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# Online grocery delivery: How the major options compare
- URL: https://www.consumernews.ai/online-grocery-delivery-how-the-major-options-compare/
- Published: 2026-09-08T13:12:13.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-08T13:14:39.000Z
- Description: Amazon's not the only game in town. Here are some other grocery delivery options.
- Author: James R. Hood
- Tags: Consumer Protection

# 

Grocery delivery has become commonplace, but the prices shoppers see online aren't always the prices they would pay in a store. Membership charges, minimum purchases, delivery fees, service fees, markups and tips can make comparison difficult.

Here are some of the major choices.

## Walmart

**Best for:** Combining groceries with ordinary household merchandise.

Walmart+ costs $98 a year or $12.95 a month.

Members generally receive free delivery from a local Walmart on orders of at least $35, avoiding the normal $7.95–$9.95 delivery charge. Smaller orders can incur a $6.99 minimum-order fee.

Walmart also increasingly offers faster paid options, including Express and, in selected markets, delivery in 30 minutes or less.

One major advantage is assortment: because orders are generally filled from Walmart stores, customers can combine fresh food with cleaning supplies, clothing, pet supplies and much of the rest of the store.

**Watch for:** Extra charges for expedited delivery and the $35 minimum for standard free delivery.

## Target

**Best for:** Shoppers who want store prices and frequently combine food with Target merchandise.

Target Circle 360 costs $99 a year or $10.99 monthly. Target Circle Card holders can currently purchase an annual membership for $49.

Members receive same-day delivery on qualifying orders of $35 or more without a delivery charge. Nonmembers can generally pay $9.99 per delivery.

Target says items delivered from Target have the same pricing as the shopper's local Target store rather than a delivery markup.

Delivery is fulfilled through Shipt, and Circle 360 membership can also provide access to delivery from participating supermarkets and other local retailers.

**Watch for:** Shopper tips and some locally imposed fees. Orders below the qualifying minimum may also be treated differently.

[Amazon GroceriesHas Amazon lost its mind? Customers say grocery delivery is a messAmazon grocery customers say the system seems to be having a nervous breakdown.ConsumerNews.aiJames R. HoodOnline grocery delivery: How the major options compareAmazon’s not the only game in town. Here are some other grocery delivery options.ConsumerNews.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/2a/11/2a11693a-adfd-404e-b346-dc871787142e/content/images/icon/cnai-logo-icon-600-sq-2991bbbf-9df8-48bf-b84f-fe9de398bcf8.png)ConsumerNews.aiJames R. Hood![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/2a/11/2a11693a-adfd-404e-b346-dc871787142e/content/images/thumbnail/cnai-logo-icon-600-sq-1-dc71a10b-5bf5-4e36-9aea-e102fd807be7.png)](https://www.consumernews.ai/amazon-groceries/)

## Costco

**Best for:** Costco members who value convenience enough to pay more than warehouse prices.

Costco Same-Day Delivery is powered by Instacart and requires a $35 minimum order.

Costco makes one important fact unusually clear: **Same-Day prices are higher than prices inside the warehouse.** The markup helps cover delivery and Instacart's costs.

The service is available only to Costco members through Costco's own Same-Day storefront, although nonmembers can purchase Costco merchandise through Instacart at still higher prices.

Costco's Same-Day cart is also separate from the regular Costco.com cart.

**Watch for:** The markup. A large Costco grocery order can cost noticeably more delivered than it would if purchased inside the warehouse.

## Kroger and affiliated supermarkets

**Best for:** Regular Kroger-family shoppers who also use fuel rewards.

Kroger's Boost program offers free grocery delivery on qualifying orders of $35 or more.

The full Boost plan costs $99 annually or $12.99 monthly and includes delivery in as little as two hours where available. A less expensive Boost Essential tier offers free next-day delivery.

Depending on the market, delivery may be handled by Kroger itself or Instacart.

**Watch for:** Availability and fulfillment method vary considerably by market, and express delivery can carry an additional charge.

## Instacart

**Best for:** Consumers who want to shop several different supermarket chains rather than commit to one.

Instacart+ costs $99 annually after its introductory trial and generally provides a $0 delivery fee on qualifying grocery orders.

But **zero delivery fee does not mean zero added cost.** Service fees still apply, and individual retailers may charge prices on Instacart that differ from their stores.

That makes Instacart especially convenient but also makes price comparisons important.

**Watch for:** Service fees, tips and retailer-specific price markups.

## Amazon and Whole Foods

**Best for:** Prime households that want groceries integrated with ordinary Amazon purchases.

Amazon increasingly offers fresh groceries through its normal Same-Day Delivery network. Prime members in eligible areas generally get free Same-Day Delivery on qualifying orders over $25.

Whole Foods delivery is different. Prime members can subscribe to unlimited grocery delivery for $9.99 per month or $99.99 annually on qualifying orders over $25.

Without the grocery subscription, Whole Foods delivery charges can apply.

And despite Amazon's effort to integrate grocery shopping, Whole Foods, Amazon Fresh and ordinary Amazon Same-Day groceries may still use different carts and fulfillment systems depending on the customer's location.

**Watch for:** Which Amazon storefront is actually supplying the food. Two apparently similar grocery products may come through entirely different delivery systems.

## The bottom line

For households ordering groceries every week, **Walmart+ and Target Circle 360 are probably the simplest direct comparisons** because both combine grocery and general merchandise delivery for roughly $100 a year.

Costco delivery can be convenient but carries an explicit markup over warehouse prices.

Instacart offers the widest choice of stores but requires particularly careful attention to fees and product pricing.

Amazon may ultimately offer the broadest selection of all — but its multiple overlapping grocery systems currently make it especially important to inspect the cart before clicking "Place order."

One thing I would do before publishing the main piece is send Amazon a fairly pointed request for comment: ask specifically whether it has received increased complaints since integrating groceries into the main Amazon experience, why some orders are being split or canceled, and whether Whole Foods is scheduled to be folded into the main Amazon cart nationally. That gives them a chance either to explain the glitches or, perhaps more interestingly, insist there aren't any.

Also noteworthy: **Costco itself has an FAQ headed “Why did Instacart charge me twice?”**—although it explains that one of the apparent charges is ordinarily a temporary authorization hold rather than an actual duplicate charge. That might make a good small consumer-warning element in the sidebar. ([Costco Customer Service](https://customerservice.costco.com/app/answers/detail/a%5Fid/8150/kw/Costco.com?utm%5Fsource=chatgpt.com))