I'm here to tell you I gave the whole thing a try, and I have some honest feedback on what it was like. It's been a long time coming. I, a BJs member, am giving Instacart ago!
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With over 500 posts to my name in just five years at mybjswholesale.com– (and counting), today is finally when we dive into this partnership with Instacart, which has proven controversial for both parties involved.
You will need a BJ's membership to use Instacart with BJs Wholesale club. However, you can get a discount on BJ's membership here. That's only $2 per month.
It was a snowy, cold day, and my youngest daughter was on day two of being homesick. Of course, my kids seem to stay home when I have BJ's trips planned.
We were on our last roll of toilet paper, and I decided to see if I could try Instacart.
It's been over a year since I compared prices, and I was pleasantly surprised at what I found.
The website is very user-friendly. I find it easier to navigate than BJ's website. It was easy to find coupons and add items to my cart.
All the items I added to my cart were the same price if I were to walk into BJ's and purchase.
This was exciting and finally makes sense.
Now I can justify the delivery fees. However, I and others in our Facebook group noticed something.
I have a video below of my experience. Otherwise, you can scroll down for the review and questions.
Here's What I ordered with Instacart.
- Berkley Jensen Bath Tissue $18.99 ·
- Meadow Brook Milk, 2% Reduced Fat $2.97 ·
- Chobani Non-Fat Greek Yogurt, Vanilla Blended $4.99 ·
- WELLSLEY FARMS GALA APPLES 5LB $4.99
- Berkley Jensen 160-Sheet Choose-a-Size Paper Towels, 12 pk .$15.99
- Wellsley Farms Sharp Yellow Cheddar Cheese $6.49 ·
- Thomas Original English Muffins$5.79 ·
- Banana 3 lbs. $1.49 ·
- Land O Lakes® Land O Lakes Half and Half $2.29
Items Subtotal $63.99
Sales Tax $2.80
Tip $3.20
Had $50 in Credits ( If you refer five friends, you will get $50 too. 5 friends is the max limit )
Final Price: $19.99
Now, this was an excellent deal because I had the credits, which I had no idea about. Sadly, each account only lets you refer five people. But, if you sign up, it's a great way to share on social media with your friends.
The delivery fees were waived because I used a code. You will also get free delivery on your first order here.
Before you continue, I noticed a SIGNIFICANT difference in Price if I went through BJs.com and Instacart.com. You must go through BJs.com and hit the same-day delivery to get the same IN store prices. If you keep scrolling, I have pictures and explain this in detail.
If you are curious about BJ's paper towels, we made a comparison here.
MY INSTACART EXPERIENCE WITH BJ'S WHOLESALE
I chose the within two hours for a delivery time. It was awesome. I was notified when the shopper was in the store. When the shopper left the store and was on the way with a time they were coming.
My order was set to be delivered at 12:45, and she was right on time.
The website is adorable to use. I find it user-friendly and easy to access past orders. However, you will need to create an account if it is your first time.
I was highly impressed with the friendliness of the shopper. She brought my groceries right up to the porch and then got the rest of the items in the bag. She first brought up the HUGE packages of paper towels and toilet paper.
She had her own reusable insulated bags. When you use Instacart at stores without bags, you can choose to be charged for bags if you want to keep them. So it wasn't a big deal for me to have her unload the items right on my porch.
I was already on the high of having someone do my grocery shopping and deliver it to me.
Overall I recommend Instacart. If you need a break from grocery shopping, this is a treat. If you are unable to get to the store, this is a lifesaver.
I suggest always looking for a free delivery code FIRST to save money. The tip, in my opinion, is well worth it. Also, this is a great option now that I know the items are not marked up.
After you get your order, you receive another text asking about your service. You can rate it by stars and quickly leave a review.
This way, if you are not happy with the service, you can let them know. For example, I gave my shopper five stars. She was awesome.
I loved getting the text updates on when she was arriving. Instacart shoppers are not supposed to leave groceries if no one is home, so schedule when you know you will be there.
You can choose specific times as well.
BJ's Wholesale Club charges a flat $14.99 delivery fee if you don't have a free delivery code.
COMMON QUESTIONS:
How Does Instacart Work with BJ's Wholesale Club?
If you've never used Instacart, it's an online grocery delivery service that allows you to shop for products from your favorite stores and deliver them to your door.
To use Instacart with BJ's, visit the Instacart website or download their app and select BJ's as your store. You can then browse their catalog of items available and add them to your cart.
