Required payment
To redeem Foodsmart Bucks (Fresh Funds), customers must have:
An account on Instacart.com with an email address on file with Instacart
A minor child and parent MUST have the same email and phone number on file with Foodsmart for their accounts to be linked to their parent AND all incentives on the same Foodsmart.com account.
A form of accepted payment on file on their Instacart account.
If a user has sufficient Fresh Funds to cover the total authorization hold, the hold for Fresh Funds-eligible items will now be taken from their Fresh Funds balance rather than a backup payment method.
These changes only apply to authorization holds applied at checkout for Fresh Funds-eligible items. Post-checkout charges and any ineligible items will continue to be charged to the backup payment method.
NOTE that members “may be required to add a secondary payment method to use Foodsmart Bucks (Fresh Funds)” per FAQ page
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)
For quick and convenient checkout, you can save your preferred payment method to your account. If the additional payment on file changes often, Instacart will see that as fraudulent activity and lock the account.
To use an Instacart Gift Card (not Fresh Funds), please use the two pictures below to add them at checkout.
To ensure that the member is using their Foodsmart Bucks in an order, they need to check the box in the Pay with section.
Once you click on the +, it will give you all the options on how to pay, including using Fresh Funds.
Make sure the Fresh Funds box is checked. This will allow the Fresh Funds to be used in the order.
Alternative payment methods
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)
For quick and convenient checkout, you can save your preferred payment method to your account. If the additional payment on file changes often, Instacart will see that as fraudulent activity and lock the account.
Charged a hold on alternate form of payment
Instacart REQUIRES another form of payment to complete checkout. This covers any changes in weight, availability and replaced items. Any portion of the order not covered by Foodsmart Bucks will be charged to their alternate form of payment. If determined that the amount added to their alternate form of payment requires a refund, a refund will be given in 5-7 business days. This is an Instacart internal policy required to complete an order.
Forms of Payment not Accepted
We're sorry for the inconvenience as we're currently not able to accept:
Cash
Store gift cards
EBT cards at select retailers
International payments
Any other forms of payment not listed as accepted above including Visa or Mastercard Gift Cards
*Do not change your payment method often or Instacart will think it is fraud and freeze your account.
Issue Selecting Foodsmart Bucks as Form of Payment
Not applying to all or some of order: Patients can only apply Foodsmart Bucks to the items deemed “healthy” in their cart and labeled with a Fresh Fund label, which are items pre-determined by an algorithmic list.
Not covering the total amount: Foodsmart Bucks (FreshFunds) will cover healthy items and members can use their stacked Funds of the same value to purchase (ie. can use all $15 rewards at once, but not the $25 at the same time. See “stack” section for more). The balance for all items Foodsmart Bucks (FreshFunds) will not cover can be paid for by the member’s own card, SNAP, other gift cards, etc.
Foodsmart Bucks (FreshFunds) rewards ARE covering fees: If there is enough remaining on the Foodsmart Bucks (Fresh Funds) credit, it will automatically apply toward those expenses. PLEASE NOTE: there is no way to override this feature at this time.
Can County Care members use their County Care Card on Instacart as another form of payment?
County Care members can use their County Care Card (they call it an OTC card), if there is a balance left on it as their form of payment. They have to have enough on it to cover the total amount, but it can be used if they do not have a debit or credit card.
For more information:
I’m selecting Foodsmart Bucks (Fresh Funds) as a form of payment at Instacart checkout, but it is not applying to all of the order?
Not applying to all or some of order: Patients can only apply Foodsmart Bucks (Fresh Funds) to the items deemed “healthy” in their cart and labeled with a Fresh Fund label, which are items pre-determined by an algorithmic list.
Not covering the total amount: Foodsmart Bucks (Fresh Funds) will cover healthy items and members can use their stacked Funds of the SAME value to purchase
(ie. can use all $15 rewards at once, but not the $25 at the same time. See “stack” section for more).
The balance for all items Foodsmart Bucks (Fresh Funds) will not cover can be paid for by the member’s own card, SNAP, other gift cards, etc.
Foodsmart Bucks (Fresh Funds) rewards ARE covering fees: If there is enough remaining on the Foodsmart Bucks (Fresh Funds) credit, it will automatically apply toward those expenses.
PLEASE NOTE: there is no way to override this feature at this time.
Not allowing patient to click “continue” after selecting SNAP and Foodsmart Bucks (Fresh Funds) as payment method:
Members MUST have an alternate form of payment entered in their Instacart account, even if they never plan to use it toward their order per Instacart.
If they do not own an active credit or debit card and they a are a County Care member, they can use their County Care Card (OTC) as a form of payment.
If a user has sufficient Fresh Funds to cover the total authorization hold, the hold for Fresh Funds-eligible items will now be taken from their Fresh Funds balance rather than a backup payment method.
These changes only apply to authorization holds applied at checkout for Fresh Funds-eligible items. Post-checkout charges and any ineligible items will continue to be charged to the backup payment method.
Members can choose to use $0 of SNAP benefits and MUST notate it by clicking on SNAP in the payments section of checkout to add how much can be used.