FAQ
How do I request a refund for an item that I ordered online?
You may receive a credit on your next order if you are not satisfied with your order for any reason.
Follow these steps:
- When your order has been completed, you will receive a text with a link asking you to review your order.
- Tap the link, then tap “Next” and rate your experience.
- Tap “Report an Issue” below the comment box and select the reason for the refund (Wrong item, Missing item, Damaged item, etc.).
- Then, select the item and tap “Submit issues.”
- You will receive an email from Instacart letting you know the amount that will be refunded to your account.
How do I return product I am not satisfied with?
Follow the link from the text your shopper sent to rate your order. If you rate the order 4 stars or below and when prompted, select an issue, you will receive an email from Instacart Support to process your return. If you no longer have the text from your order, contact Instacart Support directly at 1-888-246-7822.
If you placed an order on the Instacart Marketplace, you can go into your order and request a refund for an item. If you still need assistance, contact Instacart Support directly at 1-888-246-7822.
Depending on your bank or credit card company, it can take up to 10 business days for the refund to post to your account once it’s been issued. If you don’t see a refund reflected within that time frame, please contact your financial institution directly regarding their policies on refunds.
Why can’t I find certain items on the site?
Items only appear on the website when they are available at your local warehouse. This means that product selection will vary by store. Also, certain warehouse items are not available for delivery.
Who is doing the shopping and delivery?
Delivery orders will be shopped and delivered by an Instacart Personal Shopper.
What are the delivery hours?
- M-F 10:00am – 8:00pm
- Sat. 10:00am – 6:00pm
- Sun. 10:00am – 6:00pm
On holidays, delivery hours are subject to change per warehouse holiday hours.
How far in advance can I place my order for delivery? What is the delivery window?
- Orders can be placed up to 6 days prior to delivery.
- Orders are delivered within a one-hour timeframe.
- Orders can be scheduled for delivery in as little as one hour or within the next 2 hours, depending on the availability of Instacart’s Personal Shoppers.
You can view available delivery times on Sameday.costco.ca by clicking on the location icon on the top left and then clicking “Reserve a timeslot”.
What products are not available for delivery with Instacart?
The below items will not be available through Instacart at this time:
- Alcohol
- Pharmacy prescription
- OTC drugs / products where ID is required
- Catering
- Food court items
- Special order products (e.g. custom cakes)
- Costco Shop Cards
- Gifts of membership
- Postage Stamps
Delivery Availability
Available within qualified delivery areas of BC, AB, SK, QC, MB, and ON.*
Which methods of payment are accepted on Sameday.costco.ca?
Mastercard and Visa are accepted.
Which methods of payment are not accepted?
Costco Shop Cards, international credit cards, and prepaid debit cards are not currently accepted.
How do I place an order for delivery?
Orders can be placed directly on Sameday.costco.ca.
- Add items to your cart click on the ‘Cart’ icon in the top right corner of the screen.
- Review your list of items.
- Select ‘Checkout’ to proceed.
For the easiest way to order your groceries, make sure you are logged in to your account. This will allow you to view previously purchased items so that you can quickly add them to your cart.
What if an ordered item is out of stock in-warehouse?
If an item is out of stock, a substitution will be made by the Instacart Personal Shopper.
When substitutions are allowed, Instacart’s Personal Shoppers select an item that is comparable to the original based on brand, flavor, size, dietary considerations, and price.
If you do not want a substitution for a particular item, you can indicate it while checking out. On Sameday.costco.ca, simply check the box in the column labeled “Substitution” for the products that you do not want substituted.
When reviewing your cart, you can also indicate which items are acceptable substitutions by writing the product’s name in the “Notes” section.
Can I designate products for substitution?
Yes. To designate a product for substitution, simply make a note in the “Notes and Substitutions” section of the product that you want substituted in the event of an out of stock.
How can I cancel an order?
To cancel an order simply log back into Sameday.costco.ca and find your pending order. You can cancel an order online up to the time Instacart’s Personal Shoppers starts picking the order in the store. Typically, this is 1-2 hours before the requested delivery or pickup time. Cancelation fees do not apply if the order is cancelled prior to the shopper picking the order.
How can I change an order to add or delete items?
- Log back into Sameday.costco.ca and select “Order History”.
- Click on the order that you want to modify and select “Modify Order”.
- You can add or delete items to an order until Instacart’s Personal Shopper completes shopping your order and checks out. Typically, this is 30-60 minutes before the requested delivery or pickup time.