Once you've made your selections, you can check out and schedule a delivery time that's convenient for you. You will be charged a $14.99 delivery fee. Check here to see if there are free delivery codes available.
Are the Prices the Same as in Club at BJ's?
The prices on Instacart may differ slightly from those in the club, as they're subject to Instacart's pricing and service fees. However, the prices are generally considered competitive and offer great value for BJ's members who prefer the convenience of delivery.
Can you use BJ's coupons with Instacart?
You can not use the BJs coupons in your booklet or through the BJs app with Instacart. Instacart has its coupons you can clip. However, these are not always lined up with the same in-store coupons.
How Much Should You Tip Instacart Shoppers?
Instacart shoppers rely on tips to make a living, so it's important to tip them generously.
A good rule of thumb is to tip 15-20% of your order total, but you can adjust this to reflect the level of service you received. You can add a tip when you check out or choose to tip after delivery.
How Do You Add a BJ's Membership Card to Instacart?
To add your BJ's membership card to Instacart, log in to your Instacart account and go to your account settings.
From there, click “BJ's Membership” and enter your membership number and expiration date. Once you've entered this information, click “Save,” your BJ's membership card will be added to your Instacart account.
Do you need a BJ's membership to use Instacart?
Yes, for same-day delivery with Instacart, you need an Inner Circle, Business, or Perks BJs Membership.
What Can You Pay With?
The Payment methods with Instacart are all major US credit and debit cards, Google Pay, and Apple Pay.
You can not use store gift cards or prepaid credit cards.
Will you still get perks rewards?
Unfortunately, you will not earn any perks or rewards when you purchase items through Instacart.
Where can you see pricing for retailers? Like I said above, if you go through the BJs website, you get in-store prices on Instacart. If you go to Instacart.com, you will pay higher costs at BJs.
“Beneath the retailer's logo at the top, you'll see the pricing policy: “Everyday Store Prices,” “Higher than in-store prices,” or “View pricing policy.” You can read the full pricing policy on the Instacarts website.
Look at the side by side where you can find the info on the pricing.
As a side note, I tried this for Aldi, and both platforms offer the exact Price. Also, I tried it for Tops Markets, a local grocery store near me, and it has a view pricing policy whether you came from the Tops website or straight on Instacart.
So this is something to note if you plan on using Instacart with BJs.
We Tried Kirkland Brand Items- Here are the Top 10
$3.20 is not a generous tip. If you consider the time it take in the store + time to get to the store + time to get to your house + gas that’s barely breaking even with what instacart pays shoppers. Shoppers can see planned tips and choose batches based on pay, what’s feasible to live off of. Bjs is not a good experience either way. But giving a $3 when you probably live at least 5 miles from the store and bought 12 or more things (which will take at least 45 minutes between driving shopping and cashing out) the shopper would maybe make $12. And then it take 30 minutes for another order to come through. Tip like you care.
Katie, thank you so much for your opinion. I tipped her a $25 BJ’s Gift card at the door. Honestly, I’d rather give them cash or gift cards. The beauty of a tip though is people can still tip however they can afford/want to.
Thank you – you just saved me from purchasing/continuing a costly Instacart Express Membership – which offers free delivery and a reduced service fee for a set monthly or annual ($99/year) price. Considering delivery is usually $14.99, I figured that I could recoup membership after a certain number of visits. The catch is Express Membership only works when ordering from Instacart – where Polar water was marked up from $5.89 to $7.09 and Bibigo wantons were marked up from $8.49 to $10.59. I didn’t bother to compare prices on the rest of my cart. I contacted chat and complained and was given a refund – because from what I could see, the advertising for Express never made it clear – you can only order through Instacart. Free delivery plus price markup is a net loss in my book. To add insult to injury, there is no service fee with BJs but there is one on Instacart! (So you pay good money to reduce a fee that Instacart charges on their site if locked in to using Express.) Bottom line – DO NOT sign-up for Instacart Express unless you just like to throw money away.
Yes thanks for the feedback. Did you see Bjs is rolling out contactless curbside pickup too? This means you can get all perishables and everything now at BJs with no delivery fee. Here’s the article on it https://www.mybjswholesale.com/2020/08/bjs-curbside-pickup.html/
Ditto. Bottom line: If you think you’re going to save by upgrading to Instacart Express to have your groceries from BJs delivered, you won’t. You’ll pay a whole lot more. In order to take advantage of Instacart Express benefits, you’ll have to order through the Instacart platform. The problem with that is that the prices on the Instacart platform for BJs items are substantially higher and you can’t use BJs’ coupons. For example, the 5 lbs bag of Italian Meatballs is $14.99 at BJs, $11.99 with $3 coupon. The same item is $18.59 on Instacart, with no coupon reduction.
