Instacart Mastercard Credit Card Review 2024

If you use Instacart heavily, you’ll probably want to consider applying for the Instacart Mastercard®.

This card earns 5% cash back on Instacart app and Instacart.com purchases, and on travel purchased through the Chase Travel Center, 2% cash back at restaurants, gas stations and on select streaming services and 1% cash back on all other purchases. It also offers new cardholders a $100 Instacart credit plus 1 free year of Instacart+ automatically upon approval.

If you already have Instacart+, the free year of membership that comes with the Instacart Mastercard® will apply after the membership that you’ve paid for.

Benefits that come with an Instacart+ membership include:

• Free delivery for orders of $35 or more
• A 5% credit on pickup orders (excluding alcohol)
• Lower service fees
• Share your benefits and shop with family (when available)
• Includes free Peacock Premium subscriptions within the U.S.

If you want to maintain your Instacart+ membership after the free offer, you’ll pay the regular cost which is $9.99 per month or $99 per year (which comes out to $8.25 per month). If you don’t cancel your membership, it will auto-renew at the annual rate.

Also, while Instacart is largely thought of as a grocery delivery service, the platform also includes other retailers. For example, you may be able to shop at stores such as Lowe’s and Sephora.

Since the Instacart card is issued by Chase, you’ll want to make sure you know the unwritten Chase 5/24 rule. If you’ve opened five or more credit cards (from any issuer) within the past 24 months, you can expect to be denied if you apply for a Chase credit card.

• Earn 5% cash back on Instacart app and Instacart.com purchases, and on travel purchased through the Chase Travel Center, 2% cash back at restaurants, gas stations and on select streaming services and 1% cash back on all other purchases
• Earn a $100 Instacart credit plus 1 free year of Instacart+ automatically upon approval
• $0 annual fee
• $0 foreign transaction fee
• 20.24% - 28.99% variable APR on purchases and balance transfers. A balance transfer fee of either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater, applies

Earning Rewards

With the Instacart Mastercard®, you’ll earn 5% cash back on Instacart app and Instacart.com purchases, and on travel purchased through the Chase Travel Center, 2% cash back at restaurants, gas stations and on select streaming services and 1% cash back on all other purchases.

There’s also an offer for new cardmembers: $100 Instacart credit plus 1 free year of Instacart+ automatically upon approval.

Redeeming Rewards

Chase makes it easy to redeem the rewards you earn with the Instacart Mastercard®. You can get cash back as a statement credit to lower your card balance, as a direct deposit to a bank account or to pay for all or part of your purchase, in the Instacart app or instacart.com—all with no minimum redemption amount.

You also can redeem rewards for travel through the Chase Travel Center.

Rewards Potential

Forbes Advisor uses data from various government agencies to determine baseline income and spending averages across various categories. The 70th percentile of wage-earning households brings in $118,438 annually and we base spending on that number. Forbes Advisor estimates that $39,068 of an average household’s annual expenses can be reasonably charged to a credit card.

Instacart Mastercard Rewards Potential

Category	Earning Rate	Estimated Annual Spend	Estimated Annual Earnings
Instacart	5%	$7,243	$362.15
Travel booked through Chase Travel	5%	$8,573	$428.65
Gas, dining and streaming services	2%	$8,863	$177.26
All other purchases	1%	$14,389	$143.89
			Total: $1,111.95

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Be aware that if you split your grocery shopping between Instacart and in-person or if you shop around for travel bookings, these numbers will be reduced. However, Instacart+ member who choose the pick-up option could double their grocery rewards.

