DoorDash agreed to buy Instacart for about $17 billion. Here’s what could change for DashPass and Instacart+ members and Publix delivery, and what stays the same for now.
Two of the biggest names in delivery are about to become one company.
DoorDash agreed Thursday, Oct. 29, to buy Instacart for $65 a share, or about $17 billion, the companies announced. That’s 26% more than Instacart’s stock price on Oct. 22, the last trading day before reports of the talks.
If you order groceries from Publix online, this one hits close to home. Publix’s delivery and curbside pickup orders run through Instacart.
Don’t delete either app yet, though. The companies expect the deal to close at the end of 2027 or in the first half of 2028, and regulators still have to sign off.
Here’s Bloomberg’s report on the deal:
Will DashPass and Instacart+ become one subscription?
Eventually, it sounds like. The announcement says DashPass and Instacart+ members “would pay one membership fee instead of two.” DoorDash estimates that would save members about $100 million a year.
DoorDash CEO Tony Xu put it more simply on the company’s earnings call the same day. “For the same price that you pay for DashPass today, you’ll get access to 2 subscription programs,” he said, according to a Motley Fool transcript.
There’s no name, price or start date for a combined plan yet. Right now, DashPass costs $9.99 a month or $96 a year. Instacart+ costs $9.99 a month or $99 a year, and it includes Peacock.
Is the Instacart app going away?
No. DoorDash plans to keep Instacart’s brand, its app and the technology it sells to grocery stores, according to the announcement.
Instacart works with more than 2,200 store chains and nearly 100,000 stores. DoorDash says Instacart customers could reach more than 50,000 more stores through DoorDash after the deal.
Instacart’s shoppers get a choice, too. They can take DoorDash orders or keep shopping only on Instacart.
What does the DoorDash deal mean for Publix delivery?
Nothing yet. Publix’s website still says its delivery and curbside pickup are “Powered by Instacart,” and the grocer has worked with Instacart since at least 2018. We haven’t seen a statement from Publix about the deal.
The announcement says local grocers can keep working with any delivery service they choose.
Costco shoppers already have both options. Instacart+ members get free delivery on Costco orders of $35 or more. On DoorDash’s side, finance chief Ravi Inukonda said on the call, “we just added Costco on the platform.”
Planning a Disney World trip? A 2024 answer on Disney’s planDisney site says resort Bell Services will hold grocery deliveries until you arrive, and room delivery costs a small fee. Policies can change, so check with your hotel.
What did DoorDash and Instacart say?
Xu made the case in very grocery-store terms.
“Grocery is one of the hardest things to get right online,” he said. “Someone has to pick a ripe avocado, find a substitute you’d choose yourself, and get the ice cream to you before it melts.”
Instacart CEO Chris Rogers said, “Together, we can accelerate innovation across the grocery industry and make online grocery more seamless and affordable for the millions of households we serve.”
Could regulators block the DoorDash Instacart deal?
They could slow it down. The deal needs a vote from Instacart’s shareholders, a U.S. antitrust review and approvals in Canada and Israel.
Reuters reported the Federal Trade Commission could take a hard look. A day before the deal, the FTC opened a study of whether companies including DoorDash and Instacart use shoppers’ data to set prices and driver pay.
Among DoorDash, Uber Eats and Instacart, DoorDash handled about 65% of orders last year, Uber Eats about 26% and Instacart about 9%, according to YipitData figures cited by Reuters.
If the deal falls apart, one side may owe the other. Reuters, citing a filing, reported DoorDash would pay Instacart $1.25 billion under certain circumstances, and Instacart would pay DoorDash $650 million in others.
How did DoorDash and Instacart get here?
Apoorva Mehta co-founded Instacart in 2012, and it went public in September 2023 at $30 a share.
DoorDash has been on a buying spree. It bought the British delivery app Deliveroo for about $3.9 billion in a deal that closed in October 2025.
The Information first reported Oct. 23 that Instacart was exploring a sale and had talked with both Uber and DoorDash, according to Reuters. The Wall Street Journal reported the DoorDash talks three days later.
Article compiled and written by Kambrea Pratt (editor-in-chief), Derek Gibbs (beat editor) and the Pirates & Princesses newsroom. Pirates & Princesses is part of WebReef Media.
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Hat Tips:
DoorDash and Instacart (Oct. 29, 2026), the deal announcement and quotes
Reuters (Oct. 26 and 29, 2026), the talks, fees, regulators and order shares
The Motley Fool (Oct. 29, 2026), the earnings call transcript
Publix, its delivery and pickup page
The Canadian Press (Oct. 29, 2026), the Deliveroo deal
planDisney, the resort grocery delivery answer
Dexerto on X (Oct. 30, 2026), the tip
Bloomberg Tech on YouTube, the deal report
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