Instacart Mastercard Review: A No-Annual-Fee Cash-Back Card Built for Instacart Shoppers

Instacart Mastercard Benefits

Elevated Cash Back on Instacart and Chase Travel

The Instacart Card earns 5% cash back on purchases made through the Instacart app and Instacart.com. This includes groceries, household items, pet supplies and your Instacart memberships. The 5% rate applies to your first $6,000 in Instacart spending per year, after which it drops to 1%. If you’re spending $300 to $400 per month on Instacart, that’s about $180 to $240 back per year, with no annual fee to account for.

You’ll also earn 5% on travel booked through Chase Travel, including flights, hotels and car rentals, plus:

• 2% cash back at restaurants, gas stations and on select streaming services
• 1% cash back on all other purchases

One thing to watch: Instacart also offers restaurant delivery through a partnership with Uber Eats. Those orders earn 2%, not 5%, even though you’re placing them in the Instacart app.

Cash Back Redemption Options

The Instacart Mastercard gives you a few ways to use the cash back you earn:

• Statement credit or direct deposit with no minimum to redeem
• Travel bookings through Chase Travel
• Pay With Points toward eligible Instacart orders

You can’t use Pay With Points for Uber Eats restaurant orders, gift cards, Instacart+ memberships, alcohol or prescriptions. And if you return or cancel an order you paid for with points, the refund will be issued as Instacart credit, not points.

Keep in mind, cash back from this card isn’t part of the Chase Ultimate Rewards program. I have the Chase Freedom Unlimited®, Chase Freedom Flex® and Chase Sapphire Reserve® and I pool points across all three for travel bookings. The Instacart Mastercard’s points can’t be combined with any of them.

Travel and Purchase Protections

The Instacart Mastercard includes several travel and purchase protections. When you use your card to pay, you can receive:

• Auto rental coverage: Book your rental with this card and decline the rental agency’s collision insurance. You’ll get reimbursement for theft or collision damage. If you rent a car in the U.S., this coverage is secondary to your personal auto insurance.
• Baggage delay insurance: Up to $100 per day for up to three days when bags are delayed over six hours.
• Lost luggage reimbursement: Up to $3,000 per traveler for lost, damaged or stolen checked or carry-on baggage.
• Purchase protection: Up to $500 per item for damage or theft within 120 days of purchase.
• Extended warranty: Adds one year to eligible manufacturer warranties of three years or less.
• Travel accident insurance: Up to $500,000 in accidental death or dismemberment coverage on eligible air, bus, train or cruise transportation.
• Travel and emergency assistance: Access to legal and medical referrals and other assistance services while traveling (any third-party costs are the cardholder’s responsibility).

Instacart Mastercard Drawbacks

$6,000 Annual Cap on Instacart Cash Back

The 5% cash-back rate on Instacart purchases applies to your first $6,000 in Instacart spending per year, after which it drops to 1%. If you’re spending more than $500 a month on the card through Instacart, you’ll hit that cap early. If you do the math, you’ll max out at $300 in rewards from the 5% rate.

Otherwise, you’ll earn 5% back on Chase Travel bookings, and 2% back on dining, gas station and select streaming service purchases. Other purchases earn just 1% back. If you’re not a heavy Instacart or Chase Travel user, one of the best 2% cash back cards would likely suit you better.

Weak Welcome Bonus

The Instacart Card offers a welcome bonus: Get a $50 Instacart credit automatically upon approval, which is pretty underwhelming next to other no-annual-fee cards. The Chase Freedom Unlimited, for example, offers a $200 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in the first three months of account opening. On top of that, the credit can’t be used on alcohol, gift cards, prescriptions, fees, taxes, tips or Uber Eats restaurant orders on Instacart.

No Points Transfer Partners

Unlike other Chase cards, the Instacart Mastercard doesn’t let you transfer points to airline or hotel partners like Southwest Rapid Rewards, World of Hyatt or United MileagePlus. If that matters to you, the Chase Sapphire Reserve or Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card would be a better fit.

Who Is the Instacart Mastercard Best For?

The Instacart Mastercard is built for frequent Instacart shoppers. If you’re consistently ordering groceries, household essentials or pet supplies through the Instacart app, 5% cash back on a no-annual-fee card could make it one of the best cash-back credit cards for you.

This card also makes sense if you’re looking for a travel-friendly card with no annual fee. You get no foreign transaction fees, built-in protections and 5% cash back through Chase Travel without another annual fee or complex rewards strategy.

I hold several Chase credit cards and strategically use them to redeem points for Chase Travel. I decided against getting the Instacart Mastercard because my rewards wouldn’t integrate with my existing Chase Ultimate Rewards points. But if you use Instacart often and want a simple card without the need to optimize for travel points, this card is worth considering.

Is It the Right Card for You?

If you’re considering the Instacart Mastercard, it may be a good fit if:

• You regularly order groceries or household items through Instacart
• You book travel through Chase and want to earn 5% with no annual fee
• You prefer straightforward cash back over transferable points
• You want a card with no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees

Alternatives to the Instacart Mastercard

If this card isn’t right for you, here are a few alternatives worth considering.

• Chase Freedom Unlimited: The Freedom Unlimited is a good option if you want to stay within the Chase Ultimate Rewards ecosystem. It earns 1.5% on everyday purchases, 3% on dining and at drugstores, and 5% on Chase Travel bookings. It also pairs well with other eligible Chase cards.
• Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express: The Blue Cash Preferred Card, an advertising partner, earns 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year (then 1%). It has a $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95. However, it may offer more value if you do most of your grocery shopping in-store instead of using delivery apps.
• DoorDash Rewards Mastercard®: Another no-annual-fee, platform-focused card, the DoorDash Rewards Mastercard can make sense for frequent DoorDash users who want elevated rewards on delivery, dining and select grocery orders.