• Auto rental collision damage waiver. Decline the rental company’s insurance and this benefit offers secondary coverage against theft and collision damage.
• Purchase protection. Enjoy protection against damage or theft on new purchases for 120 days. The maximum coverage is $500 per claim and $50,000 per account.
• Extended warranty protection. You’ll get an extra year of protection on purchases that come with eligible U.S. manufacturer warranties of three years or fewer.
• Baggage delay insurance. This benefit offers reimbursement for toiletries, clothing and other essentials if your baggage is delayed for more than six hours.
• Lost luggage reimbursement. If your luggage or that of an immediate family member is lost or damaged by the carrier, this coverage offers up to $3,000 in reimbursement.
• Roadside assistance. Get help if you have a roadside emergency. Just note that any expenses incurred while using this benefit will be charged to your card.
• Travel accident insurance. Receive coverage for accidental death or dismemberment of up to $500,000 when paying for air, bus, train or cruise transportation with this card.
• Travel and emergency assistance services. If you’re seeking legal or medical referrals or other travel emergency assistance, this benefit can connect you with the help you need. Just know you’re responsible for the cost of any goods or services obtained.
• World Elite Mastercard benefits. These include access to Mastercard Priceless® Experiences, exclusive offers from brands and a complimentary 24/7 concierge service.

Interest Rates

• Regular APR: 20.24% - 28.99% Variable
• Purchase intro APR: N/A
• Balance transfer intro APR: N/A

Fees

• Annual fee: $0
• Balance transfer fee: Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each balance transfer, whichever is greater.
• Foreign purchase transaction fee: $0

Instacart Mastercard® vs. Citi Custom Cash® Card

If you like to do your shopping in the grocery store, consider the Citi Custom Cash® Card, issued by our partner Citi. It earns 5% cash back on purchases in a top eligible spend category up to the first $500 spent each billing cycle, 4% cash back on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked on Citi Travel℠ portal through 6/30/2025 and 1% cash back on all other purchases. One of the categories eligible for 5% back is purchases at grocery stores. Keep in mind that the 5% earnings are limited to $500 in each billing cycle.

Other 5% eligible categories include restaurants, gas stations, select travel, select transit, select streaming services, drugstores, home improvement stores, fitness clubs and live entertainment.

The card has no annual fee, and cardholders can earn a welcome bonus of $200 in cash back after spending $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. The bonus points come in the form of 20,000 ThankYou® Points that can be redeemed for $200 cash back.

Instacart Mastercard® vs. U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card*

If dining out is a big part of your budget, then the U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card* can reward you well, whether you like to eat at the restaurant, get takeout or order delivery.

You’ll earn 4 points per dollar on dining, takeout, and restaurant delivery, 2 points per dollar at grocery stores, grocery delivery, gas stations, streaming services and on EV charging stations (excluding discount stores, supercenters and wholesale clubs effective September 9, 2024) and 1 point per dollar on all other eligible purchases. But if groceries account for a large part of your budget, you may find the 2 points at grocery stores disappointing. There’s also a welcome bonus of 20,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 in eligible purchases within the first 90 days of account opening.

And, after 11 consecutive months of eligible streaming purchases, you can earn a $15 streaming credit.

The card charges no annual fee.

Instacart Mastercard® vs. Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card

With the no-annual-fee Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card (rates & fees), you don’t have to choose between elevated grocery shopping or dining rewards.

Cardholders earn 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services and grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®), 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases, and 1% on all other purchases. Plus, earn a $200 cash bonus after spending $500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening.

It depends. If you already use Instacart regularly, getting the Instacart Mastercard® offers a chance to earn cash back at a generous rate on purchases you’re already making. And if you already subscribe to Instacart+ and love its benefits, pairing that membership with the Instacart Mastercard® makes sense.

If you prefer to do your shopping the old-fashioned way, opting for a card that rewards you at grocery stores is a better choice. If you split your shopping fairly evenly between in-person and Instacart, consider pairing the Instacart Mastercard® with another no-annual-fee card that offers elevated rewards for groceries.

Forbes Advisor considers a variety of criteria when assigning credit cards a rating. Cards are graded based on numerous factors including:

• Annual fees
• Welcome bonus offers
• Ongoing earning rates
• Value of individual points of miles
• Included travel or merchant credits
• Additional cardholder benefits

Card features we expect cardholders to use the most often are weighted more heavily in our ratings. Altogether, the factors came together to provide a star rating for each individual card.

Read More: How Forbes Advisor Rates Credit Cards