New York City has passed new grocery delivery laws that are already prompting significant changes to how app-based delivery platforms like Instacart operate.
As a result of the city’s law, we have no viable choice but to make a number of structural changes to how our platform operates in New York City. To be clear, these are not product enhancements, but necessary adjustments to operate under the city’s framework. We will begin to make these changes effective April 1, 2026.
Why This Law Forces Structural Change
The city is requiring apps to pay an hourly minimum not just for time shoppers are actively shopping or delivering, but for any time they’re on the app — even when they are simply logged in. Unlike while on a batch, that idle time cannot be verified. A shopper can appear "online" without actually being available to accept or complete a batch, and there is no way to distinguish between true availability and time spent away from the app.
That change forces a bigger shift: if any shopper can go online whenever they want, the platform would be required to pay for large amounts of idle time that may not correspond to actual work or real-time demand. Under that model, the app simply cannot operate as it has.
So, the city has left us with only one viable option: to limit how many shoppers can be online at any given time, so that the number of active shoppers better matches real-time customer demand. We can and will pay people fairly for the work they complete — but a system that requires paying for unverified idle time, regardless of actual availability or demand, is not sustainable.
What Shoppers Will Experience
Because this law necessitates a fundamental shift in how the platform operates, we are introducing these changes in advance to ensure we can meet its requirements, while giving shoppers time to adjust and provide feedback. Beginning April 1, NYC shoppers will see new, significant operational changes, including:
Constraints on when shoppers can go online based on marketplace dynamics
One-at-a-time batch offers instead of an available batch list
Limited time to accept each offer
A new acceptance rate metric
Standing Up for Flexibility
For years, shoppers have consistently told us they value their ability to turn the app on and off at any moment without schedules, caps, or gatekeeping. New York City’s framework pushes this work in the opposite direction by compelling an operating model that relies on tighter control over when and where shoppers can be online.
This is especially troubling because shoppers repeatedly tell us that independence is why they choose this work. Seventy-five percent say flexibility is the primary reason they shop with Instacart. The average shopper works fewer than 10 hours per week, 70% have other sources of income, and most say they would turn down even a 50% increase in earnings if it meant giving up control over their schedule.
As Bianca, a shopper in New York, told us: “The flexibility of Instacart allows me to balance my appointments and household needs, including caring for my two elderly parents, while maintaining a steady income. Losing my flexibility as a shopper would significantly affect my ability to manage my personal and family responsibilities.
Despite what shoppers have said they value, the city moved forward with a one-size-fits-all framework without meaningful engagement with grocery delivery workers or a serious effort to understand how grocery delivery differs from restaurant delivery.
Nevertheless, we will comply with the new laws while also being transparent about the changes we are making to comply with the city’s framework. We will also continue to elevate the voices of shoppers and highlight the real-world consequences these new rules create for shoppers in New York City.
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