Instacart Batch Grabber – What It Is And How It Works?
Working as a shopper on Instacart is a great side hustle, and it can even be a full-time job for those that are willing to do as many buys and deliveries as possible per day. However, there’s one controversial addition that troubles the shoppers – the batch grabber app.
With an Instacart batch grabber app, you will theoretically save a lot of time and more importantly, get great batches before everyone else.
Still, is it legal and should you really lean on such an option? Read on as we elaborate on the main details of how Instacart batch grabbers work in this in-depth guide!
What’s An Instacart Batch Grabber?
Instacart batch grabber is an app that works with your original Shopper app to help you grab more batches and the best batches before everyone else. Some also call it an “Instacart bot” since the app automatically scans for the batches based on your parameters.
We all know how competitive the platform is – it gets tougher and tougher to claim good batches as the list of new shoppers grows. So, some may think that they can maximize their profits by using a batch grabber, and they are mostly on point.
However, it really gives you an unfair advantage in a sense. While other shoppers have to be glued to their phones following all the new batches that appear, you can simply drive around and get the best batch before them all.
All you have to do is set a range of parameters, and the bot will scan through the available batches and claim the ones that match your criteria.
Of course, profit is one of the main goals of each delivery, so you can set up a minimum batch value as the main filter.
Also, you can select how many miles you are willing to drive, and the only thing left for you is to wait a few moments to receive the batch.
Benefits And Downsides Of Instacart Batch Grabbers
To give you the right perspective on these batch grabber apps, we’ve made a list of the main advantages and downsides so you can decide whether they are worth trying yourself:
Pros:
- The app does all the searching and bidding for you
- You can drive around without having to look at your phone
- The easiest way of getting the best batches
- Easily customizable search parameters
Cons:
- Might be unfair toward other shoppers
- You risk being banned from the platform
Is a Batch Grabber Allowed – Is It Worth The Risk?
If you take a closer look at the Instacart guidelines, using a batch grabber is surely against the rules.
The rulebook states that you aren’t allowed to use any additional software that modifies the platform in any way, or lets you gain an advantage over other shoppers.
In a sense, it can even be considered hacking the platform, and that’s certainly against the rules according to section 3.2.
On the other hand, the platform doesn’t have a way of knowing about all the users that rely on Instacart batch grabbers yet.
That doesn’t mean that they won’t come up with scanning software or something like that, and you risk being suspended from the platform by using it.
Whether it’s worth it or not is entirely up to you, but the truth is – there are many shoppers using bot apps to claim Instacart batches. It is a highly competitive market, after all.
How To Get A Batch Grabber App?
Sadly for all those that consider getting more Instacart batches by using a bot grabber, these apps are no longer available on Google Play Store. Moreover, you won’t find any on the App Store for iPhone either, and chances of getting an app for iPhone are slim in general.
Most of the grabber apps are suitable for Android systems alone, and you’ll have to have a phone OS of 5.0 or higher. At this point, you can consider searching social platforms like Reddit, TikTok, or Instagram to find a link for the apk file.
It’s a risk in every sense of the word as you have to be extra cautious when getting an Instacart bot. Not only is it against the rules, but you also have to be careful about who you contact for getting the app file.
Some batch grabbers like InstaMan were available on the Google Play Store originally, but they were removed quickly. There are other batch grabbers as well, and you just have to find the app file outside of the main app platforms.
How Instacart Batch Grabbers Work
Whatever someone might say about these apps, there’s one thing that’s extremely convenient with Instacart batch grabbers – time efficiency.
Let’s face it, many shoppers use their cars to make deliveries, and that means that all the time you spend in traffic is lost in terms of scanning the platform for the best offers.
However, you can simply place a phone holder on your dashboard and take one second at the traffic light to see your newly-claimed batch. You can see how the bot acts while it scrolls the offers up and down until it finally finds the one that matches your criteria.
The way that Instacart assigns batches is mostly based on the rating, and lower-rated shoppers are usually ready and waiting for top-dollar batches that 5-star shoppers pass on. So, this way you can make sure that you’ll be the one that grabs this shopping offer before everyone else.
Once the batch is claimed by the bot, you’ll receive a notification from the Instacart shopper app, just like you normally would without using the bot. It’s convenient that the user interface can automatically refresh. So, you won’t have to be constantly scrolling the page.
Final Thoughts
Using a bot grabber is surely a quick way of getting more batches on the platform and achieving a high rating fast. You can optimize your time and deliver as many batches as possible without having to spend hours on your phone scrolling for offers.
Still, batch grabbers and other unauthorized means of getting batches fast might lead to eventually being irreversibly suspended. There’s also the moral dilemma since those relying on Instacart’s software alone don’t stand a chance against shoppers with bot apps.
Overall, using batch grabbers is a decision that’s entirely up to you, and now you at least know the benefits and possible consequences.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):
How does Instacart decide who sees batches?
Whenever new batches appear on the Instacart platform, they are first available to 5-star shoppers. If they pass on the offer, shoppers with a lower rating get their chance to grab the best possible offer, and those using a bot grabber will have a great advantage.
Do 2 orders count as 2 batches on Instacart?
Having two orders doesn’t necessarily mean that they will count as double batches on Instacart. The orders for two different stores might be made by the same customer, but you’ll get some of the same perks as with double orders.
Is it legal to use Instacart batch grabbers?
It’s against the platform’s rules to use bot grabbers as it helps you gain an unfair advantage over other shoppers. However, it’s not illegal to use these apps, and the only consequence would be getting banned from the platform.
