Grocery delivery platform Instacart just jumped on the gas fee bandwagon, joining platforms like Uber and Lyft in adding a temporary fuel surcharge amid spiking gas prices.
The company announced in a blog post on Friday that it will charge Instacart users an additional 40 cents to each order that is passed "directly onto the shopper" to offset the rising cost of gas. The fee will roll out in the next few days. The company did not say whether the fee will last indefinitely.
"In a time of increased fuel costs across North America, we know that every cent counts, and we’re hopeful this temporary fuel assistance will help offset some of the near-term challenges that shoppers are facing,” Tom Maguire, VP of operations and care at Instacart, said in a statement announcing the change.
Instacart is the latest platform to add an additional fee to support its drivers as gas prices soar. Uber announced March 11 that customers will now pay a surcharge for car rides and Uber Eats orders of between 35 and 55 cents that will go directly to the driver lasting at least the next few months. Lyft followed suit, adding a 55-cent fuel surcharge to each ride, which also goes entirely to the driver. DoorDash announced a gas rewards program that gives U.S. delivery drivers a prepaid business Visa debit card, which offers 10% cash back on gas. It's one of the few gas price relief initiatives that isn't passed on to customers.
"While shoppers on our platform tend to spend more time shopping and less time driving, we know that there is still an acute need to address rising gas prices and make sure we’re supporting shoppers during this time," Maguire said.
Gas prices in the U.S. have hit record highs, but have decreased slightly in the past week. According to AAA, the national average for a regular gallon of gas decreased by four cents to $4.28 since Monday.
Climate TRACE's data show emissions at the facility-level.Image: Climate TRACE