Target How Do I Change an Instore Pick Up to Shipping
For many people, the convenience of doorstep delivery has shifted over the past year, changing from a merely helpful amenity for ordering gifts or one-off items to a crucial service for getting groceries and other everyday essentials. Partly because of the pandemic, you also have more drop-off and pickup shopping options than ever before. All of this may leave you wondering whether it's worth the investment to subscribe to a service like Target's Same Day Delivery (shopped by Shipt), which can bring you all of your daily must-haves (not to mention lots of Target's other irresistible merchandise) in as little as one hour.
If you've been considering a Shipt membership, here's everything you need to know about the service before you fork over the cash.
What is Target's Same Day Delivery (shopped by Shipt), and how does it work?
Target's Same Day Delivery (shopped by Shipt) is a grocery delivery service operated by Shipt, a company Target acquired in 2017.
As its awkwardly punctuated and capitalized name implies, Target's Same Day Delivery (shopped by Shipt) offers delivery of Target purchases as quick as one hour after you place an order. On Target.com, you can shop by first selecting Same Day Delivery under the homepage's "Pickup and Delivery" tab, or you can filter items as you go by clicking the Same Day Delivery button on the left side of the page. On the Target app, scroll down the landing page until you see the Same Day Delivery button, and tap that to ensure that the items you're selecting qualify for Same Day Delivery (shopped by Shipt). When it's time to check out, you can pick from the available delivery windows. A personal shopper deployed by Shipt does your shopping for you (they even reach out via text if something you ordered is out of stock) and then delivers the goods right to your door.
Shipt members can also use the service to receive delivery from other participating grocers, drugstores, and big-box retailers in the area; on its homepage, Shipt advertises that deliveries are also available from chains like Bed Bath & Beyond, Costco, CVS, H-E-B, Meijer, Office Depot, and Petco. Note that for the purposes of this article, we're assessing the value of an annual Same Day Delivery (shopped by Shipt) membership as it applies to Target specifically.
If you place an order but find that your chosen delivery window no longer works, you can cancel it (for free) up to one hour before through the app or website. If your plans change within an hour of the scheduled delivery window or your shopper has already started putting your order together, you have to contact Shipt via phone, email, or live chat.
Same Day Delivery (shopped by Shipt) is available in most well-populated areas of the US, though availability may be limited in some parts of the country. (Check your zip code on Target's Same Day Delivery page to see if your area is eligible.)
How much is a Shipt subscription?
An annual subscription to Same Day Delivery (shopped by Shipt) costs $99, which comes out to $8.25 a month and includes unlimited delivery on orders of $35 or more from Target and other participating stores. (FYI: The annual fee is the same whether you're a Target RedCard Credit Card holder or not.) You can also use Same Day Delivery (shopped by Shipt) without a membership; in that case, you pay $10 per delivery.
What items are (and aren't) eligible?
Almost anything you can buy at a physical Target location qualifies for Same Day Delivery (shopped by Shipt). Most grocery items—as well as items that fall under the bedding, bath, baby, kitchen and dining, toys, pets, school and office supplies, and beauty categories—are eligible.
Excluded products include select clothing, shoes, and accessories; furniture and patio items; select electronics; items that weigh more than 40 pounds; and limited-time offers. If you're primarily shopping for groceries, toiletries, and other household necessities (such as garbage bags, paper towels, and cleaning supplies), most of these exceptions won't affect you. Just be sure that no single item in your cart exceeds the 40-pound maximum.
Is using Shipt instead of shopping in person or online worth it?
Can you use your Target RedCard for Shipt purchases?
The Target RedCard Credit Card is a great option for anyone who does the bulk of their grocery shopping at Target (so long as you pay your bill in full every month, as the card's APR is on the higher side) because it gives you an instant 5% off at checkout whether you shop in a store, on Target.com, or through Shipt. Also, Target says that using your RedCard for Same Day Delivery (shopped by Shipt) will allow you to "get any current promotions on Target.com."
Can you opt for curbside pickup instead of delivery?
Target also offers contact-less, curbside pickup for free on orders placed via the Target app (where this service is called Drive Up). You don't need to be a Shipt member to take advantage of the free Drive Up service, and if you have a RedCard, you can still use that card to save 5%. Drive Up orders are usually ready within four hours, and you have up to three days to collect your purchases. In the Target app, you'll find a spot that lets you give the staff a heads-up that you're on your way. Once you've parked in the marked Drive Up area, tap it again to let them know you've arrived. A Target employee will come out with your purchases and load them into your car for you. Previously, perishable food and alcohol were excluded from the store's Drive Up service, but earlier this year Target announced that fresh and frozen grocery items can now be included in your Drive Up order at 1,500 of its stores nationwide, while Shipt's website also touts alcohol delivery.
