In December 2025, the Federal Trade Commission announced that grocery delivery platform Instacart would pay $60 million to settle allegations that it had engaged in deceptive practices that cost consumers money without their knowledge. The settlement is one of the largest consumer refund actions of the year — and if you've used Instacart in recent years, you may be entitled to a payment.
The FTC's complaint alleged that Instacart engaged in two primary deceptive practices: charging consumers a "service fee" that was presented as a tip for delivery workers when in fact a significant portion of it went to Instacart itself, and enrolling consumers in the Instacart+ subscription service without their explicit consent, then making it difficult to cancel.
What Instacart Was Accused of Doing
The Tip Misdirection. When customers placed orders on Instacart, the platform displayed a suggested "tip" amount that appeared to go entirely to the delivery worker. The FTC alleged that Instacart used a portion of this amount to offset its own service fees, meaning consumers who thought they were tipping their delivery person were actually subsidizing Instacart's operating costs. This practice, the FTC argued, was deceptive because it misrepresented where the money was going.
Unauthorized Subscription Enrollment. The FTC also alleged that Instacart enrolled consumers in its Instacart+ subscription service — which costs $99 per year — without obtaining clear and conspicuous consent. Consumers who didn't realize they had been enrolled were charged the annual fee, sometimes multiple times, before noticing the charges on their credit card statements.
"Instacart took money from consumers under false pretenses and made it difficult for them to get it back. This settlement ensures they pay the price for that deception."
Who Qualifies for a Refund
Under the terms of the settlement, Instacart will pay $60 million into a consumer redress fund. The FTC will distribute these funds to consumers who were harmed by the deceptive practices described in the complaint. Specifically, consumers who:
Paid service fees on Instacart orders between 2016 and 2023 and were not clearly informed that a portion of those fees did not go to delivery workers may be eligible for partial refunds of those fees.
Were enrolled in Instacart+ without their explicit consent and charged the subscription fee may be eligible for a full refund of those charges.
✅ How to Check If You're Owed a Refund
The FTC will contact eligible consumers directly via email or mail using contact information associated with their Instacart accounts. You can also check the FTC's refund page at ftc.gov/refunds to see if a claim process has been established. Do not pay anyone who claims to help you file a claim — the FTC never charges fees to receive refunds.
The Broader Pattern: FTC Consumer Refund Actions
The Instacart settlement is part of a broader pattern of FTC enforcement actions that have returned hundreds of millions of dollars to consumers. In 2025 alone, the FTC issued more than $27.6 million in refunds to consumers harmed by unauthorized billing schemes, $8.1 million to consumers harmed by Care.com's deceptive job listing practices, and $5 million to consumers harmed by telehealth company Cerebral's deceptive cancellation practices.
These actions demonstrate that consumer protection enforcement, even in a challenging regulatory environment, can deliver real money back to real people. The key is knowing about these settlements and taking action to claim what you're owed.
Dark Patterns: The Tactic Behind the Deception
The practices alleged against Instacart are examples of what user experience researchers call "dark patterns" — design choices that are deliberately intended to confuse, mislead, or manipulate users into taking actions that benefit the company at the consumer's expense. Common dark patterns include:
Disguised ads that look like organic content. Hidden costs that appear only at the final checkout step. Roach motel designs that make it easy to sign up but difficult to cancel. Confirmshaming that uses guilt-inducing language to discourage users from opting out. Misdirection that draws attention away from important information.
The FTC has been increasingly aggressive in pursuing companies that use dark patterns, and the Instacart settlement signals that this enforcement priority will continue.