Instacart 将数百万客户与他们喜爱的杂货商关联起来，与 1800 多家全国、地区和本地零售商合作，覆盖近 10 万店铺位置。这些订单是由超过 60 万代购员带来的。为了快速交付杂货，Instacart 需要一个支付基础设施，能够在客户和零售商之间可靠地转移资金，并确保购物者快速获得付款。Instacart 于 2012 年选择 Stripe 作为其首批技术合作伙伴之一，使用 Stripe 处理线上付款，帮助它从一家本地初创公司扩大规模，让现在北美 98% 以上的家庭都能享受到这项服务。
随着平台的成长，Stripe 技术为 Instacart 提供了所需的灵活性，以快速推出新功能、快速适应以及满足客户、代购员和零售商的期望。
Instacart 的支付合作关系负责人 David Beck 说：“我们从一开始就是 Stripe 的合作伙伴，我们最重要的要求之一就是通过支付来发展和扩大业务规模。我们不断评估和增加新的 Stripe 产品和功能，以推动增长和节约成本。支付在我们的服务体系中扮演着重要角色，因此我们高度专注于减少整个结账流程中的摩擦，从而更好地为消费者提供服务。”
优化结账体验
Instacart 减少摩擦的方法之一就是不断增加新的支付选项，让客户以最适合自己的方式支付。为了跟上数字支付方式的变化趋势，Instacart 使用 Stripe Payments，快速且便捷地增加新的支付方式，除借记卡和信用卡外，还包括 Apple Pay 和 Google Pay，以跟上客户的支付偏好。
2022 年，Instacart 通过 Klarna 增加了先买后付 (BNPL) 支付方式，允许客户分四期无息支付货款，从而再次拓展了支付方式。自推出 Klarna 以来，Instacart 的先买后付支付量不断增长，激励公司努力增加对更多服务商的支持。
Beck 说：“增加先买后付支付方式对我们来说是一项重大举措，因为它为我们的客户提供了基于其偏好的更多支付方式。先买后付支付方式可以帮助我们接触到新的受众，尤其是相比传统支付方式更喜欢这种支付方式的客户。”
Instacart 还使用授权优化功能，如 Stripe 的银行卡账户更新器，自动更新银行卡信息，防止支付失败。Beck 说：“随着时间的推移，我们看到业绩提高了，对此我们很满意。Stripe的工具对我们的接受率和授权率产生了积极影响。”
为了实时了解商家业绩，Instacart 使用 Stripe Data Pipeline。Data Pipeline 提供 AI 工具，帮助 Instacart 团队有针对性地询问特定 Stripe 产品（如网络令牌、银行卡账户更新器和授权工具）在一段时间内的使用情况。这些洞察力有助于 Instacart 进一步完善其结账体验，为决策提供信息，例如添加哪些支付方式以及如何优化现有支付方式。
Beck 说：“Data Pipeline 让我们可以清晰、干净地获取大量数据，否则很难获得这些数据。”
Instacart 与 Stripe 的专业服务团队合作，为其提供战略实施指导和专业知识。该团队对 Instacart 的技术架构进行了深入分析，并提供了可行的建议，使 Instacart 能够解决难题并追求目标。Stripe 团队与 Instacart 密切合作，推动了会话外收款战略，帮助公司避免了结账和支付流程的重组。双方团队在透明和信任的基础上，保持着长达数年的密切关系。
为新的订购方式提供动力
Instacart 利用其灵活的支付基础设施进行试验，以更快的速度将新的商业模式推向市场。在过去十年中，Instacart 的业务范围已从食品杂货扩展到酒类、办公用品、美容产品和处方药等产品。
例如，Instacart 最近推出了 Fizz，这是一款供团体订购饮料和零食的独立应用程序。Fizz 可让多人共同参与一个订单，每个人既能为自己选购的商品单独付款，也能共同分摊一笔固定的配送费。
Beck 说：“我们在很短的时间内就完成了 Fizz 的搭建工作。Stripe 了解我们的支付流程和平台的复杂性，这让我们更容易放心地快速推进工作。”
Instacart 实施了 Stripe Connect 灵活的模块化配置功能，以正确传输付款，并确保商家仍然是酒类交易的备案商家，这是遵守本地法规的关键。Stripe 还支持自定义功能，如动态对账单描述符，可明确客户信用卡对账单上的收款，减少混淆和支持工单。
Beck 说：“我们在适用的情况下使用 Connect，以确保商家直接收款，资金对账正确。”
Connect 使 Instacart 可以轻松地为代购员和商家提供一个个性化的安全管理平台，让他们可以查看提现款项、交易历史和业绩数据。Beck 说：“Connect 让我们可以无缝接纳商家入驻，向代购员付款，并提供客户身份验证 (KYC) 和安全保障。管理平台和报告提高了透明度，加强了我们整个生态系统的关系。”
为了进一步简化服务，Instacart 使用 Stripe Issuing 为店内订单履行提供实体银行卡。Stripe 发行的这些银行卡可让 Instacart 的代购员在收银台付款，免去了代购员垫付现金和等待报销的麻烦，同时也帮助 Instacart 简化了订单履行流程，减少了管理开销。
Beck 说：“我们相信 Stripe 能为代购员提供无缝的店内结账体验。”
随着 Instacart 不断探索为客户提供便利和为合作伙伴创造价值的新方法，Beck 预计 Stripe 仍将是不可或缺的合作伙伴。
Beck 说：“与 Stripe 合作对我们的商家产生了积极影响。他们是值得信赖的合作伙伴，我们有信心在 Stripe 上推出新的解决方案。随着我们推行新举措，我们看到了扩大使用 Stripe 产品的机会，并将继续巩固我们已经建立的关系。”
Adding BNPL is a big initiative for us because it gives our customers even more ways to pay based on their preferences. BNPL helps us reach new audiences, especially customers who prefer this payment method over traditional payment methods.
