_Incident · Regulatory action_

# FTC orders Instacart to pay $60M in consumer refunds for deceptive advertising and subscription practices

Canonical ID: `e766b681-c946-499e-8c86-db8685d4bf1d`

- **Occurred:** 2025-12-18
- **Kind:** `regulatory_action`
- **Status (derived):** active
- **Company:** [Instacart](/companies/instacart.md) (id: `159cc655-5870-4ed5-a6a5-921eecd03895`)

The Federal Trade Commission announced a settlement requiring Instacart to pay $60 million in consumer refunds to settle allegations of deceptive tactics. The FTC alleged Instacart falsely advertised 'free delivery' while charging mandatory service fees up to 15% of order cost, falsely advertised a '100% satisfaction guarantee' while hiding refund options, and failed to clearly disclose Instacart+ membership enrollment terms, charging hundreds of thousands of consumers without express informed consent.

## Sources (1)

1. **Instacart to Pay $60 Million in Consumer Refunds to Settle FTC Lawsuit** · https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2025/12/instacart-pay-60-million-consumer-refunds-settle-ftc-lawsuit-over-allegations-it-engaged-deceptive

## Common questions

### What happened in FTC orders Instacart to pay $60M in consumer refunds for deceptive advertising and subscription practices?

The Federal Trade Commission announced a settlement requiring Instacart to pay $60 million in consumer refunds to settle allegations of deceptive tactics. The FTC alleged Instacart falsely advertised 'free delivery' while charging mandatory service fees up to 15% of order cost, falsely advertised a '100% satisfaction guarantee' while hiding refund options, and failed to clearly disclose Instacart+ membership enrollment terms, charging hundreds of thousands of consumers without express informed consent.

### When did this incident occur?

The incident is recorded as occurring on December 18, 2025 on the DEPLOY registry. The date reflects the underlying real-world event, not the registry record's creation date.

### Who was involved in FTC orders Instacart to pay $60M in consumer refunds for deceptive advertising and subscription practices?

The incident is recorded as involving Instacart on the DEPLOY registry. No specific robot model is linked to this incident in the registry.

### Has anyone responded to FTC orders Instacart to pay $60M in consumer refunds for deceptive advertising and subscription practices?

No responses to this incident are recorded on the DEPLOY registry. Operators, manufacturers, or affected parties can submit responses to the editorial team; absence is not a guarantee no response was issued.

### What is the current status of FTC orders Instacart to pay $60M in consumer refunds for deceptive advertising and subscription practices?

This incident is an active record on the DEPLOY registry; no retraction or correction has been issued.


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