Why Instacart prices may differ and what changed in December 2025
Two different pricing questions were pulled into one debate in December 2025. One was whether a price on Instacart matches the shelf price. The other was whether shoppers using Instacart could see different prices for the same item at the same store.
They are not the same issue. Instacart's current help page says some retailers set marketplace prices that differ from their in-store prices. Separately, Instacart acknowledged that a limited set of item-price tests had shown different prices to randomly assigned groups. The company says those tests ended on December 21, 2025.
What prompted the response
In December 2025, Consumer Reports and its reporting partners published an investigation into different prices observed by participants shopping for the same items through Instacart.
Instacart disputed broader descriptions of the program as dynamic, surveillance, or personalized pricing. In its December 18 response, the company described the program as short-term, randomized A/B testing.
According to Instacart, customers in the tests were randomly assigned by product category and store location. The company said the tests did not use personal information, demographics, or individual shopping behaviour to set item prices.
Those are Instacart's statements about its program. They should be read as the company's response to the investigation, not as an independent finding about how every price on the platform was set.
What Instacart changed
Instacart says its item-price tests ended on December 21, 2025. In a December 22 update, the company said retailers would no longer be able to use its Eversight technology to run those tests on the platform.
Instacart also said that shoppers viewing the same items at the same store location at the same time would see the same prices. Retailers could still set different prices by store location, and Instacart would continue to show each retailer's pricing policy.
Online and in-store prices can still differ
Ending item-price tests did not create universal price parity between Instacart and physical stores.
Instacart's current item-pricing help page says retailers set item prices on its marketplace. It also says that while many retailers offer everyday store prices, some set prices on Instacart that differ from in-store prices.
That is the practical distinction to remember. A platform price can differ from a shelf price without being part of the item-price tests Instacart ended.
What to check before ordering
For any grocery marketplace, check the retailer's pricing policy before placing the order. Compare unit prices when package sizes differ, and review the final cart for service fees, delivery charges, promotions, and substitutions.
If you want to compare with a physical store, use the same product, package size, and location. A comparison between different sizes or store locations will not answer whether the channel price changed.
Frequently asked questions
Did Instacart use personalized pricing?
Instacart says no. It described the item-price tests as randomized A/B tests and said they did not use personal, demographic, or user-level behavioural information to set prices. This is the company's account of the tests.
Are item-price tests still running?
Instacart says its item-price tests ended on December 21, 2025.
Does an Instacart price always match the store?
No. Instacart's help page says some retailers set platform prices that differ from their in-store prices.
Does this article establish what happened to Canadian shoppers?
No. It explains Instacart's published pricing policy and its response to the December 2025 reporting. It does not claim that a particular Canadian shopper participated in an item-price test.
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