Instacart also uses authorization optimizations such as Stripe’s card account updater to automatically update card information to prevent payment failures. “We’re happy with the improvements we’ve seen in performance over time,” said Beck. “Stripe’s tools positively impact our acceptance and authorization rates.”
To get real-time insights into business performance, Instacart uses Stripe Data Pipeline. Data Pipeline powers AI tools that help Instacart’s team ask targeted questions about how specific Stripe products—such as network tokens, card account updates, and authorization tools—are being used over time. These insights help Instacart further refine its checkout experience, informing decisions such as which payment methods to add and how to optimize existing ones.
“Data Pipeline gives us clear, clean access to a substantial amount of data that would otherwise be difficult to obtain,” said Beck.
Instacart partners with Stripe’s professional services team for strategic implementation guidance and expertise. The team conducted a deep analysis of Instacart’s technical architecture and provided actionable recommendations, enabling Instacart to resolve challenges and pursue goals. The Stripe team worked closely with Instacart, driving the strategy for off-session charges, helping the company avoid having to restructure its checkout and payment flows. The teams maintain a close relationship, spanning several years, and built on transparency and trust.
Powering new ways to order
Instacart has used its flexible payments infrastructure to experiment and go to market with new business models faster. Over the past decade, Instacart has expanded beyond groceries into products such as alcohol, office supplies, beauty products, and prescriptions.
For example, Instacart recently launched Fizz, a stand-alone app for groups to order drinks and snacks. Fizz lets multiple people contribute to a single order, pay for their own items, and share delivery for a flat fee.
We stood Fizz up in a remarkably short amount of time. Stripe understands our payment flows and the complexity of our platform, which makes it much easier to move fast with confidence.
Instacart implemented Stripe Connect’s flexible, modular configuration capabilities to properly route payments and ensure merchants remain the merchant of record for alcohol transactions, which is key for compliance with local regulations. Stripe also enables customizations such as dynamic statement descriptors that clarify charges on customers’ credit card statements, reducing confusion and support tickets.
“We use Connect when applicable to ensure merchants get paid directly and funds are properly reconciled,” said Beck.
Connect makes it easy for Instacart to provide both shoppers and merchants with a personalized, secure dashboard where they can view payouts, transaction history, and performance data. “Connect lets us seamlessly onboard merchants, pay shoppers, and provide KYC and security,” said Beck. “The dashboards and reporting improve transparency and strengthen our relationships across our ecosystem.”
To further streamline its service, Instacart uses Stripe Issuing to provide physical cards for in-store fulfillment. These Stripe-issued cards allow Instacart’s shoppers to pay at the register, eliminating the need for shoppers to pay out of pocket and wait for reimbursement, while also helping Instacart simplify order fulfillment and reduce administrative overhead.
“We trust Stripe to provide our shoppers with a seamless in-store checkout experience,” said Beck.
As Instacart continues to explore new ways to deliver convenience to customers and value to partners, Beck expects that Stripe will remain an integral partner.
Working with Stripe has had a positive impact on our business. They’re a trusted partner, and we feel confident launching new solutions on Stripe. As we pursue new initiatives, we see opportunities to expand our use of Stripe products and continue building on the relationship we’ve established.
