The Skip–Instacart partnership, launched October 6, 2026, works in two directions in Canada: Skip’s grocery icon opens Instacart’s grocery and retail marketplace, while Instacart’s Restaurants section sends restaurant orders to SkipTheDishes for delivery. The apps, accounts, payment rules, membership thresholds and support contacts differ by direction, so check the address and checkout screen before ordering.
What the Skip–Instacart partnership actually does
This is an integration between two services, not a single merged marketplace. Skip customers can enter Instacart’s grocery and retail selection from the Skip app. Instacart customers can order food from participating SkipTheDishes restaurants without leaving the Instacart app. The official launch announcement described more than 50,000 national and local restaurant partners for the restaurant side, and more than 130 retail banners representing over 9,000 Canadian locations for the grocery side. Those are launch-network figures, not a promise that every store or restaurant serves every address.
The two flows have different operators. Instacart provides the grocery catalog and assigns shoppers for orders started from Skip. SkipTheDishes supplies the restaurant network and courier delivery for restaurant orders started in Instacart. Eligibility, selection, fees and delivery estimates are determined for the address entered in the relevant app.
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For the latest terms, see the October 6, 2026 partnership announcement, the Instacart Restaurants (Canada) help page, the restaurant-orders powered by SkipTheDishes help page and the Skip+ delivery-fee eligibility page.
How to order groceries and retail items on Skip
Use the grocery icon in Skip
- Open the Skip app and tap its grocery icon.
- Enter or confirm the delivery address. The app will show the stores and products available for that location.
- Choose a retailer from the Instacart-powered selection and continue into Instacart’s ordering platform.
- Browse the live catalog, add products, select substitutions or refund preferences where offered, and review the delivery estimate.
- Confirm the cart, fees, taxes, tip and payment method at checkout, then place the order.
An Instacart shopper picks the order in the store. The 130-plus retail banners and 9,000-plus locations cited at launch are broad Canadian network totals; a particular address may see fewer retailers, different inventory or no service at a given time. Store hours, delivery windows, item availability and substitutions can change after you open the catalog.
The available help material describes this grocery entry point but does not document a separate grocery-side account-linking process comparable to the restaurant flow. Do not assume that signing in to Skip automatically creates or merges a general Instacart account.
#1 Best Overall
- GROCERY SHOPPING MADE EASY: Get your entire grocery store list delivered in as fast as 30 minutes. Prefer pick up? Order your groceries online, pick up at your local store, and skip the fees and tipping.
- GROCERY COUPONS AND DEALS: Discover exclusive deals and grocery coupons found only on the Instacart app.
- SHOP GROCERY STORES NEAR YOU: Instacart connects you with over 85,000 supermarkets and stores across North America.
- Redeem in the app: Sign up for Instacart or log into your existing account Enter the main menu Tap Credits, promos & gift cards Enter the code Redeem on the website: Sign up for Instacart or log into your existing account Click Account or your name Click Add promo or gift card Enter the code
- No returns and no refunds on gift cards.
How to order Skip restaurants in the Instacart app
Restaurant ordering steps
- Open the Instacart iOS or Android app. The restaurant feature is for eligible customers in Canada and is not described as available through the Instacart website.
- Choose Restaurants.
- Select a restaurant, add menu items and review the cart, delivery estimate and total.
- Give the requested consent for the restaurant experience if prompted, then place the order.
- Track the order in the app. A SkipTheDishes courier delivers it.
Restaurant selection is address-specific. A restaurant shown in one Canadian city may not appear for another address, and delivery coverage can change with hours, courier capacity or temporary closures.
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Do you need a separate Skip account?
The linked account created for Instacart restaurant orders
When you first enter the restaurant section in Instacart, Instacart asks for active consent before sharing your name, email address, phone number and Instacart+ membership status with SkipTheDishes. You can decline and exit without sharing.
After consent, SkipTheDishes creates a linked account for the restaurant-order experience. It is independent of any Skip account you already have and is not a normal account that you can access through the Skip app. Existing Skip credentials do not merge with Instacart, and the linked account should not be treated as a general-purpose Skip login.
The documented consent and linked-account process applies to restaurant orders placed in Instacart. There is no equivalent published explanation that grocery orders started from Skip create the same type of account relationship.
Rank #2
- GROCERY SHOPPING MADE EASY: Get your entire grocery store list delivered in as fast as 30 minutes. Prefer pick up? Order your groceries online, pick up at your local store, and skip the fees and tipping.
- GROCERY COUPONS AND DEALS: Discover exclusive deals and grocery coupons found only on the Instacart app.
- SHOP GROCERY STORES NEAR YOU: Instacart connects you with over 85,000 supermarkets and stores across North America.
