Unexpected Stats: Here's How Grocery Delivery Impacts Your Wallet

The kids are home, the laundry is hot, and the fridge is...empty?! You know what that means: You've got a choice to make. Do you drive to the nearest supermarket and stock up? Or do you order grocery delivery online, paying extra to skip the hassle of dragging your kids along?

Grocery delivery does impact your wallet. Online grocery shoppers spend 32% more per purchase than in-store shoppers do, according to a 2023 study by PYMNTS. Below, we'll dive into fees, convenience, and what kind of person should shop for groceries online versus in store.

Fees of grocery delivery

Popular grocery delivery services like Instacart, Walmart, and Amazon offer fast delivery to your door, saving you time. In exchange, you pay fees you wouldn't otherwise.

Fees grocery delivery services frequently charge include:

• Delivery fees: The per-order fees to get groceries delivered to your door
• Subscription fees: The recurring fee you pay to opt into a delivery service
• Surcharge fees: What you pay to get special goods delivered, like alcohol

Some services charge fewer and cheaper fees.

Example grocery delivery experience

Let's say you're shopping for a savory-sweet list of chicken breast, ground beef, and strawberries. You head to Instacart for fast delivery, navigate to Costco, add the items to your cart, and check out. Here's what your receipt would look like:

Your total cost just for groceries would be $64.28. To that, you would add the cost of delivery fees. Instacart charges you two delivery fees: a flat $3.99 fee and a variable $5.14 fee. Here's what that looks like:

At checkout, your total is now $73.41. You're almost done.

Delivery time and tip: You opt for free standard delivery and confirm the purchase. Within three to four hours, your order is dropped off at your door. You tip your delivery person 15%, the amount recommended by finance guru Dave Ramsey. Here is what your final receipt would look like:

Overall, you've paid $84.42 for delivery for what might have otherwise cost $64.28 in store. In this case, grocery delivery would make your cart about 25% more expensive than if you'd bought the same items for the same prices in-store, including tip.

Convenience of grocery delivery

Grocery delivery can be much faster than shopping for groceries in-store. According to a driveresearch study, 64% of shoppers spend 30 minutes or more at the grocery store. Online, however, you can add items to your cart in as little as five minutes. Checkout is even faster.

Adding chicken breast, ground beef, and strawberries to my Instacart order took me three minutes. Very fast and convenient, and typical for grocery delivery platforms.

This sort of checkout experience may be especially beneficial to parents. The alternatives:

• Dragging bored kids to the store
• Leaving kids with a scheduled sitter

Parents can skip the hassle of wrangling kids and scheduling sitters by ordering online. Parents might consider substituting delivery fees for sitter fees to save time (and possibly money).

Who should shop online vs. in-store

Grocery delivery gives you fast, convenient delivery. In exchange, you may pay 25% more per order -- and sometimes more. Grocery delivery is worth considering if you want to balance cost savings with time savings. Parents, especially, could benefit from grocery delivery services.

However, if the receipt price matters most, consider shopping for groceries in-store. You'll probably pay less overall, thanks to zero fees and not needing to tip. Feel free to combine in-store shopping with a grocery credit card to shave up to 6% off each purchase.

Another way to save: Take advantage of partnership deals like the free 12-month Instacart+ subscription offered to Chase Sapphire Reserve® cardmembers. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card cardholders can get a six-month subscription. Check your credit card offers to ensure you're taking advantage of the free discounts you're owed -- your wallet may benefit.

• Apply now for the Chase Sapphire Reserve® card.
• Apply now for the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.