Instacart settles Federal Trade Commission’s claim it deceived US shoppers

Al JazeeraCenterEN 2 min read 100% complete by Al Jazeera StaffDecember 18, 2025 at 10:54 PM

AI Summary

medium article 2 min

Instacart will pay $60 million in refunds to settle a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) claim that it deceived US shoppers. The FTC alleged that Instacart falsely advertised "free delivery" for first orders while charging other fees. The agency also accused Instacart of failing to properly notify customers that free trials of Instacart+ would convert to paid memberships and misleading consumers about its refund policy. While Instacart denies any wrongdoing, the settlement allows them to focus on shoppers and retailers. The FTC is also investigating Instacart's pricing practices, specifically its Eversight pricing tool, following a study showing varying prices for the same items.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Reuters 30% San Francisco 40% Christopher Mufarrige 50% United States 70% Federal Trade Commission ×585% Instacart ×890%

Keywords

instacart 100% federal trade commission 90% ftc settlement 80% grocery delivery 70% free delivery 70% consumer protection 60% pricing 50% refunds 50% online shopping 40%