Are you a gig worker? If so, then kudos to you; you’re already one step ahead of the game. 💪
Gig work and side hustles are vital to millions of workers in today’s economy. In fact, according to Zapier, 1 in 3 Americans currently have a side hustle, and that figure is expected to increase by the end of 2021. That means a whopping 33% or more of Americans are active in the gig economy. Many gig work apps have empowered people to work when and how it works best for them, whether it’s ridesharing, grocery deliveries, food deliveries, etc. It’s no doubt that gig work is certainly a growing trend that people are embracing, making their work accommodate their own lives.
Similar to how companies offer employee referral programs to both attract and retain quality talent, gig work apps like Instacart, Shipt, and Uber Eats are following suit with their own enticing offers to their rideshare drivers and shoppers alike who refer good candidates to their platforms. Guess what? This can mean $$$…in your pocket!
Let’s dive into some of the best U.S. based grocery/food gig referral bonuses available:
1. Instacart
How do Instacart referral bonuses work?
By now we’ve all heard of Instacart, the leading grocery delivery service in North America. As an active Instacart Shopper, you have the opportunity to earn even more with Instacart’s referral program.
Simply share your referral link with a friend and you’ll earn up to $400 (yes, we’re serious) when they sign up as a Full-Service Shopper (one who shops and delivers orders directly to customers) or an In-Store Shopper (one who picks and prepares Instacart batches but works in-store only).
Here are the bonus qualifiers:
- You must be an active member in good standing.
- You must have completed at least 40 hours of service on Instacart within the last 6 months.
- Your Full-Service referral must complete 30 batches (or orders) within their first 30 days for you to receive a $400 bonus per referral.
- Your In-Store referral must work at least 40 hours for you to receive a $25 bonus per referral.
After your friend meets the above criteria, an “award” gets added to your account. Referral bonuses are then paid out in your direct deposit statement the following week.
Remember that when telling your friends to sign up at the link HERE, be sure that they enter your referral code!
Oh, and P.S, if your referral is serious about getting started, it helps to encourage them to complete the required number of batches in the first 30 days. I even incentivized my referrals that they’d receive a percentage of my bonus if they completed all of the orders! In my experience, I was able to refer three different friends but, unfortunately, no one completed the orders within their first 30 days as a Shopper.
But hey, an extra $400 per successful referral can add up quickly so help push your friends along! What will you do with all that extra cash?
2. Shipt
How do Shipt referral bonuses work?
A lesser-known direct competitor of Instacart which is gaining popularity is Shipt. Similar to Instacart, active Shipt Shoppers can earn even more green by referring friends to the platform with Shopper Referrals. You can earn $50 for each friend that signs up as a Shopper.
Here are the bonus qualifiers:
- You must have completed at least 5 or more shops.
- Your referral must include your Shopper ID on their application.
- Then, all your referral has to do is accept and complete at least 5 shops within the first 2 weeks without promo pay.
- The best part: there’s no limit on the number of $50 bonuses you can earn from each successful referral! 😎
$50 referral bonuses are paid out in your weekly direct deposit on the first Friday of the month after qualifying. Again, remember that when telling your friends to sign up at the link HERE, be sure to have them enter your Shopper ID!
3. Uber Eats
How do Uber Eats referral bonuses work?
While a slightly different gig work concept than Instacart or Shipt, delivering with Uber Eats is another way to make some serious extra cash. Instead of shopping for groceries and then delivering them to customers, you’re simply receiving restaurant orders to your phone, picking up these take-out orders, and dropping them at the customer’s door.
The amount you can earn through this platform can be more or less than either Instacart or Shipt, depending on how many orders you complete. One delivery on Uber Eats typically takes far less time than one Instacart or Shipt order, but if you maximize your time and complete many Uber Eats orders quickly, this can lead to greater profitability.
You can earn up to $500 (yes, you read that correctly!) when you “invite” new drivers who complete a certain number of trips upon signing up.
Here are the bonus qualifiers:
- You need to be an Uber Eats courier in good standing, meaning that you actively complete orders every month.
- Your referral needs to complete 100 trips in the first 90 days of sign-up.
- You can only receive this bonus once, so use that cash wisely!
And lastly, remember that when you have your friend go through the sign-up process HERE, be sure that they use your invite code!
The Bottom Line
While receiving each of these bonuses can range in difficulty, my take is that the $50 per successful Shipt Shopper referral is the easiest to attain of all three of these offers as your referral only needs to complete 5 shops in the first 2 weeks. While the other platforms offer larger bonuses, Instacart requires 30 completed batches within the first 30 days while Uber Eats requires 100 trips in the first 90 days of sign up. Take a look at the table below which breaks down each offer side by side:
Gig Work Referral Bonuses Comparison
| Gigs | What You Can Earn | What Your Referral Has To Complete |
|---|---|---|
| Shipt | $50 bonus per successful referral | Complete 5 shops within the first 2 weeks without promo pay |
| Uber Eats | $500 bonus per successful referral | Complete 100 trips within the first 90 days |
| Instacart | Full Service Shopper: $400 bonus per successful referral In Store Shopper: $25 bonus per successful referral | Full Service Shopper: Complete 30 batches in the first 30 days Instacart Shopper: Complete 40 hours of service |
In any case, referring your friends to these gig work platforms can mean a lot of extra cash in your pocket in your next direct deposit. So, which platforms will you refer your friends to? Get going and earn some extra cash!