How can I follow the status of my order?
To view the status of your order, go to “Order History” and click on your online order. When the order is being shopped, it will say “In Progress”.
How can I contact Instacart about issues or questions about my delivery experience?
Please contact Instacart Support at 1-888-246-7822 or email to help@instacart.com
What happens if prices change between when I place my order and when it is delivered?
The price you pay for a product ordered through Instacart is the price the product was at time you placed your order. Price changes at the time of delivery do not affect your payment for the original order.
How do I get a copy of my receipt?
Receipts can be viewed on your Sameday.costco.ca Account.
On Sameday.costco.ca, hover over your name in the upper right corner of the screen and click on “Order History”
Why are the prices on “Order History” on Sameday.costco.ca different than the prices on my Instacart receipt?
When you order a weighted item, we use an estimated product weight to give you an approximate total. This approximate total is what will appear on your Instacart receipt. When a shopper picks your order, they update the actual weight of your item so that you are only charged for the product that you receive. This updated total will be what is shown under “Order History” on Sameday.costco.ca.
Why is my estimated total when I place my order different from my completed order receipt?
When you place an order, the anticipated charge for your items, including estimated taxes and fees, is displayed and included on your order confirmation email. Any approved changes to your order during shopping can update the final total in your order receipt.
These changes can include:
- Added items: After you place an order, you can add items to it, either by modifying the order before it is shopped or by communicating with the Personal Shopper while it’s being shopped.
- Substituted items: You can choose to have items substituted or not if something is unavailable. If an item is replaced, your receipt will be updated to reflect the replacement item price. If the replacement is more expensive than the item you ordered, you will be charged more. If the replacement is less expensive, you will be charged less.
- Unavailable/refunded items: If an item is unavailable, your shopper will mark the item as refunded, and we’ll remove it from your item total. This will reduce the final amount of your order.
- Weight adjustments: Personal Shoppers will try to get the exact weight of the items you requested, but it is likely the weight could be more or less than what you requested. At the store, your shopper will input the correct item’s weights before checking out, which will update your item total. You will be charged for the weight you receive.
Some item weights, like produce, are measured by shoppers using in-store scales. The weight of items from the deli, meat and seafood counters are determined by the label applied in-store to those items.
Why is the amount of my order different from the amount pending on my form of payment?
When delivery order is placed, a temporary hold is placed on your payment method for slightly more than the order total to cover any changes in the order total that might occur when your order is shopped.
It is common for the order total to change due to weighted items, additions, and/or substitutions. Once your order is complete, your card will be charged for the final order total reflected on your order receipt, which can be more or less than the temporary hold amount.
Please refer to the payment details on your order receipt for the final order total and the amount previously authorized when you placed the order.
If your order is canceled prior to being shopped, your bank will remove the temporary hold from your account. Please refer to your order confirmation email for the estimated amount of your order and the temporary hold amount authorized.
Why did the taxes change on my final order?
When first placing your order, an estimate of the sales tax and any other applicable fees and taxes, such as bottle deposits and bag fees is applied to your total. These are the same types of fees that you would pay in the physical store. Estimated taxes and fees applicable to your order are visible on the right-hand side of the checkout page.
Final taxes and fees will be included in your receipt after your order is picked and delivered. Any changes to your order when it’s shopped could result in adjustments to the taxes and/or fees.
Can I call Costco for help on my order that I placed on the Instacart website or App?
The best way to receive help for orders placed through the Instacart website or App is by contacting the Instacart Support Team at 1-888-246-7822 or to email help@instacart.com.
Why are prices different when shopping in-warehouse vs Delivery on the Sameday.costco.ca?
Item prices are marked up higher than your local warehouse. Instacart uses the markup to pay for their delivery service.
How do I review the status of my order?
To view the status of your order,
- Go to “Order History”
- Click on your online order
- When the order is being shopped, it will say “In Progress”
- When your order is ready for Pickup it will say “Ready”
Can I save a form of payment for later use?
Yes. When checking out you will have the option to “Save to Profile”. When you select this, it means that next time you go to check out, you don’t have to reenter your credit card information.
I received a credit on my order, where can I view that credit?
Credits can be viewed on the desktop site. To view them:
- Click on your name in the upper right-hand corner of the screen and select “My Profile”
- Then, on the left-hand side of the screen, select “Available Credits”
- This will display the credits that are available for you to use on your next online order