SAN FRANCISCO — Instacart announced it has immediately stopped all item price testing on its platform following customer outrage and increased scrutiny over tests that led to different prices for the same product at the same store. The company acknowledged that the tests, conducted with a small group of retail partners, fell short of customer expectations at a time when consumers are trying to manage tight grocery budgets.
In a statement, Instacart said it listened carefully to customer feedback and acknowledged that allowing price differences for identical items caused confusion and damaged trust. Consumer advocates and retail analysts questioned why item-level price testing was introduced in the first place, arguing that even small experiments reduced transparency on a platform marketed as a trusted source for everyday essentials.
Effective immediately, retailers will no longer be able to use Eversight technology to run item price tests on Instacart. The company stated that if two customers shop for the same items at the same time from the exact store location, they will now see identical prices. Instacart emphasized that the discontinued tests were neither dynamic nor surveillance-based and were never connected to supply and demand, personal data, demographics, or individual shopping behavior.
Still, critics argue that the distinction provides limited reassurance to consumers who have no clear way to verify whether the prices they see are consistent or fair. Analysts point out that the episode underscores broader concerns about pricing transparency in third-party delivery, especially as food inflation and service fees continue to strain household budgets.
Instacart stated that retail partners will continue to set their own prices on the platform, as they have always done, and may still adjust pricing based on store location, as in-store practices do. However, industry experts argue that ending item price tests does not fully address worries about online markups, inconsistent price parity with physical stores, and complex fee structures that can hide the actual cost of grocery delivery.
Looking ahead, Instacart said it will focus on encouraging more retailers to achieve online and in-store price parity and to eliminate markups where possible. The company also said it will continue to display each retailer’s pricing policy on its storefronts clearly and to offer promotions, discounts, brand-funded incentives, and loyalty integrations to help deliver savings.
While ending item price tests is seen as a necessary step, analysts say rebuilding trust will require ongoing efforts beyond this policy change. For many consumers, confidence in digital grocery platforms depends not just on matching prices at checkout but also on more transparent, more consistent disclosure throughout the entire shopping experience.
