to look for the freshest possible items and pay special attention to expiration dates, broken seals, and the quality of fresh produce.

Storing food properly

Insulated bags and coolers are also used to make sure your items stay at the correct temperature while in transit from the warehouse to you.

In-warehouse Sales and Coupons

Some sales and promotions available on Costco Same-Day may not be available in-warehouse or for 2-day delivery.

To see what discounts are available for a particular warehouse, you can:

Go to Same-Day and make sure you’re logged in
In the header menu, select “Weekly Savings”

Item Pricing

Why are Costco’s Same-day prices higher than Costco’s in-warehouse prices?

Item prices are marked up higher than your local warehouse. Instacart uses the markup to pay for their delivery service. The order minimum is $35. Instacart uses the markup amount to provide competitive pay to all shoppers working with Instacart. Unlike a tip, which can only go to the shopper delivering your order, a markup allows us to pay all shoppers (including, for example, those that pick ordered items in the warehouse).

What happens if prices change between when I place my order and when it is delivered?

The price you pay for a product ordered through Instacart is the price the product was at the time you placed your order. Price changes at the time of delivery do not affect your payment for the original order.