Instacart: Instacart Rolls Out Big Change for Louisiana Grocery Shoppers and Drivers

LAFAYETTE, La. ( KPEL News ) - If you've ever ordered groceries to your door during a hot Louisiana summer or a surprise downpour, chances are you've relied on Instacart at some point. Now, the grocery delivery giant is shaking things up with a new worker rating system - and it could impact how fast and accurately those groceries land on your doorstep. How Instacart's New Quality Score Works According to GroceryDive.com , Instacart's new shopping quality score system is set to roll out nationwide, including here in Louisiana , by the end of May 2025. Instacart's new score system ranks workers based on their completed orders over a rolling 90-day period, as long as they have fulfilled at least 20 orders. The ratings range from "Needs Work" to "Standard" to "Good." The company says the score is focused only on the parts of the shopping experience that workers can actually control - like making sure the correct items are picked, selecting quality produce, and ensuring accurate deliveries. Issues like store inventory shortages or unavoidable out-of-stock items supposedly won't ding a shopper's score. For Louisiana shoppers, that could mean seeing even better service when placing orders in cities like Lafayette, Baton Rouge, New Orleans, and Lake Charles. Will This Affect Paychecks or Order Volume? Instacart says that, at launch, the new quality scores won't impact worker pay directly. However, later this year, these scores will be tied to Cart Star, Instacart's reward system that unlocks better perks, like access to better batches and priority order selections. That means that if you're shopping for Instacart in Louisiana, from Acadiana to the Northshore, how many orders you see (and how good those orders are) could soon depend heavily on your performance score. New Verification Process to Protect Workers Another big change coming alongside the quality scores: Customers filing complaints now have to upload photo proof and provide more specific information. Instacart says this added step will give workers more transparency and help prevent unfair complaints. Considering the growing demand for online grocery delivery across South Louisiana, especially during festival seasons and hurricane season, this could be a positive move for both shoppers and drivers trying to make a living. What It Means for Louisiana's Instacart Community Here in Louisiana, where everything from your crawfish boil to your tailgate party can depend on a last-minute grocery run, having a reliable delivery service matters. Instacart's changes aim to boost accountability and improve the customer experience, but only time will tell if the system fairly supports the workers who keep things moving. One thing's for sure: If you're shopping or delivering for Instacart around Acadiana or the Capital Region, paying closer attention to every order is about to matter more than ever. Fast Food Secrets You Need to Know Gallery Credit: Joe Cunningham