Instacart's latest policy will give you less time to change a tip after delivery

Dalvin Brown, USA TODAY
·2 min read
Instacart is changing how often customers can withdraw tips.
Instacart is changing how often customers can withdraw tips.

Instacart is revising it's tipping policy to keep users from taking advantage of the system by "tip baiting."

Tip baiting happens when a customer lures in a shopper by inputting a big tip then reducing the amount after the groceries are delivered. It's a tactic that's been deployed more often during the pandemic with more Americans avoiding trips to the grocery store.

Instacart addressed the situation on Friday, announcing plans to shorten the window of time a customer has to alter a tip. The delivery service is also requiring users to leave feedback after withdrawing tips and it says it'll deactivate accounts that “consistently and egregiously" engage in tip baiting.

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Starting Monday, Instacart users have 24 hours after a delivery is made to withdraw tips. Before, customers had up to three days to rescind or alter them.

A full day is still generous by delivery service standards. Uber Eats lets users edit tips for up to one hour after orders arrive. Postmates gives users 10 hours to change tips.

Despite the bait-and-switch issue, Instacart shoppers are making more money from tips during the pandemic, the company said. And tip bating is a relatively rare occurrence.

Only 0.25% of orders had a tip adjusted after 24 hours and less than 0.5% of tips are removed entirely after groceries are delivered, Instacart said. Still, the company realizes "that it’s disappointing for shoppers in the rare case that this happens," Instacart said.

The company has hired over 150,000 staffers because of the COVID-19 crisis as the service has gained popularity. Instacart connects customers with nearby personal shoppers who gather provisions at local grocery stores for home delivery.

But with the surge in usage has also come a few issues.

First, people complained about the lack of delivery slots available, while others claimed that personal shoppers are stealing groceries. Instacart has periodically rolled out new tools and features to help solve service issues.

Follow Dalvin Brown on Twitter: @Dalvin_Brown.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Instacart wants to crack down on 'tip baiting' with new policy