- Redeem in the app: Sign up for Instacart or log into your existing account Enter the main menu Tap Credits, promos & gift cards Enter the code Redeem on the website: Sign up for Instacart or log into your existing account Click Account or your name Click Add promo or gift card Enter the code
- No returns and no refunds on gift cards.
Who handles payment, refunds and support?
Restaurant orders placed in Instacart
SkipTheDishes is the merchant of record for restaurant-order charges, refunds and disputes. Restaurant charges are in Canadian dollars. Instacart’s help center states that SkipTheDishes is “the merchant of record for all restaurant order charges, refunds, and disputes.” For a problem with a restaurant order, use the in-app Skip Order Help route rather than assuming Instacart’s grocery support team is responsible.
The default payment card saved in Instacart is passed to the linked SkipTheDishes account the first time you add an item. If that card cannot be used, add another payment method in the Skip webview at checkout. A payment-method change made for a restaurant order applies to that order only; it does not change payment settings for grocery orders.
Grocery and retail orders
For an order entered through Skip’s grocery icon and completed on Instacart’s platform, follow the order-status and help controls shown in that grocery checkout. The restaurant merchant-of-record rule does not automatically apply to grocery purchases.
Which credits and rewards can be used?
Instacart credits and rewards cannot be applied to restaurant orders placed through the Instacart app’s Restaurants section. Credit-card-provider or payment-network statement credits are also unavailable for those restaurant orders. A grocery credit, gift card or card-linked promotion should not be assumed to transfer to the restaurant experience; rely on the credits and payment options explicitly displayed at checkout.
Rank #3
- GROCERY SHOPPING MADE EASY: Get your entire grocery store list delivered in as fast as 30 minutes. Prefer pick up? Order your groceries online, pick up at your local store, and skip the fees and tipping.
- GROCERY COUPONS AND DEALS: Discover exclusive deals and grocery coupons found only on the Instacart app.
- SHOP GROCERY STORES NEAR YOU: Instacart connects you with over 85,000 supermarkets and stores across North America.
- THOUGHTFUL GIFT: Share the gift of time by taking a chore off a friend’s or family’s to-do list. Perfect for new parents!
- Redeem in the app: Sign up for Instacart or log into your existing account Enter the main menu Tap Credits, promos & gift cards Enter the code Redeem on the website: Sign up for Instacart or log into your existing account Click Account or your name Click Add promo or gift card Enter the code
Membership benefits, minimums and remaining fees
The delivery-fee benefit depends on which membership is connected to which side of the partnership. A waived delivery fee does not mean that the order is free of service fees, taxes or tips.
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| Order path | Membership benefit | Minimum and exclusions | What can still be charged |
|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurants in the Instacart app | Instacart+ provides a $0 delivery fee on eligible restaurant orders and reduced service fees. | At least $15 before taxes, fees and tips. Alcohol is excluded. | Service and other fees, taxes and tip may still apply. |
| Instacart-powered groceries or retail entered from Skip | Skip+ provides a $0 delivery fee on eligible orders. | At least $35 in qualifying spend before taxes, tips and service fees. Alcohol and other age-restricted items do not count toward the minimum and are not eligible. | Taxes, service fees and gratuities are not waived. |
Minimums are calculated under the rules shown in the applicable checkout. A cart containing alcohol or other age-restricted products may therefore fail to qualify even when its headline total appears to exceed the threshold. Verify the benefit, qualifying subtotal and every remaining fee before placing the order.
What happened to the 40% launch discount?
The October 6, 2026 launch announcement described a 40% discount on qualifying Instacart-powered orders of $35 or more, capped at $15 off. It was quantity-limited and directed customers to the Skip app for details. The announcement does not establish that the promotion remains available on October 16 or later, and it may be changed or ended without notice.
Treat the promotion as a launch offer, not a standing benefit. Open the Skip grocery flow, enter your address and confirm that the discount appears in the cart before relying on it. A missing code, an ineligible item or an exhausted quantity allowance can remove the discount at checkout.
Rank #4
- GROCERY SHOPPING MADE EASY: Get your entire grocery store list delivered in as fast as 30 minutes. Prefer pick up? Order your groceries online, pick up at your local store, and skip the fees and tipping.
- GROCERY COUPONS AND DEALS: Discover exclusive deals and grocery coupons found only on the Instacart app.
- SHOP GROCERY STORES NEAR YOU: Instacart connects you with over 85,000 supermarkets and stores across North America.
- THOUGHTFUL GIFT: Share the gift of time by taking a chore off a friend’s or family’s to-do list. Perfect for new parents!
