Order catering packs and meal bundles on Instacart

Catering packs and meal bundles are Order Ahead items: a complete set of food items in one place, like fruit platters, custom cakes, and cookie trays. You'll find packs on the product page for participating retailers.

How to order a pack

Order Ahead packs must be ordered at least 72 hours in advance. Same-day ordering isn't available. The exact cutoff time is shown at the top of the pack's product page.

In the app

  1. Open the pack's product page.
  2. Review the lead time shown at the top. You must order before the cutoff.
  3. Make your selections in each required section.
  4. If an option has a surcharge, you'll see it listed next to that item.
  5. Once all required sections are complete, tap Add to cart.

On the website

  1. Open the pack's product page.
  2. Review the lead time shown at the top.
  3. Make your selections in each required section.
  4. Select Add to cart once all required sections are complete.

In some sections, you can choose the same option more than once, for example two of the same side dish.

About surcharges

Some choices within a pack cost more than the base price. These surcharges are shown on the product page and are included in your total at checkout.

When you'll be charged

Order Ahead orders use delayed payment. Here's what to expect:

  1. At checkout, we check that your card is valid. No money is taken at this time.
  2. About 5 days before delivery, we'll send an email and app alert to let you know your card is about to be charged.
  3. About 4 days before delivery, we charge the full amount to your card.

Credit and debit cards only. Other payment methods, including Klarna, buy now pay later services, EBT, Apple Pay, and Google Pay, aren't supported for pack orders.

Your delivery window

Adding a pack to your cart moves your delivery window to match the pack's 72-hour lead time. If you want to keep your original delivery window, remove the pack from your cart.

Pack orders show a 4-hour delivery window at checkout. About 5 days before delivery, the window narrows to 2 hours. Your delivery date and time don't change. This is a normal part of how Order Ahead orders are scheduled.

If a pack is unavailable

A pack may appear unavailable if the items needed to fill a required section are out of stock at your selected store. We aren't able to override pack availability. You can check back later or try a different store if available.

About replacements and refunds for packs

Packs are prepared and fulfilled as a complete bundle. We aren't able to replace or refund individual items within a pack. If you have an issue with your pack order, please contact Instacart support.

If your payment doesn't go through

If we can't charge your card about 4 days before delivery, we'll send you an alert with a deadline to update your payment card. If your card isn't updated before the deadline, your order is cancelled and the full amount is refunded to your card within 5 to 10 business days.

Cancelled Order Ahead orders can't be reinstated. If you still want the items, place a new order.

Cancelling a pack order

You can cancel an Order Ahead pack order until midnight (your local time) on the day you place it. After midnight, the order goes to the retailer and can't be cancelled, edited, or rescheduled. To make changes, cancel before midnight and place a new order.

If you receive your order and you're not satisfied, contact Instacart support.