Shipt pays shoppers to shop orders at stores like Target and deliver them to members’ homes. Each offer shows one pay figure, which is the minimum you’ll get for completing it, and Shipt sets that figure at no less than $16 per hour based on its own time estimates. You keep 100% of tips, paid weekly or through Instant Pay.
At a glance
| Type of work | Shopping and delivering grocery, household and retail orders |
| How you earn | Offer pay per order, plus bonuses and 100% of tips |
| Pay floor | At least $16 per hour per offer, on Shipt’s time and effort estimate; higher in many markets, over $27 in some |
| Cost to join | None |
| Payout | Weekly payday by direct deposit; Instant Payout up to 3 times a day, up to $500 a day |
| Requirements | 18+, valid driver’s license, insured vehicle, smartphone, background check |
| Where it works | US cities |
How Shipt works for shoppers
You apply online, pass a background check and set up the Shipt Shopper app. Offers come through the app, each with one estimated pay number, the store, the item count and the estimated time. You choose which offers to accept. Then you shop the list, talk to the member about any replacements, check out and deliver.
Shipt customers are mostly paying members, and many shoppers build up regulars who request them again, which helps both steady work and tips.
How shoppers get paid
Shipt uses what it calls Offer Pay. Each order is priced on Shipt’s estimate of the time and effort it takes to shop and deliver, and the figure on the offer card is the minimum you’ll be paid for completing it. Shipt’s Earnings Standard promises that no offer pays less than $16 per hour based on those estimates, with a higher standard in many markets and more than $27 per hour in some.
You can check any offer yourself: multiply the offer amount by 60 and divide by the estimated minutes. Keep in mind the floor is based on Shipt’s estimate, not on the time you actually spend, so a slow store or a long checkout line can bring your real hourly rate below it.
Tips go to you in full, on top of offer pay. Pay goes out on a weekly payday. Once you’ve had one successful weekly payout and set up Stripe in the app, Instant Payout lets you transfer your available balance up to three times a day, up to $500 a day. Tips of $50 or more wait for the weekly payout.
What it costs you
There’s nothing to pay to join, but you supply the car, fuel and insurance, and grocery orders are heavier and slower than food delivery. As an independent contractor, you also handle your own taxes and should track mileage.
Owen’s take
The pay floor is the reason to look at Shipt. Most gig apps give you a number and leave you to work out whether it’s worth it; Shipt at least commits to a minimum and shows you the formula. That honesty is rare. Just remember it’s their clock, not yours. Shoppers who know their stores and move fast beat the estimate and earn well above the floor, and Shipt’s members tend to tip like people who chose to pay for the service.
Who it suits
It suits organized shoppers with a reliable car who live near Target and other partner stores and like building regular customers. It suits less well anyone who wants quick, light deliveries or who doesn’t want to lift heavy orders.
Similar options
- Instacart is the closest alternative, and many shoppers run both.
- DoorDash and Uber Eats also carry grocery orders.
- Amazon Flex runs grocery blocks for Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods.
- Gopuff delivers from its own stock, so there’s no shopping.
More local options are in Gig Work, and US-only platforms are in USA.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Published pay floor of at least $16 per hour per offer
- 100% of tips, from members who tend to tip well
- Instant Payout up to three times a day
Cons
- The floor uses Shipt’s time estimate, not your real time
- Heavy, slow orders compared with food delivery
- Tips of $50 or more wait for the weekly payday
FAQ
How much does Shipt pay shoppers?
Each order pays a set offer amount, which Shipt guarantees works out to at least $16 per hour based on its own time estimate, and more in many markets. Tips are on top and go to you in full.
Is the $16 per hour guaranteed?
It’s guaranteed per offer, but on Shipt’s estimate of the time an order takes. If you take longer than the estimate, your actual hourly rate will be lower.
How fast can you get paid with Shipt?
Pay arrives on a weekly payday. After your first successful weekly payout, Instant Payout lets you cash out up to three times a day, up to $500 a day.
What do you need to become a Shipt shopper?
You need to be 18 or older, with a valid driver’s license, an insured vehicle and a smartphone, and you need to pass a background check.
