This article contains information about Fresh Funds and how to use them on Instacart
1. What are "Foodsmart Bucks (Fresh Funds)"?
3. What is the Instacart Marketplace?
4. What is required to use Foodsmart Bucks (Fresh Funds)?
5. When do you receive your Foodsmart Bucks (Fresh Funds)?
6. How do you receive your Foodsmart Bucks (Fresh Funds)?
7. How do you redeem your Foodsmart Bucks (Fresh Funds)?
8. Where can I see the Foodsmart Bucks (Fresh Fund) codes I have redeemed so far?
9. What if I never receive my Foodsmart Bucks (Fresh Funds)?
10. What can you buy with Foodsmart Bucks (FreshFunds)?
11. How do you know if a food item is eligible for Foodsmart Bucks (FreshFunds)?
12. What if I don't have another form of payment? Will my credit/debit card be charged?
13. How will I be able to select my Foodsmart Bucks (Fresh Funds) towards my purchase?
14. Can I use my EBT card to pay for my order?
17. How are healthy items “determined”?
18. How do I receive my groceries once I place a delivery order?
19. Do Foodsmart Bucks (Fresh Funds) expire?
20. How many incentives can I use at one time? Can I “stack” or save incentives?
21. What about delivery fees, service fees, taxes, etc.?
22. I am still being charged service fees - I thought Foodsmart Bucks (Fresh Funds) covered that?
23. Why is my final total different from the total at checkout?
What are “Foodsmart Bucks (Fresh Funds)”?
“Foodsmart Bucks (Fresh Funds)” is the title of our rewards program offered through Instacart for meeting with a Foodsmart Dietitian. They can be used to purchase select healthy food items in Instacart on our unique landing page, called the Instacart marketplace.
What is Instacart?
Shop from your favorite national and regional grocery stores with your computer or mobile device. Schedule delivery for as fast as an hour, or for later in the day or week to fit your schedule. Meet your shopper at your door to get your groceries. The Instacart platform also offers a pickup option. You simply shop Instacart's website or app, select a pickup time, then pick up your groceries at the store.
What is the Instacart Marketplace?
It is Foodsmart’s shopping portal that brings you healthy choices to easily select from. It operates just like Instacart, but with healthy food choices at the forefront.
What is required to use Foodsmart Bucks (Fresh Funds)?
To redeem Foodsmart Bucks (Fresh Funds), you must have:
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An account on Instacart.com which requires an email account
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A form of accepted payment on file in their Instacart account that has a balance of 100% + 15% of each order total
Instacart will accept the following forms of payment—all major US and Canada bank credit and debit cards, Google Pay, Apple Pay, Klarna, PayPal, and EBT cards at participating stores in select states*. (Not all EBT are accepted as a secondary payment method)
- 100% + 15% of your order could be held on this form of payment and then will be refunded in 5-7 business days. If your form of payment does not cover it, your order could possibly not be completed. This is an Instacart internal policy with no exception.
NOTE that you “may be required to add a secondary payment method to use Fresh Funds” per FAQ page
They currently are not able to accept:
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Cash
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Store gift cards
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EBT cards at select retailers
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International payments
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Any other forms of payment not listed as accepted above including Visa or Mastercard Gift Cards
*For a full list of participating stores and states where EBT cards are accepted, check out Instacart’s SNAP via EBT card article.
Do I need anything else to use Foodsmart Bucks (Fresh Funds)?
You will need a cell phone number and an email address on file with Foodsmart to access the Foodsmart.com portal and receive security verification codes. If you do not have an email account, please see below:
Please see the following video to set up a GMail email account:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfO_iRv9Jro
Gmail Tutorial for Beginners:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBIl34VX2dQ
When do you receive your Foodsmart Bucks (Fresh Funds)?
Foodsmart Bucks (Fresh funds) are sent a couple of days after you complete your telenutrition appointment to your Foodsmart.com account (NOT the app).
Where can I find my Foodsmart Bucks (Fresh Funds)?
Please login to your patient portal (NOT the app). All of the Foodsmart Bucks (Fresh Fund) codes you have received so far, are located above any scheduled appointments that you have coming up . If you have any codes you have already claimed, feel free to skip it.
