[Expired] Instacart Card’s Best-Ever Offer – $100 Credit, Free Year Instacart+

Update:The offer mentioned below has expired and is no longer available.

If you’re a heavy user of Instacard, the Instacart Mastercard^® may make sense for you. With strong earnings on purchases from Instacart and Chase Travel, this card rewards those who shop often. And now, with a new welcome offer on the table, the Instacart card is more appealing than ever. Let’s take a look.

New Instacart Card Welcome Offer

The Instacart card‘s newest welcome offer is generous; you don’t need to meet any minimum spending requirements to receive it:

• No welcome offer available.

The Instacart card doesn’t charge an annual fee, so you’ll immediately be in the positive when it comes to getting this welcome offer.

For those who aren’t aware, Instacart+ is the program’s paid subscription. It provides free delivery on orders over $35, 5% credit on pickup orders, and the ability to share your account with another individual.

Is It Worth It?

The Instacart card earns 5% cash-back on Instacart purchases and Chase Travel purchases, 2% cash-back on restaurants and gas stations, and 1% cash-back everywhere else.

While that’s a great return for Instacart, there are better options out there, especially if you’re interested in maximizing your rewards.

For example, the American Express^® Gold Card has great earning rates for groceries, dining, and travel, plus it offers dining credits and Uber Cash:

• Earn 4x points at global restaurants (up to $50,000 a year, then 1x thereafter), plus takeout and delivery in the U.S.
• Earn 4x points at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 per year; 1x thereafter)
• Earn 3x points on flights booked directly with the airline or AmexTravel.com
• Earn 1x points elsewhere
• Up to $120 dining credit each year
• Up to $120 Uber Cash each year
• New $100 Resy Credit: $100 annual statement credit ($50 semi-annually), redeemable at any U.S. Resy restaurant and other eligible Resy purchases. Enrollment required through your Amex account.
• New Dunkin’ Credit: $84 annual statement credit ($7/month), redeemable at Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.

The Amex Gold card charges an annual fee of $325, so it’s not completely equal, but the credits essentially wipe out the annual fee.

More importantly, the American Express Membership Rewards points you’ll earn with the Amex Gold card are a lot more valuable than the cash back you earn with the Instacart card.

We value Amex points at 2.2 cents each, which is more than double the 1 cent you’ll get with the Instacart card.

In practice, this means that the 4x points you’ll earn on groceries equates to an 8.8% return, much higher than the 5% you’ll get in cash back with the Instacart card.

Final Thoughts

The Instacart card is a great no-annual-fee option for those who spend a lot on Instacart purchases. Plus, its new best-ever welcome offer gives cardholders a free year of Instacart+ and $100 in Instacart credit.

However, while its 5% cash-back is great, those who are looking to maximize their rewards may want to consider other options. Cards such as the Amex Gold card can earn you far more in rewards, though you’ll be charged an annual fee.