Instacart has become a popular solution for fast, convenient grocery delivery. Many households use multiple Instacart accounts—whether it’s between roommates, partners, or family members. Occasionally, you may want to combine orders from two different Instacart accounts to streamline deliveries, save money on delivery charges, or take advantage of shared promotions. However, managing this efficiently can be tricky since Instacart does not currently support merging orders across accounts natively.
TL;DR
If you’re looking to combine orders from two Instacart accounts, your best bet is to coordinate items into one shared cart using features like Instacart’s group cart, or have one person share access to their account temporarily. Instacart does not allow merging of orders placed through separate accounts into one delivery. Workarounds include syncing shopping lists or using group shopping features for joint order management. Always verify the shared delivery address and payment method before checkout.
Why Would You Want to Combine Orders?
Combining Instacart orders from two accounts provides several potential benefits:
- Save on delivery and service fees by placing one larger order instead of two separate ones.
- Coordinate purchases to avoid duplicates and ensure everything on your shared list is included.
- Take advantage of promotions or bulk discounts that might only apply to larger orders.
- Reduce contact and delivery windows by consolidating delivery into a single time frame.
The Limitations of Instacart
Before we explore practical options, it’s important to know what you can’t do within Instacart’s current system:
- You cannot combine two separately placed orders after they’ve been submitted.
- You cannot merge carts directly between different accounts from within the app (unless using a shared group cart).
- You may not be able to use the same promotion across two separate accounts or orders.
Method 1: Use Instacart’s Group Cart Feature
The Group Cart feature is Instacart’s answer to collaborative shopping. It allows multiple users to contribute to one shared cart, making it ideal for combining efforts within a household or between friends.
How to create and use a Group Cart:
- Open the Instacart app or website and start a cart at your preferred store.
- Click the “Invite people” button at the top of the cart screen.
- Send the invitation to the second person (via link, email, or text message).
- The invited user clicks the link, joins the cart, and adds their items.
- Once everyone’s done, the host completes the checkout and pays.
This method is easy and supported natively by Instacart. However, it does rely on one person paying for the whole order, which may require reimbursement later.
Method 2: Share Account Access Temporarily
If the group cart isn’t ideal, another solution is for one person to share temporary access to their account. This may not be officially recommended due to privacy concerns, but some users do this by logging in to a shared device or password manager.
Steps:
- Decide who will be the account “host.”
- The other person logs into that account (with permission), adds their items, and notifies the host.
- The host completes the checkout and confirms delivery details.
Pro tip: Use shared notes or a messaging app to list desired items before login, minimizing time spent in the account. Also, double-check that the correct address and payment method are selected before placing the order.
Method 3: Coordinate Outside the App
If you prefer to keep accounts separate but want to combine logistics, simply coordinate your lists outside of Instacart and place one joint order from a single account.
Try this approach:
- Use a shared app like Google Keep or Apple Notes to create a grocery list.
- Each person adds their desired items to the list and includes notes if needed (like quantity or brand preferences).
- Have one person build the Instacart order using the combined list and submit the order.
- Split the cost via Venmo, PayPal, or other payment-sharing tools afterward.
Important Considerations
Regardless of which method you choose, keep these important points in mind:
- Validate delivery addresses. Make sure the correct address is selected, especially when using shared access or group carts.
- Agree on payment and reimbursement methods beforehand to avoid disputes.
- Monitor item availability. Keep communication open in case a substitution is needed.
- Secure your accounts. Do not permanently share login credentials, and always log out when finished.
What to Avoid
While merging or combining efforts is a great idea, there are pitfalls to avoid:
- Don’t place duplicate orders and hope to cancel one later—it may not refund fully or could confuse the shopper.
- Don’t rely on chat with Instacart support to merge two different orders—they are bound by system limitations and legally can’t combine orders once processing has begun.
- Don’t share sensitive payment data unless on a trusted and secure platform.
Can You Combine Instacart+ Membership Benefits?
Although Instacart+ (formerly Instacart Express) offers savings on deliveries, only the account that owns the membership benefits directly. If you use a group cart started by that person, you can take advantage of free delivery. But if two people with separate memberships each place their own order, the benefit doesn’t stack or combine.
Workaround: Always start the joint cart or order from the account tied to Instacart+ to get the most out of those perks.
Future Outlook
While Instacart has made advances such as Group Carts and improved sharing tools, a full “merge order” feature across accounts does not exist—yet. As multi-user households and grocery collaboration become more common, there is an increasing demand for this type of functionality.
For now, using the workarounds and features described above can help eliminate duplicate orders, cut costs, and streamline the process of shopping from multiple users under one cohesive plan.
Conclusion
Combining orders from two Instacart accounts isn’t officially supported via a single “merge” button, but it is entirely possible with a bit of collaboration. Whether you’re sharing access, using newly added group features, or simply coordinating via a shared grocery list, you can reduce friction and costs when grocery shopping together. Always be cautious with privacy and payment data, and choose the method that best suits your trust level and household setup.
With a little planning, your shared grocery experience can be just as seamless as shopping solo—and maybe even more efficient.