To login to your patient portal, please follow the instructions below. It is NOT available on the app.
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Go to www.foodsmart.com
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Click on Members at the top of the page. A drop down menu will appear. Please move over to Login on the upper right corner and click on Login.
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Enter the email or phone number associated with your account. Click on Sign In.
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Enter your password and click on Sign In. If you have forgotten your password, you can click on Forgot Password to reset it at this time.
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Incentive rewards will be listed on your home page above your scheduled appointments.
How do you redeem your Foodsmart Bucks (Fresh Funds)?
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Clink the link on the dashboard of your Foodsmart.com account (NOT the app)
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After claiming all of your codes, they will show up on the checkout page with the balance you can use.
Note: Foodsmart Bucks (Fresh Fund) codes can only be claimed by following the above steps. You cannot put the Foodsmart Bucks (Fresh Fund) codes in the promo code box on Instacart or at checkout.
Video tutorial --> HERE
Where can I see the Foodsmart Bucks (Fresh Fund) codes I have redeemed so far?
1. On your browser, navigate to https://www.instacart.com/store/account/manage_promos
2. Scroll down until you see Instacart+ and gift card credits and click on View credit history.
3. You can also find your total at the end of checkout under Payments.
What if I never receive my Foodsmart Bucks (Fresh Funds)?
Please login to your patient portal. All of the FreshFund codes you have received so far, are located above any scheduled appointments that you have coming up . If you have any codes you have already claimed, feel free to skip it.
To login to your patient portal, please follow the instructions below. It is NOT available on the app.
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Go to www.foodsmart.com
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Click on Members at the top of the page. A drop down menu will appear. Please move over to Login on the upper right corner and click on Login.
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Enter the email or phone number associated with your account. Click on Sign In.
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Enter your password and click on Sign In. If you have forgotten your password, you can click on Forgot Password to reset it at this time.
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Incentive rewards will be listed on your home page above your scheduled appointments.
What can you buy with Foodsmart Bucks (Fresh Funds)?
You can use Foodsmart Bucks (Fresh Funds) to purchase healthy food options from Instacart or toward your order delivery/fees. “Healthy food choices” are foods that we have deemed as healthy on Instacart's page but excludes desserts, soda, and sugary snacks. It also includes most household essentials and personal care items. All other items not listed can be purchased with your own money, SNAP, etc. You can also save up your incentives to purchase an Instacart+ membership.
How do you know if a food item is eligible for Foodsmart Bucks (FreshFunds)?
Most items will say “Foodsmart Bucks (Fresh Funds) eligible” near the name of the product/item.
What if I choose a product without a Fresh Fund label or choose to replace items that are not available?
Your alternate form of payment will be charged for those items that are not eligible.
Your alternate form of payment will also be charged for any replacements for items that are not available.
To avoid extra charges that you will NOT be refunded for, please only choose Fresh Fund eligible items and REFUND instead of replace items that are not available.
What if I don't have another form of payment? Will my credit/debit card be charged?
Instacart requires that you have a debit, credit, or Instacart gift card in order to make an order and use your Foodsmart Bucks (FreshFunds) (Please see the list above of approved and unapproved forms of payment). At times, up to 100% + 15% of your order can be held to ensure all fees are covered. It is refunded after 5-7 business days.
How will I be able to select my Foodsmart Bucks (Fresh Funds) towards my purchase?
You will be able to select your Foodsmart Bucks (Fresh Funds) as a way to pay for your order during the check out process. Once you reach the "Pay with" section within the check out page, you can click on "Apply up to $xx.xx Instacart credit". You can also do this with your EBT. You can click on "Apply up to $xx.xx EBT credit".
EBT will be used prior to Fresh Funds being applied per internal Instacart policy. There is no way to override this function. If you do not want to use EBT, either delete it from your account or limit the amount used at checkout.
Can I use my EBT card to pay for my order?
Customers can pay for online orders with a valid EBT card, in full or in part. You can use your EBT card at any participating store, as long as the state that issued your EBT card is currently participating in the SNAP Online Purchasing Pilot. Currently, Instacart does not accept EBT cash. Once you reach the "Pay with" section within the check out page, you can click on "Apply up to $xx.xx EBT credit".