That said, BJs’ $14.99 flat “service fee” is also absurdly high for regular grocery shopping.
I tried instead cart I placed order put information in it said we don’t accept prepaid cards mine is a debit card it is not a prepaid card so I couldn’t get my order I get my social security check on this card . It’s from a bank
is there a charge for this instacart membership. if so, how much. does instacart charge 14.95 for every delivery. is the free delivery free for first time users.
There is no membership fee to use Instacart. But yes they always charge a delivery fee.
I couldn’t be more disappointed. I tried a delivery today; spent 155.00 got charged an additional 14.95 delivery; ok 10% plus added an additional tip for the driver. All of my items showed available even some with “limit 2”; fine. When my order was delivered 1 of all the items was delivered; 1 was substituted and 3 were not delivered at all. So my order went from 155.00 to 25.00 with the same 14.95 delivery which is now 60+ %; NOT OK and still the driver deserved the tip.
I will never recommend this service to anyone. As a member of BJ’s I already know what they sell; I expect them to tell me what they have in stock and not have me purchase items that they don’t have. A temporary charge is also put on your CC immediately and within 5-7 days will make the adjustment.
This is an unacceptable business practice in good times, never mind in where we are today. People need home delivery for many reasons and Bj’s has failed the test.
I used the recent free delivery code you shared-thank you so much! It literally saved me $15!! I will use it every time there is a free code offered~it was so easy! Thanks again for sharing!
I tried instacart thru bj’s on April 14th and everything appeared to be going smoothly until I got a text from the shopper that there was no chicken and he subtracted it off my bill. That was fine but after he left my order at my door and left I noticed that the 19 dollars worth of pork chops was missing and I only received one of the two double loaves of bread I was charged for. I let them know on the website and got an email that they received my complaint and would get back to me as soon as possible. I’m still waiting. I think I figured out what’s going on here. The shopper was getting a 10% tip so if he would have refunded the missing items right away his tip would be less. I don’t think I will use this service again but if I had to I would choose the option to give a fixed amount tip.
Thank you after reading the comments I will not join! I will stick to my instacart acct. with Winn Dixie and Publix.
I used the same day delivery service(instacart) in early March, just a test run. They promised 2 hour delivery and they delivered in 2 hours. The shopper was texting me while he shopped and when he got to my street. Unfortunately, only 3 items were in stock. Had I known that, I would have canceled.
I’ve just had a bad experience with stop and shop, they changed the rules of the game without making it clear. I may try bjs tomorrow and see what they deliver. I can’t complain about instacart in my area.. they did what they promised.
Bad experience. I ordered 9 items and got 7. The most -important item was cheese which I did not get, along with paper towels. There was no notification on BJ’s web site that the cheese was not available, or I would have cancelled the order. Totally displeased and will not use Instacart again.
I tried it for the first time yesterday. I placed my order at 530PM. I was told it would be 2 hours at first, then proceeded to get emails after saying its been delayed over and over again!
Delivery Time 5:50-7:50pm
We wanted to let you know that due to a surge in customer demand, your order is running late. Your order was originally scheduled to be delivered 5:50-7:50pm, but is now expected to arrive 8:15-8:45pm
We’d like to share an update on your order. Your shopper is trying their very best, but unfortunately, they won’t be able to make the 8:45-9:15pm delivery window. Your order should arrive by 9:15-9:45pm
945PM!!!!
My next message was today
Due to high demand, your BJ’s Wholesale Club order will not be ready today. We’ve moved your order to the next available time and the latest we expect to deliver is by Apr 10 11am
4 more days!!! HELLO!!!!
Are you kidding me! This was a joke!!
My wife’s immune system is compromised from cancer, and we have not been going anywhere without masks and sanitizer since the COVID-19 hit the US. We’ve been BJs customers for 13 or 14 years. BJs was not following distancing procedures, so we decided to try the delivery system. We ordered more than 48 hours ago. We received a time, in a 4-hour window, early afternoon. Nothing arrived. Our window was pushed back another 3 hours, nothing. The window was again pushed back, several more times. Then Instacart cancelled our order. So the next morning we had to submit it again and we were given a time for arrival. No show, and pushed back again, and then again. Still nothing has come. I understand that we are in a health crisis, but obviously, Instacart and BJs cannot seem to manage things. Tomorrow morning will be three days without receiving any supplies. I doubt if I will ever use Instacart. If I hired the kid down the street, I’d get off cheaper and we’d have our necessary supplies. But they both blindsided us.
