How to get more shop-only orders on Instacart

Quick Scoop
To see more shop-only orders, focus on the stores and times where Instacart is most likely to send them, keep your account fully active, and stay in the app when pickup-heavy traffic is happening. Instacart’s own shopper guidance says batches can include shop-and-deliver, shop-only, and deliver-only orders, and shop-only orders appear in the batch list rather than as a separate guaranteed setting.

What helps most

  • Stay near stores that commonly use pickup-style orders, especially busy grocery locations with strong curbside volume.
  • Keep your shopper app updated and your account in good standing so you remain eligible for the full batch pool.
  • Be online during peak order windows, because more batch volume usually means more chances to see shop-only offers.
  • Accept shop-only orders quickly when they appear, since some shoppers report seeing more of them after completing one.
  • Make sure your physical card and setup are complete if your local store flow depends on it, because some shoppers report store-specific access differences.

What the internet is saying

Public forum discussion suggests shop-only orders can be uneven by market, with some shoppers seeing them mostly at certain chains and others seeing them only occasionally. Some posts also claim that doing one shop-only order may lead to more similar orders showing up that day, but that is anecdotal rather than an official Instacart rule. A walkthrough video from 2026 also shows the workflow is straightforward once you get one, which may explain why shoppers prefer them when available.

Practical routine

  1. Open the app before your busiest local grocery rush.
  2. Stay close to pickup-heavy stores.
  3. Refresh availability while remaining online.
  4. Take shop-only orders when the pay makes sense.
  5. Track which stores in your area actually send them most often.

Things to avoid

  • Don’t rely on rumors about bots or “batch catchers”; those can be unsafe and may violate platform rules.
  • Don’t assume every market offers the same order mix, because availability appears to vary by location and store.
  • Don’t chase only one order type if it leaves you idle for long periods; flexibility usually matters more than waiting for a perfect batch.

Bottom line

You usually can’t force Instacart to send more shop-only orders, but you can improve your odds by positioning yourself near the right stores, staying active during busy windows, and taking shop-only batches when they appear. In practice, the biggest factor seems to be local store demand, not a hidden setting.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.