- Redeem in the app: Sign up for Instacart or log into your existing account Enter the main menu Tap Credits, promos & gift cards Enter the code Redeem on the website: Sign up for Instacart or log into your existing account Click Account or your name Click Add promo or gift card Enter the code
How to check availability before ordering
Use the exact delivery address
The partnership announcement describes national-scale networks, but only the live app can determine whether a specific store, restaurant, delivery window or membership benefit is available to your address. Location can affect catalog, prices, minimums, fees, courier coverage and estimated arrival time.
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- Check that the desired retailer or restaurant is open and accepting orders.
- Review item-level eligibility, especially alcohol and other age-restricted products.
- Expand the checkout fee breakdown instead of relying only on a “$0 delivery” label.
- Capture the displayed total and promotion before submitting if the amount matters.
Which app should you use?
| You want to order | Start in | Fulfillment | Account and support notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Groceries or retail products | Skip app, grocery icon, then Instacart platform | Instacart shopper picks the order | Check grocery checkout for payment, fees and help; no published general account-merge process is described. |
| Restaurant food | Instacart app, Restaurants section | SkipTheDishes courier delivers | Consent creates a separate linked SkipTheDishes account; SkipTheDishes handles restaurant charges, refunds, disputes and Skip Order Help. |
Starting in the wrong app can make a service appear unavailable. Grocery customers should not search the Instacart restaurant section for retail inventory, and restaurant customers should not expect Skip’s grocery icon to show restaurant menus.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Common problems and what to do
The store or restaurant is missing
Recheck the delivery address, service hours and selected app section. Availability is local and can change during the day. If the listing still does not appear, the business may not serve that address or may be temporarily unavailable.
The delivery-fee waiver did not apply
Check the membership attached to the order, the applicable $15 restaurant or $35 grocery qualifying minimum, excluded alcohol or age-restricted items, and the fee breakdown. Taxes, service fees and tips remain payable even when delivery is $0.
Best Value
- GROCERY SHOPPING MADE EASY: Get your entire grocery store list delivered in as fast as 30 minutes. Prefer pick up? Order your groceries online, pick up at your local store, and skip the fees and tipping.
- GROCERY COUPONS AND DEALS: Discover exclusive deals and grocery coupons found only on the Instacart app.
- SHOP GROCERY STORES NEAR YOU: Instacart connects you with over 85,000 supermarkets and stores across North America.
- THOUGHTFUL GIFT: Share the gift of time by taking a chore off a friend’s or family’s to-do list. Perfect for new parents!
- Redeem in the app: Sign up for Instacart or log into your existing account Enter the main menu Tap Credits, promos & gift cards Enter the code Redeem on the website: Sign up for Instacart or log into your existing account Click Account or your name Click Add promo or gift card Enter the code
The restaurant payment failed
At checkout, open the Skip webview and add a usable payment method. Changing the method there affects that restaurant order only. Instacart credits and payment-network statement credits cannot be substituted for an accepted restaurant payment method.
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You need a refund or dispute
For a restaurant order placed in Instacart, use the in-app Skip Order Help route because SkipTheDishes is the merchant of record. Keep the order number, charge amount and relevant photos or details available. For a grocery order, use the grocery order’s own help and order-status controls.
You do not want to share account details
Decline the consent prompt and leave the restaurant flow. The restaurant feature requires the stated data sharing to create its linked SkipTheDishes account; declining means you cannot continue with that restaurant order in Instacart.
What the partnership does not promise
- It does not guarantee every Canadian retailer, restaurant or product for every address.
- It does not merge an existing Skip account with Instacart or make the linked restaurant account accessible in the Skip app.
- It does not waive taxes, tips and all service fees when it waives a delivery fee.
- It does not make Instacart credits, gift cards or card-network statement credits valid for restaurant orders.
- It does not make the quantity-limited October 6 launch discount a permanent promotion.
Quick decision checklist
- Choose the category: groceries and retail through Skip, or restaurants through Instacart.
- Enter the precise Canadian delivery address and inspect live availability.
- Confirm the relevant membership and minimum: $35 qualifying grocery spend for Skip+, or $15 restaurant subtotal for Instacart+.
- Read the full fee, tax, tip and eligibility breakdown.
- For a restaurant order, consent only if you accept the specified data sharing and separate linked-account arrangement.
- Save the order details and use the correct app’s support route if something goes wrong.
Official information and changing terms
The partnership launched on October 6, 2026, and promotional or eligibility terms can change. Use the official launch announcement for the network figures and launch promotion, Restaurants (Canada) for app and eligibility information, About restaurant orders powered by SkipTheDishes for consent, payment and support rules, and Skip+ delivery-fee eligibility for grocery minimums and exclusions. The checkout screen remains the final authority for your address, order and available offer.
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