Hi I am trying for delivery but when I sign up it does not recognize my member # What am I doing wrong
Are you going through Instacart or Instacart through bjs.com?
March 23, 2020 purchase; March 24 delivery.
Similar, disgusted experience as Willinzeem and John above.
We DO NOT recommend using BJs for same-day-delivery through their delivery agent “instacart”.
BJs owns this scam in large part for still showing Toilet Paper, Paper Towels and water as fully available on their website and ready for “Same Day Delivery” through their instacart delivery service. We ordered the usual stuff we buy ourselves in the store for delivery to comply with shelter-in-place recommendations (Charmin TP, Bounty PT and Poland Springs water). No Charmin delivered, no Bounty delivered and a generic bottled water was substituted for Poland Spring without our approval. Full price was charged for everything and we have not yet seen our account refunded. The couple that made the delivery texted 5 minutes out and showed up in a private automobile with no markings. No prior notice that it would be a partial delivery or that any of the items were not available ($390+ order). KICKER: We increased the tip online to be good neighbors and help folks still trying to work!!
The first BJs clerk we spoke with over the phone had no clue what instacart was or that it is sponsored on the corporate BJs website (Hyannis, Massachusetts store). The clerk transferred us to a Manager that said BJs “…isn’t clear that instacart doesn’t belong to BJs…” then dismissed us and referred us to an 800 number for BJ corporate. Given the current civil conditions, the instacart model appears to be a great way to scam folks that want to do what’s right, the elderly and others that have limited mobility/ability (this store area has a large retired community).
We’ve emailed both BJs and instacart requesting the original invoice as it is not available on the website; no response from either at this time (26 March); the first refund to our credit card for the original order posted today (26 March). Without access to the original order invoice we have no way to confirm if the amount is correct. Good neighbor tip is gone…
Please pass this on so your people don’t get scammed as well.
Thanks to companies like Chewy, Amazon, etc., BJ’s and the like have become less relevant to us (membership expires this year).
Be healthy and safe.
RG
For all who had great experiences with instacart, good for you! I tried them for the first time on March 13 and having to work from home decided to try them again on Monday to pick up items i could not get on Friday. It was too late in the day to get my order same day so i chose the next day and time.
I got the usual notice that my shopper started to pick my items and the time the would be delivered. Exciting!
My shock came; however, when my order was delivered. I ordered bounty select-a-size paper towels and toilet paper but in my cart was dinner napkins. What? “The store had no paper towels or toilet paper and the app suggested dinner napkins.” Thank God I am not prone to curse or she would have heard a few! How could dinner napkins be a replacement for paper towels and toilet paper. But that’s not the end. I order whole peeled garlic which was replaced by ‘ground garlic.’ Why would an app be responsible to make replacement selections for what humans should do?
Oh well! Instacart, you have just lost me. I was just being lazy! From now on I will go to the store until Amazon restocks and I can just order from them.
Over and Out!!!!
Worst service ever
Worst service ever
Changed delivery from Sat 2-3, thank 3-4 than to Weds 2-3
No calls
No Texts
No Email
I waited for 3 hours m than called waiting on hold for 59 mins and then told it was the virus’s fault . That is an excuse, how did the virus block them from calling to let me know they when from 2 hours to 8 days delivery
Im sure it is because of the high demand right now. I really did have a great experience before the craziness out there.
Intacart is great
Thanks for all the great tips!
This was a good learning blog! I will certainly look into it one of these days. Thank you so much for your very valuable input! I have yet to try Instacart but will try your tips someday.
Wow thank you for sharing your experience I may try this. Especially on days when I dread taking my daughter shopping with me just for a few items. I will definitely check this out now. I stayed away before because I thought the prices were higher. But now that you said to go through bjs first then opt for instacart that makes much more sense. How did you refer people? And where can I find a free delivery code?
I can’t wait to hear how you like it. I’m going to keep an updated post on free delivery codes on the website now. You can bookmark this page here https://www.mybjswholesale.com/coupons/bjs-instacart-free-delivery/. Once you create an account there is a spot in Instacart it says referral. It’s alot like Ibotta and Ebates that way.