Supporting more communities with more ways to pay on Instacart

Essentials need to be accessible and affordable so that families across the country can get what they need to live well. We’re dedicated to building the technology that ensures everyone can shop online – using any benefits they have –  and access the convenience of same-day delivery from the retailers they know, love and trust. Through the Instacart Health Wallet, families can pay on Instacart using multiple unique benefits, from SNAP and employer-sponsored HSAs or FSAs to health benefits and Fresh Funds, helping them overcome time and transportation hurdles, and extend their budgets.

Using our technology, we’ve streamlined the process for health plans to offer same-day delivery of groceries and over-the-counter essentials as a covered benefit. We’re proud to announce that beginning today – through a new partnership with NationsBenefits – participating health plans can now offer online grocery via Instacart to members as a benefit, giving them greater access to fresh and nutritious groceries, pantry staples and other essential goods with same-day delivery. 

Through the partnership, eligible health plan members will be able to use plan-sponsored funds distributed via NationsBenefits Benefits Mastercard®* Prepaid Card to purchase healthy groceries and pantry staples for same-day delivery from the more than 85,000 stores available on Instacart. To access the funds, eligible members can use their grocery benefit to purchase Instacart Health Fresh Funds, Instacart virtual grocery stipends, through the NationsBenefits Benefits Pro Portal and Benefits Pro Mobile application. Members then select their preferred local grocer through the curated NationsBenefits Virtual Storefront, begin adding items to their cart for same-day delivery, and checkout using their Fresh Funds. 

Today, more than 95% of North American households – including 93% of U.S. residents in food deserts – can shop online for same-day delivery from the more than 85,000 stores available on Instacart. As we’ve expanded our Health Wallet, we’ve seen the unique impact Instacart has on supporting health plan members: 

• Members with eligible benefits are using our Health Wallet and placing orders using multiple forms of payment at checkout including health benefits and available SNAP benefits in a single order. 
• Members are finding value in Instacart’s ability to pick and deliver fresh, high-quality grocery items, with the majority of health benefit orders including fresh grocery items like produce, dairy or meat. 
• Members are leveraging Instacart’s broad selection of partner retailers and using eligible funds to shop from a variety of retailers, including culturally relevant grocers and wholesale clubs. 

Instacart also uniquely supports seniors, many of whom today struggle to get the nutritious food and over-the-counter items they need to live well, citing economic instability, food insecurity, and a lack of transportation access as key drivers. Through our user experience research, we’ve heard anecdotally from retirees that Instacart is a “need to have” service, and we’ve introduced services designed to specifically support those who need additional help navigating technology. Since launching Medicare Advantage benefit acceptance on Instacart at the beginning of the year, we’ve seen seniors using these services, with one in five seniors leveraging our Senior Support Service to set up their accounts, add their benefits, place orders, and answer questions.

We believe that online access to nutritious foods and over-the-counter goods can help lead to better health outcomes, and we’re proud to support this work through innovative partnerships that help support and nourish more of our communities, one order at a time. 

*The Benefits Mastercard® Prepaid Card, is issued by The Bancorp Bank, N.A., Member FDIC, pursuant to license by Mastercard International Incorporated. Mastercard and the circles design are registered trademarks of Mastercard International Incorporated. Card can be used for eligible expenses wherever Mastercard is accepted. Valid only in the U.S. No cash access.

Sarah Mastrorocco

Author

Sarah Mastrorocco is Vice President and General Manager of Health for Instacart. A longtime Instacart veteran and leader, Sarah today oversees Instacart Health, designed to support businesses, nonprofits and consumers across three key areas: Nutrition Security, Making Healthier Choices Easier, and Food as Medicine. Sarah has played an integral role at Instacart since joining as the first member of the company’s business development team in 2014. During her tenure at Instacart, she’s taken on various leadership positions across Business Development, Account Management, and Catalog. Prior to this current role, Sarah oversaw and scaled Instacart’s Pickup business.