Sam’s Club and Instacart: Any Savings?
Sam’s Club is now part of the Instacart retailers and you don’t even have to be a Sam’s Club Member to order. In fact, I found that in the Atlanta area, you can order for delivery in under two hours. The question is; how much savings can you get by using both Instacart and Sam’s Club non-member pricing?
To understand Sam’s Club pricing, you need to know three things about the retail pricing:
- In-Store (Sam’s Club) Member Pricing – This price means that you pay an annual membership fee to Sam’s Club to get the lowest in-store price (in the brick and mortar store).
- Non-Member Instacart Pricing – This price means that you get to order Sam’s Club products without Sam’s Club membership through the Instacart framework (website or mobile app) for delivery.
- Sam’s Club Member Instacart Pricing – This price means that you get discounted pricing on Sam’s Club products because you have associated your annual membership (number) with your Instacart account for delivery.
Notice how many times Sam’s Club Membership is mentioned: Do not get confused about membership! There are two memberships at play here: 1. Instacart and 2. Sam’s Club. You do not need the Sam’s Club membership to order products but read on to find out how much that will cost you. Whether or not you pay Instacart each time you order groceries or you choose to pay an annual subscription you can order at any time — with your e-mail and credit card, you are most certainly a member of Instacart.
Instacart Sam’s Club Pricing
I tested three items to see how the pricing scale worked. Sam’s Club 45-pack case of purified water, Seeds of Change Quinoa and Brown Rice 6 x 8.5-ounce boxes, and World Fresh Peeled Garlic 3 pound bag.
| Product | Non-Member Instacart Pricing | Sam’s Club Member Instacart Pricing | In-Store (Sam’s Club) Member Pricing |
|
Seeds of Change Quinoa & Brown Rice |
$13.09 | $11.80 | $10.73 |
|
Member’s Mark Purified Bottled Water |
$4.20 | $3.78 | $3.44 |
|
Spice World Fresh Peeled Garlic |
$10.08 | $9.09 | $8.26 |
If you are a Sam’s Club member who pays $45-$100 per year to maintain substantial discounts on your grocery bill, I’d say Instacart delivery of those same items might be something to avoid. Those few dollars in the three items I chose are only indicative of the overall markup you will pay for using delivery services. You should also remember that many items can be shipped via Sam’s Club website.
Additional Costs: if I ordered over $150 worth of Sam’s Club merchandise, my service fee was $8.28 USD. Of course, tipping the shopper and deliverer is essential!
Screen Shot from Instacart.com
Maximize Sam’s Club Savings
The best way to save with Sam’s Club, as with most grocers, is to plan your meals and understand exactly what products your family require on an annual basis. This method allows you to plan your budget and purchasing and avoid gut (intuitive) buying that usually end up with 25% or more waste. Use your membership for its other benefits such as the gasoline savings and in-store perks. Avoid using Instacart when you can just use the Sam’s Club website to order what you need.