How does Shipt compare with Amazon Pantry and other grocery delivery services?
Target's Same Day Delivery (shopped by Shipt) isn't the only grocery delivery program out there. Two of the most well-known are from Amazon, where Prime members can get free delivery on both non-perishable items ordered through Amazon Pantry and perishable groceries from Amazon Fresh (for both services, a $35 order minimum applies). Amazon also offers Prime Now, which lets Prime subscribers in 16 US cities get household goods, groceries, and other things—including many Whole Foods Market 365 Everyday Value items—delivered within two hours for free. (An annual Prime membership currently costs $119.)
Amazon's trio of grocery delivery services may offer a few advantages over Target's Same Day Delivery (shopped by Shipt), depending on what you're buying. Groceries you order via Amazon Fresh arrive at your door within two hours of purchase (non-perishable Pantry items usually arrive within one to four business days). Non-Prime members pay $6 per delivery, much less than the $10 that Shipt charges for non-member delivery. Your proximity to a Whole Foods location, however, could affect your ability to order fresh groceries using Prime Now.
Prime members also receive benefits beyond free grocery delivery, including two-day shipping on all Amazon orders with no minimums, plus access to Amazon Prime's extensive music, movie, and TV streaming options.
Walmart+, which launched in September 2020, offers same-day delivery on any items available at Walmart's brick-and-mortar locations, including groceries. As of December 4, 2020, Walmart+ delivery is free with no minimum spending requirement—in contrast to Amazon Prime's delivery services and Target's Same Day Delivery (shopped by Shipt). Walmart+ delivery slots are first-come, first-serve, and you can order as often as you'd like (even twice in one day if time slots are available). Other Walmart+ perks include Scan & Go shopping in-store, which lets you bypass checkout lines (but note that you're not allowed to use coupons when you shop this way), and the chance to save up to 5¢ a gallon at the nearly 2,000 Walmart, Murphy USA, and Murphy Express gas stations across the country. An annual Walmart+ membership is $98 if you pay in one lump sum, or $156 if you decide to pay monthly, which comes out to $13 a month.
Other notable grocery delivery services include Peapod, FreshDirect, and Instacart. Peapod is available in several states in the northeastern US (plus Washington, DC), while FreshDirect is available in only five East Coast states and Washington, DC. Neither service offers an annual membership: FreshDirect delivery fees range from $6 to $16, depending on where you're located and how much you order, while Peapod charges between $7 and $10 per delivery.
Like Target's Same Day Delivery (shopped by Shipt), an Instacart Express membership is $99 a year. Also like Shipt, Instacart lets you shop a wide selection of local stores, which may include warehouse clubs like Costco and pharmacies like CVS, and enjoy free delivery on orders of $35 or more. If Instacart is available in your area, it might be worth comparing your checkout totals with what you pay for the same items via Same Day Delivery (shopped by Shipt). If you have a Target RedCard, though, what you save with the 5% discount could make up for any price differences.
So, should you sign up for Target's Same Day Delivery (shopped by Shipt)?
As with most yearly memberships, you should sign up only if you can take full advantage of the benefits; otherwise, the subscription fee isn't worth paying. If you prefer to spread your grocery shopping across a few different stores (that aren't eligible for Shipt delivery) based on price or selection, or if you have a Prime membership and are thus eligible for Amazon Fresh and Prime Now deliveries, you should probably skip this subscription. But if you love shopping at Target and think you'll use the delivery service often enough, getting your money's worth should be fairly easy—and nothing beats the convenience of having your groceries appear at your doorstep only an hour after you place an order.
About your guides
Rose Maura Lorre has written for The New York Times's Travel section, as well as Salon, Esquire, Dwell, Saveur, Time Out New York, and many more. She has also been a JV volleyball coach, a bartender, a cocktail blogger, and an award-winning restaurant critic for the St. Louis alt-weekly Riverfront Times. She is in love with your dog.
Elissa Sanci is a staff writer for Wirecutter, where she covers deals, consumer shopping, and personal finance. Based in Denver, she previously worked as an editorial assistant at Woman's Day, where she wrote about everything from worthy charities to girls' empowerment. Her byline has also appeared in Good Housekeeping and Marie Claire.
Target How Do I Change an Instore Pick Up to Shipping
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/money/target-shipt-review/