EBT will be used prior to Fresh Funds being applied per internal Instacart policy. There is no way to override this function. If you do not want to use EBT, either delete it from your account or limit the amount used at checkout.
For more information on how to add your EBT card as a form of payment please visit this article.
How are healthy items “determined”?
“Healthy food choices” are predetermined. Excluded items may include - paper products, cleaning products, other non-grocery items, certain sweets/candies, certain chips/snack packs/etc., and more. Additionally, some stores “participate” more than others, but we are pushing for improvements!
How do I receive my groceries once I place a delivery order?
After the items in your order have been picked and packed, a personal shopper will start the delivery process. In some cases, the person who shops your order may not be the one who delivers it.
To make sure you get your delivery as scheduled, we recommend—
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Turning on notifications for the Instacart app
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Keeping an eye out for text messages and phone calls from the delivery driver
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Leaving helpful instructions for parking, gate codes, or other clues to find your home.
For more information on deliveries, please visit this Instacart support article.
How do I receive my groceries once I place a pick up order?
Instacart Pickup gives you the option to order online, set a pickup time, and collect your order at the store. Here’s how it works—
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When your order is ready for pickup, you’ll get a text message or notification on your phone, along with pickup instructions.
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When you get to the store, follow the instructions to let us know you've arrived.
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Depending on the store, you'll either pick up your order inside or wait while we bring your order out to your car.
Retailers who offer pickup will have Pickup under their name on the homepage of your account. To find the nearest pickup location—
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Select the retailer from which you’d like to place your order
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If the retailer offers both delivery and pickup, select Pickup
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Choose your preferred pickup location on the map
Once you’ve selected your location, you can start shopping for your items!
Note: Pick up orders from certain retailers have a "pickup fee" (equivalent to a delivery fee for pickup orders).
Do Foodsmart Bucks (FreshFunds) expire?
You have one year from the time your Foodsmart Bucks (Fresh Fund) codes are given to you to claim it and use it!
How many incentives can I use at one time? Can I “stack” or save incentives?
Foodsmart Bucks (Fresh Funds) can be saved/stored up and used towards larger purchases if the incentives have the same value.
Example: If you have a $15 reward and a $25 reward, you may not use them together - we are working with Instacart to enable this in the future. You can, however, use multiple $25 rewards or multiple $15 rewards together.
We highly encourage you to redeem and use codes of one denomination before adding codes of another denomination. This practice will help minimize potential issues and ensure a smoother experience.
What about delivery fees, service fees, taxes, etc.?
Fresh Funds can be used toward delivery, tax, and some service fees in an order. If there is enough remaining on the Foodsmart Bucks (Fresh Funds) credit, it will automatically apply toward those expenses. In some states, this is NOT available.
I am still being charged service fees - I thought Foodsmart Bucks (Fresh Funds) covered that?
According to Instacart, the “service fee” helps support the Instacart platform and covers a broad range of operating costs including insurance, background checks, and customer support. Instacart+ members enjoy a reduced service fee. Service fees vary and are subject to change based on factors like location and the number and types of items in your cart. You can view the service fee total on every order at checkout. Orders containing alcohol have a separate service fee.
Changes to your order, including replacing or refunding an item, change the service fee. After the order is complete, you’ll see the final cost and service fee total on your digital receipt. For more information about order changes, visit this article. Instacart pickup orders have no service fees, regardless of non-Instacart+ or Instacart+ membership. Shopper tips are separate from any service fees.
See Instacart’s FAQ page for more information
Why is my final total different from the total at checkout?
When you place an order, we show you the anticipated total, including estimated taxes and fees. We also add a temporary buffer to anticipate you or the shopper making changes to your order, even after you placed it. The final total charged to your card may be different if any changes occur during the shopping process, such as—
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An item is out of stock and you’re refunded
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You add an item to your order after checkout
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An item you order needs to be replaced, and the replacement has a different price or is NOT Fresh Fund eligible
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An item you order is sold by weight and the exact weight is slightly different
Instacart how-to videos:
Foodsmart - Videos that show login through the checkout process:
Instacart has a 100% satisfaction guarantee and suggested that members contact Instacart to get credited for inappropriate charges. This can be done via 3 clicks using the https://www.instacart.com/help link or by calling the helpline 1-844-981-3433.